I don’t really do much fermentation. Other than pickling, I just wasn’t interested in making kombucha or anything like that. It just didn’t appeal to me plus, I already had my hands full of projects. Then came the idea of making sauerkraut for a BBQ celebrating selling 500 copies of my first novel.
Ironically enough, I was also contacted by a company called Masontops.com that wanted to see if I was interested in trying out and reviewing their products for…making kraut! I know, I know. You’re likely thinking, “Ssuuurre. She just had the idea one day and then they contact her?” Yup, though it was a couple days after I had the idea for the BBQ. It was providence.
A quick mention about my experience working with this company. They are small. Like mom-and-pop small. Michael’s enthusiasm and quick replies to my questions, plus his great humor, is what sold me on giving their products a try more than the products themselves. I mean, I’m a homesteader right?! I don’t need no special gadgets! Well, when it came to actually making the kraut, while easy, I am glad I had the goodies to work with. It made it go faster.
I’m not really into sauerkraut. I think it stinks and the stuff I had tried before wasn’t good. It was…pleck! That is the only real way to convey my reaction. We have people over for little grillin’ sessions over by the garden in the summer and I had the thought that it would be pretty cool to serve up some brats, kraut, and brew. Traditional summer fun! So, since it all came together (and cabbage was on sale for $0.68 a pound), I decided I would give it a whirl.
Without copying and pasting the entire guide, I will instead give you a link to the Step by Step DIY guide written specifically for HomesteadDreamer.com. I worked with Michael over at Masontops and told him I wanted basic. I wanted simple and straightforward because one of my goals for the blog is to show people how easy this stuff really is. And he delivered.
I got out all the stuff I needed including the goodies they had sent me:
- Pickle Packer (Wooden Vegetable Tamper)
- Pickle Pebbles (Glass weights that are sized to fit regular mouth Mason jars)
I couldn’t imagine how much of a pain, literally, it would be to crush down the shredded cabbage and salt without the Pickle Packer. It is made out of Acadia wood and is cleverly sized so that one end fits inside a regular mouth jar and the other a wide mouth jar.
The Pickle Pebbles are really cool. They do exactly what they are meant to and kept the cabbage down under the brine juices. They currently have regular mouth sized pebbles but the wide mouth pebbles will be out SOON and I was lucky enough to get a couple sent. Since the kraut I made was in a quart sized jar, I used both of them.
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If you’ve never made kraut before, try their DIY Guide! It has lots of tips and tricks to tackle any challenges!