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Sauerkraut Freeze or Can

9 years ago

Nephew is gifting us with 3 gallons of Sauerkraut he made. Appreciate it but how to store it

I have seen and heard people here talking about freezing it and of canning it. Are there advantages to one over the other? Special Equipment ?

Featured Answer

annie1992

9 years ago

last modified: 9 years ago

Hi, Katie!!

Adding vinegar makes it more like pickles and less like sauerkraut, you'll get a "pickled" flavor instead of a fermented one. Grandpa used to keep his crock of 'kraut in the root cellar and we'd just go down and dip as much out as we needed for meals until it was gone, and that was several months, at least through the winter and into the spring.

The trick is to find the room in the fridge to keep it. I have 35 pounds fermenting right now, and can't imagine trying to find enough room in the fridge to keep it. My backroom/storage stays cool, but not as cool as Grandpa's root cellar. So, until I get myself motivated to start on that root cellar I've been wanting since I moved here a couple of years ago, I'll have to can it.

Annie

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Comments (9)

lindac92
9 years ago
Freeze it....I think canned kills the good ferment in it.
annie1992
9 years ago
LindaC is right, canning the sauerkraut can compromise some of the probiotics present in fermented foods. That's why many people freeze it.

However, if you are going to heat it to eat it, it's a moot point. The heat from cooking will also compromise the probiotics.

I seldom have freezer space, so I always can mine. If you are going to make sauerkraut and sausage or sauerkraut balls or sauerkraut as a base for cabbage rolls like I do, either way is fine. If you plan to eat it "raw", something like a Reuben or as a side dish or garnish, like pickles, then you're better off freezing it.

In addition, it gets softer when canned, although I find the change negligible, probably because I'm cooking it anyway. Frozen will stay crunchier.

And remember, sauerkraut is just salt and cabbage. Sometimes it's intensely salty, I always rinse mine well before using it.

I have 35 pounds of it "working" away in my back room right now, it'll be ready in about 3 weeks or so, I think. Maybe sooner, it's bubbling like crazy!

Annie
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Never used those particular recipes so don't know how accurate this will be but personally I have never found BWB canning to have much tenderizing effects. So would doubt that it would have much effect on your kraut. Even boiling kraut in a pan has only minimal effect on the texture. The tenderness of the kraut is primarily a result of the fermenting process, the type/age of cabbage used, and the size you chopped it in to. Dave
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One of the reasons that I like to make sauerkraut in a jar, is because I grow my own cabbages, and they don't all become ripe or head-up at the same time. I'm not familiar with large scale sauerkraut making for that reason. However, the following method is good for my small-scale home gardening and has worked for me. I usually start with my regular Ball canning jars, either pints or quarts, depending on how much I have. As a rule, one head of cabbage will usually fill 3 pint-sized jars. Method: Grate cabbages in long shreds - white portion - remove outer green leaves - I use a Mandolin for this. Pack the shreds in jars, using thumbs to force cabbage in tightly. For pint sized jars, use 1 heaping tsp pickling/or Kosher salt. For quart sized jars, use 1 tbs pickling/or Kosher salt. Make a "brine bag" with salt and water to place on top of jars, to help retard air contamination but allowing overflow to occur. Place filled jars in a receptacle to catch any oozing. Sauerkraut will ferment faster in warmer climates, but slower in cooler ones. My pantry is about 70 to 75 degrees when I make kraut. I don't have any actual timing for "finished" time, but it is usually when it begins to smell Ok and taste Ok. There are different methods of processing sauerkraut, depending on how you like the finished product. Suggest that you refer to the NCHFP for processing times, and/or the recipes that are given for making sauerkraut as well. The above method works for me. Bejay Just my 2 c's.
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Depends on how dry it is. The liquid content of finished kraut varies widely. Some liquid is preferred so that it doesn't turn as mushy when thawed. So yes you may need to add some but I don't think it has to be covered. The more common recommendation is to seal it in bags - zip lock bags can be filled and most of the air carefully squeezed out. With vacuum bags you can fill the vacuum bag, set it in the freezer to partially freeze, then vacuum out the bag. There used to be a good discussion about how to do it on sauerkraut.com that is probably still available there. Dave
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It sounds like you have a lot of sauerkraut put up for the next year. I finished ours either in late June or early July and was glad to have it done! It always feels like it is fermenting forever, but it really isn't. I just don't want to get overly busy in the summer and forget that the sauerkraut is in process.
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Mokinu
9 years ago
How long would you like to store it? / How fast will you eat it?
twoyur
Original Author
9 years ago
Looks like freezing maybe the best solution It gives us some leeway between cooked and raw. Probably will last 6 months to 9 months. Within the guidelines for freezing or canning
Mokinu
9 years ago
Adding vinegar to further pickle it might extend the raw shelf life. Some people can raw pickles with vinegar (without heat), and they can last a good while (not sure how long). Somehow, the jars self-seal (I'm not sure why or how). I haven't found instructions for this online, though.
KatieC
9 years ago
I ferment mine in half gallon jars and then store it in the fridge, covering with additional brine if necessary. The National Center for Home Food Preservation says, Fully fermented kraut may be kept tightly covered in the refrigerator for several months or it may be canned..."
laceyvail 6A, WV
9 years ago
My kraut keeps in the fridge for well over a year.
Mokinu
9 years ago
laceyvail, how long do you ferment it, and what do you store it in? What kind of lid do you use in the refrigerator?

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