Home » Opening Our 8th Batch | Salsa Sauerkraut
I swear the batches of sauerkraut only get more amazing for each new batch or recipe created. I’m so glad I had the strength to deviate from our beloved cabbage, carrot, onion sauerkraut a few batches ago because I am LOVING all the new recipes and flavors of the subsequent harvests. Meet our latest.
Salsa Sauerkraut. Wrap your mind around that. Delicious fermented goodness modeled after your favorite appetizer. It turned out perfect! The only disappointment being I wish there was more! Where our last batch of yielded 5+ quart jars, this salsa harvest was a mere 3+ quart jars. I have a very strong feeling we will crank through this in record speed.
This latest batch provided a jumping off point for a plethora of new-to-sauerkraut ingredients and I’m happy to report they all worked out wonderful! I can’t wait to see how my recipe development evolves the further and further I go into the fermentation hole. I have anadventurousspirit so even I can only imagine what delicious and exotic blends I might design.
Due to the lineup of new veggies used I only fermented this for 2 weeks and due to its brilliant success – I would say it could go 3-4 weeks, easy. This post is a supplement to the original How to Make Raw Fermented Sauerkraut and will provide instruction on how I prepped this new lineup of veggies.
This recipe is perfect for use with a 5 liter crock.
Ingredients
- 3.5lb organic green cabbage, shredded (about 2 heads)
- 2.5lb organic tomatoes, skins removed (see below) and chopped (I kept the core in)
- 2 organic green peppers, discard seeds/stem and chop
- 3 organic carrots, shredded
- 1 bunch organic bok choy (not baby), shredded stalks and thinly sliced leaves
- 1 large jalapeno (conventional), discard stem (seeds optional) thinly sliced or chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, finely diced
- 1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 1 cup cilantro, chopped
- juice of 2 lemons
- juice of 1 lime
- 6 tablespoons kosher salt
Instructions
- Follow instructions below as well as the main sauerkraut instructions.
https://feedyourskull.com/2012/10/31/opening-our-8th-batch-salsa-sauerkraut/
©Feed Your Skull
From the little bit I’ve read about canning tomatoes, I suspected I should remove the tomato skins prior to fermentation. I think the skins might toughen and do a disservice to the ‘mouth-feel’ of the sauerkraut. This was an easy task to complete right off. Start by bringing some water to a boil, place the tomatoes in the boiling water, boil for 1 minute, remove from boiling water and place in a prepared ice water bath, let sit for 1-2 minutes, drain off the water, peel and discard the skins. I lowered them into and out of the boiling water using a mini colander and it was perfect. I could add several tomatoes at a time without splashing or endangering my bare arms.
Here are the gorgeous peeled tomatoes.
I basically divided the ingredients over 2 very large bowls. The largest of the containers for the cabbage and bok choy and everything else in the 2nd container.
Remove the outer leaves of the cabbage and set aside, remove the bottom and discard, then quarter and shred the cabbage using a knife, food processor, or mandoline. Remove the leaf portion of the bok choy and process the white stalk the same as the cabbage. Take the remaining bok choy leaves and thinly shred with a knife. I shred the cabbage and bok choy straight into my largest container. Next add 5 tablespoons of the kosher salt.
Add the prepped ingredients to a second bowl along with 1 tablespoon of kosher salt.
Next, massage the brine out of the cabbage/bok choy mixture. I ran out of food prep gloves, so I used Ziploc bags over my hands. I probably spend 10-20 minutes working on the cabbage to get enough brine and I’ve never had to add extra (but you can if you need to).
Add in the remaining vegetables and mix well.
Load everything into your crock, top with 2 cabbage leaves, the weighting stones (ensuring there is 1/2-1″ of brine covering them), the lid, and water for the seal.
This is what the crock looked like at 2 weeks upon opening. I’m 99% sure the white stuff is a non-harmful yeast and I think it develops from the veggie shreds that don’t stay below the brine. Either way not a big deal. Use a small strainer and skim the top as best you can.
Remove the stones, outer cabbage leaves and start emptying the crock. I empty into a large bowl and then transfer to mason jars, feel free to transfer straight to the mason jars. Doesn’t that look delicious!!?
Jeremy couldn’t wait to test it on a chip! Then he grabbed me all Notebook romantic like and proclaimed his undying love for me. Haha…I have the power!!! 🙂
Due to the tomatoes and other veggies there was a lot of extra brine, so I strained that into an additional mason jar and will either use it as a starter for the next batch of kraut, in bloody marys, or even in salad dressings.
It kind of looks likegiardiniera and let me tell you, Jeremy would’ve loved to put this on a Portillo’s Italian beef sandwich. 😉
Wishing there was more so I’m headed to the store today so I can start the next batch.
No second guessing, this salsa sauerkraut was phenomenal served with homemade guacamole and Trader Joe’s chips.
Phenomenal. If this didn’t convince you to pick up the fermenting crock, what will?! 😉
But seriously…what flavor combinations have you inspired?
XOXO
