In the old days, the fermented cabbage added a flavorsome side dish to common food staples like meat, beans, and potatoes. It was also exceptionally good for you.

In order to keep German Sauerkraut longer you will need to process it. This done by packing the kraut in quart jars putting on rings and lids and water bathing the jars for 20 minutes to seal the jars.

The second way the Fudge family made sauerkraut was called “Depression Kraut”. First made in Appalachia in the early 1920’s this recipe makes a nice white crispy tangy kraut with plenty of beneficial probiotics.

In the old days, the fermented cabbage added a flavorsome side dish to common food staples like meat, beans, and potatoes. It was also exceptionally good for you.

In order to keep German Sauerkraut longer you will need to process it. This done by packing the kraut in quart jars putting on rings and lids and water bathing the jars for 20 minutes to seal the jars.

The second way the Fudge family made sauerkraut was called “Depression Kraut”. First made in Appalachia in the early 1920’s this recipe makes a nice white crispy tangy kraut with plenty of beneficial probiotics.

We are living history at the 200-year-old Fudge Farm this week as we make old fashioned Appalachian sauerkraut and relive memories of days gone by.

In today’s world Sauerkraut is considered a particularly important super food because of its probiotic qualities. My ancestors knew the importance of Kraut all along.

In the old days, the fermented cabbage added a flavorsome side dish to common food staples like meat, beans, and potatoes. It was also exceptionally good for you. My grandmother knew it all along.

There were many instances where she gave us Kraut juice for an upset stomach, and it worked every time. “It’s good for the gut” she would tell us, and she was so right.

Sauerkraut was brought into Appalachia in the 1600s by early settlers. The old folks called it “sour kraut” or just plain kraut. In the early days men made the Sauerkraut because it was common belief that if a woman made the kraut during her monthly cycle it would spoil.

The first step in making good kraut that will keep is to choose a day when the astrological signs are in the head or the heart. This is an important step that my ancestors always followed, and it works. Consult the Farmer’s Almanac to find these dates.

There are several different ways to make kraut, but I’ve chosen two methods, and both work great. The Fudge family was originally from Germany, so they made German Sauerkraut and it is relatively easy to do. First choose firm fresh cabbage heads and coarsely chop with your favorite chopper. Grandma used a cut off tin can for this purpose.

Find a clean 5 gallon or churn and pack it with alternating layers of chopped cabbage and a sprinkling of canning or pickling salt. (Do not use iodized salt) A half a cup of salt per gallon of cabbage is the usual measurement. If you can’t find a crock or churn a food safe 5-gallon bucket will work. When the container is filled sprinkle one more layer of salt on top of the cabbage and cover with a clean white linen cloth.

Don’t add any water because the fermenting cabbage will produce its own liquid. The next step is to add a heavy weight on top to keep the cabbage under the brine. A clean flat rock will work, or you can purchase a fermentation weight on Amazon. Let the mixture ferment for 10 to 14 days. The longer you leave it the sourer and tangier it will become.

Be sure to taste it to get the consistency you want. Remember its cabbage and as it ferments there’s going to be an odor. So, place the crock in a basement or garage if it gets too whiffy.

The Fudge family left the sauerkraut in a large crock and dipped it out when they needed it. Raw kraut has many beneficial probiotic qualities but after a few weeks it turns dark. In order to keep German Sauerkraut longer you will need to process it. This done by packing the kraut in quart jars putting on rings and lids and water bathing the jars for 20 minutes to seal the jars.

The kraut will have a longer shelf life, but the good bacteria will be destroyed by the heat. Sometimes a pod of hot pepper would be added to the fermenting crock for added flavor but that’s totally optional.

The second way the Fudge family made sauerkraut was called “Depression Kraut”. First made in Appalachia in the early 1920’s this recipe makes a nice white crispy tangy kraut with plenty of beneficial probiotics. For this method choose the freshest firmest cabbage possible and chop it coarsely. Then pack it in wide mouth jars and tamp it down tight with a wooden mallet.

Remember the old expression packed in there like kraut in a jar? Well, that’s what you need to do. Tamp that cabbage down its important. Next mix 1 cup canning salt and 1 cup of vinegar with 1 gallon of lukewarm Spring or distilled water. (Don’t use chlorinated water)

Fill the jars with the brine and lay a glass fermentation weight on top of the chopped cabbage to hold it under the brine. (Glass fermentation weights can be purchased on Amazon.)

Wipe the rims of the jars and put on the lids and rings but don’t tighten the rings too much because the jars must be allowed to seep liquid. This is called the working or fermenting process. Lay newspapers or towels under the jars and make sure you store the in a cool dark place for2 weeks.

Don’t forget to date the jars. After the fermenting process is complete continue to store in a cool dark place or put the jars in the refrigerator. Its perfectly safe to do this and raw kraut retains all the nutrients and probiotics. My family and I have eaten raw sauerkraut for many years, and no one ever got sick or died from it.

Common sense dictates that is the kraut is dark. If in doubt let the safety be the word, so if it makes you feel better by all means water bathe it. Just be sure to remove the glass weight before you do so.

Well, there you have it! Good old fashioned Appalachian Sauerkraut and 2 ways to make it. So go ahead and make a batch when the signs are good and relive history as your ancestors once did.

I guarantee its 100 hundred percent better tasting and nutritious than anything you will ever find in the store. Good luck with your endeavors!

Rodney Ferrell is the former Hawkins County Historian and the author of three books on local history and culture. He has also written numerous newspaper articles and can be reached at stonypoint67@yahoo.com

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