I lost a couple of cabbage plants early on to the wetness. Probably a blessing in disguise. While I love sauerkraut, we only eat so much of it during the course of a year, and this head should be just about right for a few pints.
I bought a large airlock jar a few years back, and it works great for sauerkraut. It’s really simple; just shred the cabbage, mix in salt, cover it with brine after mashing it down, and wait for about three weeks. When it’s done, you can put it into canning jars and process it in a hot water bath for the recommended time.
I think I’m zeroing in on my understanding of what I like in a pickle. I like canned dills. They’re preserved with vinegar, and that’s great. But what I love is the unprocessed, fresher-tasting kosher dills. No vinegar, just brine.
I tried a batch that went right into the fridge without sitting on the counter, and couldn’t stop eating them. With the newest batch, I’m going to let them sit on the counter for just two days, to see what that does to the flavor.

the pickles get weighted down with that little plate at the bottom of the picture to keep them under the brine
I really can’t wait. Eight cloves of my Chesnok red garlic, peppercorns, bay leaves, hot pepper flakes, coriander seed, mustard seed and fresh dill. I have to stop typing because I’m drooling on my iPad.
And finally, the chickens got to finish off the harvested cabbage plant and take a bath in the garden.
I never have much luck with sauerkraut, but I still try it every few years.
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I know what you mean Deby. I tried it for the first time last year with the air lock fermenting lid, and it was really good. I’m hoping for the same this year š
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Oh wonderful. Do you do the preserves Dan? These sound brilliant – I was doing a bit of drooling myself. Love the mini video of the chooks. And by the looks of it, they are loving that tractor. Yay!
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i do most of the canning and freezing Julie. It makes me feel useful š
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What a good hubby you are š
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Whoops, I meant to say that is what I call a cabbage! š
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Haha, thanks Julie! Last year seemed to be a mbetter year for lots of things for me, and cabbage was one of them. But I do appreciate having a little less to deal with š
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I am salivating over those pickles and the THOUGHT of sauerkraut. No time for canning, but we do make ‘quick pickles’ for the fridge. We ate the rest of our garden cukes as pickles yesterday. So sad. š¦
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Your chookies give me a smile. Love your chik-n-tiller.
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Yes, it’s sad to see the end of a crop that tastes so good fresh. I just tried a pickle from a new batch that fermented for just a day and a half. Oh man. So good!
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So…just brine? No vinegar?
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Yep, just brine. They don’t get canned, just refrigerated, so you don’t have them in the middle of winter. But I’m ok with that. I like the idea of growing and eating stuff that many people don’t have access to fresh (or have to pay an arm and a leg to get).
With half-sour dills, you put them in the brine with spices and ferment them for a very short time, usually 4 days. But I’ve found that I’m liking the fresher taste from fermenting only a day or two.
Here’s a more complete description:
http://jeffskitchen.net/2013/07/15/half-sours-serious-deli-style-kosher-dill-pickles/
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Thanks for that!
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