Kefirkraut Recipes

Steps:

• Mix cabbage, onion, sea salt, and garlic together in a bowl. Firmly pack mixture into a large, clean, food-grade plastic bucket. The cabbage will start to make its own brine as the salt starts to draw out the water of the cabbage.
• Fill a large, clean, food-grade plastic bag with water and place over the salted cabbage mixture so none of the cabbage is exposed to air.
• Allow cabbage to ferment in a cool, dry place, 1 to 4 weeks (depending on how tangy you like your sauerkraut). The temperature of the room you ferment the sauerkraut in should not rise above 70 degrees F (21 degrees C).

Steps:

• Put ½ tsp kefir grains in the jar. Add the milk, leaving about 2cm head room if using a clip top jar, or at least 5cm for a cloth-covered jar.
• Set aside at room temperature for 18-24 hrs to ferment. It's turned to kefir when the milk has thickened. It may have set and separated, with pockets of whey forming - this is quite normal.
• If you can't strain it straight away, put it in the fridge to stop it fermenting further, the flavour can get quite strong - you can strain it anytime over the next 48 hrs.
• Strain the kefir through the sieve or straining funnel into the jug or bottle. The grains are quite robust and will withstand gentle stirring.
• You can drink it straight away, flavour and refrigerate it (a slice of lemon peel or a drop of lemon oil add a delicious fresh taste), or leave it at room temperature for a few hours to make it taste stronger. Storing it in the fridge will slow down the fermentation by the microbes and it should remain pleasantly useable for 7-10 days.
• In order to make some more kefir, rinse out the jar, return the grains (don't wash them, there's no need), and start again from the beginning.

Steps:

• Pick the optional ingredients of choice and grind in a mortar and pestle of blender or food processor. Toss cabbage, and the optional ingredients and salt together in a large non reactive pot or bowl and begin to squeeze the cabbage and salt together with your hands, kneading it thoroughly to break up the cellular structure of the shredded cabbage.
• When the cabbage has become limp and released its juice, transfer it to a crock or or a large glass vessel. Place 1/2 the grains on the bottom.
• Pack the cabbage mixture into the crock as tightly as you can, eliminating air bubbles. Continue packing the cabbage into the container until it is completely submerged by liquid. Then evenly place the remaining kefir grains over the surface of the compressed ingredients. Placing a weight on it helps keep it submerged.
• Be sure the ingredients are submerged by 1 inch of liquid be it organic apple, carrot, cabbage juice or filtered spring water. Cover loosely and allow it to sit at room temperature, undisturbed, for at least 4-5 days testing the Kefirkraut every few days until it is done to your liking up to 10-11 days. Transfer to the refrigerator or other cold storage where it should keep for at least six months.
• On day 3, check the surface of the liquid for signs of scum seen as froth, foam or possibly kahm yeast and remove this by skimming with a spoon. However, in most cases kahm yeast should not form when Kefir grains are used as a starter-enhancer, for the expedient fermentation does not allow such yeasts to form.
• Optional starter:.
• Kefir grains may be blended with water or fresh fruit/veggie juice and mixing the mash or emulsion with the pounded ingredients, then filling the brewing container with the fresh ingredients.
• Or, a few kefir grains may be pounded together with amounts of fresh veggies, and filling the brewing vessel as you go. Any of these methods produce a superior kefirkraut in little time.
• Fermentation Time:.
• As a general guide, kefirkraut with 1/2% salt is fermented for 7 to 11 days during winter and 7 days during summer and then the kefirkraut must be refrigerated to mature under cold storage. Although the young kefirkraut may be consumed right away, flavour of 1/2% kefirkraut improves after one week of cold storage. Do sample a small portion of immature kefirkraut before refrigeration. Dom and I prefers the flavour after 1 or 2 weeks. Yes, ripening under cold storage definitely improves flavour, similar to a well aged good wine or room temperature ripened kefir.
• There is an increase in some of the B group of vitamins during cold storage. That`s a good thing. ;).

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.

Steps:

• Thoroughly wash a large tub or bowl (we used on the size of a small washing-up bowl), then rinse with boiling water from the kettle. Make sure that your hands, and everything else coming into contact with the cabbage, are very clean. It's wise to use a container that will comfortably fit the softened cabbage, allowing several inches of room at the top to avoid overflow.
• Shred the cabbage thinly - a food processor makes light work of this. Layer the cabbage and the salt in the tub or bowl. Massage the salt into the cabbage for 5 mins, wait 5 mins, then repeat. You should end up with a much-reduced volume of cabbage sitting in its own brine. Mix in the caraway seeds and the peppercorns.
• Cover the surface of the cabbage entirely with a sheet of cling film, then press out all the air bubbles from below. Weigh the cabbage down using a couple of heavy plates, or other weights that fit your bowl, and cover as much of the cabbage as possible. The level of the brine will rise to cover the cabbage a little. Cover the tub and leave in a dark place at a cool room temperature (about 18-20C) for at least five days. It will be ready to eat after five days, but for maximum flavour leave the cabbage to ferment for anywhere between 2-6 weeks (or until the bubbling subsides).
• Check the cabbage every day or so, releasing any gases that have built up as it ferments, giving it a stir to release the bubbles. If any scum forms, remove it, rinse the weights in boiling water and replace the cling film. You should see bubbles appearing within the cabbage, and possibly some foam on the top of the brine. It's important to keep it at an even, cool room temperature - too cool and the ferment will take longer than you'd like, too warm and the sauerkraut may become mouldy or ferment too quickly, leading to a less than perfect result.
• The cabbage will become increasingly sour the longer it's fermented, so taste it now and again. When you like the flavour, transfer it to smaller sterilised jars. Will keep in the fridge for up to six months.