Best Sauerkraut Jello Recipes

SAUERKRAUT

Steps:

• In large mixing bowl, mix cabbage thoroughly with salt, juniper berries, and caraway seeds, using hands or tongs. If using your hands, make sure that they are very clean prior to mixing. Let stand for 10 minutes.
• Pack cabbage mixture down into a large plastic food container. Top with a lid smaller than the opening of the container and place a glass jar filled with the quart of water on top of the lid. Place in cool area overnight (65 to 70 degrees F). In a day, the cabbage should have given up enough liquid to be completely submerged. The jar serves as a weight to keep the cabbage submerged and away from air.
• Check cabbage every other day for approximately 2 weeks and skim the surface of scum, if necessary. Let stand for 4 weeks. Transfer to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 6 months.

SAUERKRAUT SALAD

Steps:

• In a large bowl, mix together sauerkraut, onion, celery, green bell pepper, carrot, pimientos, and mustard seed. Set aside this mixture.
• In a small saucepan, mix together sugar, oil, and vinegar. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat.
• Pour sugar mixture over salad, cover, and leave it in the refregerator for 2 days before serving.

SAUERKRAUT JELLO, 1938

Steps:

• Dissolve a packet of lemon jello in one cup of boiling water. When cool add sauerkraut, lemon juice, salt and paprika. Fill individual molds or cups. Chill. This recipe will make six individual molds. At serving time, remove from molds. Cut into any desired shapes and use as a garnish for salads or cold meats.

POTATO AND SAUERKRAUT SOUP WITH KIELBASA

Steps:

• Melt the butter in a large wide pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the kielbasa and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden and crisp, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon to a plate, leaving the drippings in the pot.
• Add the onion, diced celery and potatoes to the pot and cook, scraping up any browned bits with a wooden spoon, until the onion and celery are softened, about 5 minutes. Add the caraway seeds and sauerkraut and cook, scraping up any remaining browned bits, 1 to 2 more minutes. Add 6 cups water, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper. Cover and bring to a boil. Uncover, reduce the heat to a rapid simmer and cook until the potatoes are tender, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Stir together the heavy cream and mustard in a small bowl. Once the potatoes are tender, reduce the heat to medium low and whisk the heavy cream mixture into the soup. Return the kielbasa to the pot. Increase the heat to medium and simmer until thickened slightly, 3 to 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
• Divide the soup among bowls. Top with the chopped celery leaves and dill.

HOMEMADE SAUERKRAUT

Steps:

• Quarter cabbages and remove cores; slice 1/8 in. thick. In an extra-large bowl, combine salt and cabbage. With clean hands, squeeze cabbage until it wilts and releases liquid, about 10 minutes. If desired, add optional ingredients., Firmly pack cabbage mixture into 4-quart fermenting crock or large glass container, removing as many air bubbles as possible. If cabbage mixture is not covered by 1-2 inches of liquid, make enough brine to cover by 1-2 inches. To make brine, combine 4-1/2 teaspoons canning salt per 1 quart of water in a saucepan; bring to a boil until salt is dissolved. Cool brine before adding to crock., Place crock weight over cabbage; the weight should be submerged in the brine. Or, place an inverted dinner plate or glass pie plate over cabbage. The plate should be slightly smaller than the container opening, but large enough to cover most of the shredded cabbage mixture. Weigh down the plate with 2 or 3 sealed quart jars filled with water. If using a glass container with a lid, cover the opening loosely so any gas produced by the fermenting cabbage can escape. Alternately, you can cover the opening with a clean, heavy towel. If using a crock, seal according to manufacturer's instructions. , Store crock, undisturbed, at 70°-75° for 3-4 weeks (bubbles will form and aroma will change). Cabbage must be kept submerged below surface of the fermenting liquid throughout fermentation. Check crock 2-3 times each week; skim and remove any scum that may form on top of liquid. Fermentation is complete when bubbling stops. Transfer to individual containers. Cover and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 months.