My grandma was German and I remember the giant ceramic crocks that she had in the basement for the kraut. Several varieties, I know that one always had Dill weed and sliced garlic, one smaller crock was red because she added beets, carrots and onions, and another smaller one occasionally had horseradish since that was only dug up every few years and whoo that would open up the nostrils.

I like hearing the childhood stories about your family traditions

This is exactly how my grandmother taught me to make sauerkraut. She was from a small village in Silesia that after WW2 became part of Poland. She taught me how to make mead as well, and countless other things. Her mantas about fermentation were: - Never use metal; glass, glazed ceramic, porcelain but NO METAL - Be scrupulously clean (which usually meant copious amounts of bleach, lots of scrubbing, followed by a rinse with cooled boiled water, then another one with scalding hot water - Use good ingredients - Time is your friend She used to start various jars of sauerkraut simultaneously, each with their variations. ‘Basic’ meant only cabbage and salt. Then there was cabbage, carrot and salt, cabbage, onion and salt, cabbage, apple and salt… etc, each with or without spices: caraway, juniper berries, cumin… or a combination. I still make sauerkraut every year. My favourite containers are my grandmother’s glazed earthenware pot and my Mortier Pilon fermentation jars. For a kimchi-like version I substitute part of the salt with fish sauce, add garlic (lots!) and chili powder (to taste). My SO used to hate sauerkraut because it tasted too sour to him. But he loves mine, prepared with a bit of shredded apple and onion when cooking it (sloooooooow simmer over several hours) with various smoked meats, a bone, a few juniper berries and a bay leaf added. A touch of caraway too but not too much. Boiled potatoes on the side. And in Summer, on BBQ days, the hot dogs HAVE to be garnished with sauerkraut and caramelised onions & a smear of mustard. More often than not the ‘dogs’ are Polish or German sausages. Or Polish/German style fresh sausages.😊 A few years ago I took some left over sauerkraut to work for lunch. It was quite a lot and someone else hadn’t had the time to bring anything so I shared what I had (pre-pandemic times). Little did I know her father owned the local high-end restaurant. She asked me if I could spare a jar of sauerkraut and I obliged. Two days later I get a call from an unknown number. It was the father, asking for my recipe and methods. He still prefers mine over his. Maybe because I eyeball everything and prefer to go by touch and by feel. Maybe because Grandma also taught me to always add a bit of the previous batch of brine to the new one IF AND ONLY IF IT TASTES RIGHT. Thanks, Grandma!

@whiteleopard1713

Жыл бұрын

AND NO PLASTIC !

I've been making my own sauerkraut lately. The store bought stuff is pasteurized and has no probiotics or vitamin C. Many more health benefits making it at home.

@PolishYourKitchen

Жыл бұрын

I agree completely, that's why we make it ourselves also. Thanks for watching!

@rebelwraith8138

Жыл бұрын

@@PolishYourKitchen I have also subscribed to your channel. Love your vids.

My grandma prepared two big (50 litres) oak vats of sauerkraut every September. She added cumin seeds, bay leaves, allspice.

Just finished making 11Kilos of kapusta kiszona as per recipe. All four of my grandparents came from Poland in 1918- 1922 so we grew up with Polish food- we had some Ukrainian in there also - My grandfather could speak Polish, German and Russian with some Ukrainian also. I am very proud of them. And love the videos-and Polish food

@PolishYourKitchen

3 жыл бұрын

Tell me how it turned out in a few days... I’m curious. 😊

@meggflores5303

2 жыл бұрын

My paternal great grandparents came from Poland in 1918... my grandpa insisted on showing us how to make authentic Polish food...I am so thankful!

@gordburnz1363

2 жыл бұрын

@@PolishYourKitchen It turned out very good-crunchy ,delicious-not as soft as store bought in jar but I like it- I also made a batch in Jan 2022-and canned it -so at the moment I have a lot of Kapusta Kiszona- I love it and thank you-stay safe-in these times as the Devil(Putin) is afoot

@katysummer9418

2 жыл бұрын

Question: Is Polish sauerkraut sold outside the country pasteurized? Maybe you should mention that sauerkraut is a very good probiotic nurturing the microbiome in our gut when eaten "RAW". Keep up the good work. Homemade food from scratch is the best. Cheers from Canada 🍁🍁🍁

@andrewbajek7463

Жыл бұрын

@@PolishYourKitchen is bacik in Chicago ? You they no longer exist

I always put fermented vegetable juices like sauerkraut juice, kimchi juice, etc into new sauerkraut to kickstart the fermentation process and just reduced the salt by 25-50%.

I also add some very thinly sliced yellow onions ,some very thinly sliced apples as well as a bit of carrots.

Anna you mention making Sauerkraut in the bathtub...growing up in the 60ties......I am now 71 years old...my Dad made his homemade wine in wooden Vats. We would climb into the Vat and stamp the grapes with our bare feet.. One day when there were no more vats available..my Mom put the grapes into the enamel bath tub... The acid from the grapes ate away at the enamel of the bath!! This was a rented property....so when an inspection of the house was done prior to us moving out...my Mom would fill the bath with washing so the damage to the bath was not visable... My Mom did try painting the bath with enamel paint but the acid in the grapes corroded it .. Ultimately my parenrs had to pay for the damaged bath... Thank you for the memories. Blessings from Sunny South Africa🌞

New subscriber here, love your recipes! Story Time: I am Romanian and our Christmas dinner traditionally is stuffed cabbage. However, preparation of that meal starts in November when homemade sauerkraut (varza murata) and soured cabbage leaves are "put up" in crocks. Dill and savory is added in little cheesecloth pkgs. for flavor. By Christmas the cabbage leaves and varza is sour enough for us to use. The cabbage rolls are made Christmas Eve for the next day. To my family, it is not Christmas eve until the aroma of stuffed cabbage fills the house! I've had this every year since I was a child. My mother taught me how to make it and I make it now since my parents have been gone. I think of them and my grandparents and ask them to guide my hands when I prepare this dish. I know they are with us when we have our Christmas dinner and I am so honored to carry on the tradition... Peace to you and your family! Pofta Buna!

I use an old school fermenting crock with a water seal lid. I have thick ceramic split weights to go on top of the cabbage to keep it under the brine. I use the leftover liquids to jump start other ferments such as fermented ketchup and fermented hot sauces.

My Bobcia and Dziadek had a huge wood barrel and did exactly what you described doing in the bath tub. It was kept in the cellar all winter. They grew acres of cabbage so they made a huge amount. They would use a huge rock on the top. Thanks again for the great memories. Also thanks for the tip on the Bacik products.

My maternal Ukraine grandparents, living in upstate NY, used to make sauerkraut in a glazed crock and when ready stored it in their root cellar (dirt floor no concrete) as the natural ground temperature would be 45-50 degrees F. So good!

That's a fantastic way to weigh down items being fermented, I never would have thought of that. Thank you so much!! :)

Great ideas!! Thank You!! Been making it for years, but you always learn something new!! Fermented foods very healthy and delicious!! Never heat or use a canner!!

The simplest, most clearly presented sauerkraut recipe I have seen. Thank you.

You,and your husband,great people!Thank you for all the great food!Raised on Kiska,pierogi,and herring!

That is one 'Massive Jar' of pickled cabbage. By far the easiest process I've seen thus far. I'm going to copy your recipe and pickle some up for Christmas! 👍

I love the bathtub story. I have to admit over the years I have heard many funny bathroom stories.

I love your channel ❤. Reminds me of my childhood cooking with my mom and dad.

They ended up in Canada- and I am still here.

I only remember sauerkraut in the enormous ceramic crock down in the basement pantry once in my childhood. But I remember the taste! Looks like there’s a local Bacik outlet very close; time for a socially distant shopping trip.

I like making it with a ton of garlic and ginger, and maybe some radish and a little beet. Then after it's really good and sour, I add some apple cider vinegar(not much) and balsamic to taste just to add a tiny bit of tang. I also let mine go about 30 days. I have a 3 gallon crock that I keep full at all times. As soon as I jar about six qt, I start a new batch.

I made your Sauerkraut recipe. It turned out way better than any store bought I've had.

@PolishYourKitchen

3 жыл бұрын

Perfect!

While I'm not Polish my husband is 100% Polish. We have visited Poland and were able to meet the family that are still farming on the original family farm on my mother-in-law's side of the family. We also got to visit the town my father-in-law's family came from about 3K away. While this is not my heritage I try to cook the foods that my husband grew up with and were family favorites. Like in all families every aunt or uncle has their own little variation, added spice, or addition that their particular family likes. That's why it's so hard to nail down some family recipes. Your video is excellent, well explained, uncomplicated, using modern day equipment with homage to the "old" say of processing a large amount of cabbage. I loved the story and from your description I had a wonderful image of the ritual of cleaning the bathtub, and using the special homemade cabbage slicer. My father was an inventor and builder too. If he could draw it he could build/make it vs spending a lot of money to buy the store bought version.I loved this video and plan to look for other videos. Thanks for the tip on the Bacik company and their line of products. I'm sure I'll find something to order. We live in a small town in northern MN but near where my husbands family immigrated to. There is one excellent eastern European grocery store in Minneapolis, Minnesota where I shop when I'm in the cities. Thanks again for the great lesson on sauerkraut making. It's an item we enjoy all fall until almost summer because our winters are long here in Minnesota. Hardy meals that include sauerkraut after snow shoveling are are always a hit.

@PolishYourKitchen

Жыл бұрын

Hi Marilyn, thank you for sharing your family story with us. I'm sure that your husband greatly appreciates you embracing his Polish roots, as I appreciate mine doing the same. I'm glad you enjoyed the video, and thanks for watching!

Great idea with the bag of water. Thanks!

Your childhood stories are priceless!

Yep, mouth-watering .

Excellent video.

Reminds me of when I was a kid and helping my German grandmother make homemade Sauerkraut, this was back in the 60's when a lot of these skills seemed to be dying. Glad I was able to learn both this and pickle making and that these great traditions coming back.

Just finished making our first batch, turned out delightful. Crunchy, slightly salty and lightly soured, much better than store bought, I’ll be making this again. Thank you both.

i love that you do the foods as natural al possible and use up what you have on hand..i really enjoy your programs i make my kraut the same way, with the same ingredients, but i put mine in quart-size jars and cap loosely and put them in the $1.00 dish basins as they ferment. when one week to 2 weeks , taste and then wash off the jars and wash lids, recap and then water-bath them.

I remember my Grandmother making this in an old butter churn and how wonderful it tasted. I followed your recipe and am anxiously awaiting the ten days, at day 7 now, but I may sneak a taste today!

Thank you for the video. Also, just observation, I thought the corner of your kitchen had a picture of two trees, but then I saw a guy walk in front of trees! So that is a window! Beautiful trees in your yard!

Just finished watching this episode again as I opened my "Polish your kitchen" travel mug and water bottle. Beautiful!

I absolutely love your channel !!!!!I I am polish from the USA and don"t know how I have not found your channel until now.I have wanted to learn more about all things polish my whole life. Thank you for your recipes and your channel. Joseph Uszakiewicz

I like that big earthenware crock. Excellent for sauerkraut. Sadly I don't have one, I use a very large glass pickle jar instead. I also put shredded carrot in my 'kraut.

Been making my own kraut for years. I've found that it can be frozen in jars and kept in the the freezer. When you thaw it it tastes like fresh kraut.

I like how you crumbled the cabbage. I had not seen that on other videos. And the bathtub story has great !!!

I just love your channel. Brings me to great memories as a child with babcia. We used to make this in barrels

Hello Anna… This is Anna… My mother was Polish so I love all of your recipes. You are a wonderful cook and so was my mother. Could you please do a sauerkraut pirogi recipe and other recipes using sauerkraut for us? I would love to see you make a few more things with sauerkraut.

@PolishYourKitchen

2 жыл бұрын

I will soon 👍🏻😀

I love your "bag of water" hack, that was brilliant.

@PolishYourKitchen

Жыл бұрын

Thanks!

Hi Anna. I was able to find BACIK sauerkraut at my local supermarket. Their price is really competitive compared to the other mass-produced sauerkraut. I love your videos and I thank you for taking the time to teach us recipes of your homeland.

Thank you, I love the way you explained the whole process.

I love your kitchen! The recipe too! Thank you for the fun video!

Hello, update on my 11 Kilos of Kapusta Kiszona- started Dec 18/2020, todayDec.31, , it is still bubbling but tastes good, a little crunchy still, turning colour, smells like fermenting cabbage!! I think the salt percentage is just right. My basement is 16C where I have my food grade bucket filled with delicious Kapusta Kiszona. With that amount I will have to can some.I already have friends asking for a jar!!!! Thanks for the recipe.

@PolishYourKitchen

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for sharing this with me! It warms my hear to hear peoples stories about food exploration and creation! Thanks for watching!

Great video. Brings back memories . Every fall we would go to the market and buy about 20 heads of cabbage. My grandfather built a szatkownica and he made a large wooden pounding head from hardwood with a handle . We would use oak barrels from our bakery that we kept the cabbage in. It was a family tradition that was I miss .we would make it using only salt like you do. Love your videos, best wishes from Montreal,smacznego🍷😊

@PolishYourKitchen

3 жыл бұрын

Time to go to the market John 👩‍🍳 Cheers!

Wow!! That looks very nice and yummy!! Thanks for sharing!!

Wow!! Thank you so much. I just recently found your channel. We have a Polish priest at our parish. I want to learn how to make Polish food for him. Thank you again.

@PolishYourKitchen

Жыл бұрын

Welcome! There is a lot to explore! Hope you watch them all 😍

Love your channel. You teach the world not to forget the sauerkraut.

@PolishYourKitchen

2 жыл бұрын

Yes! Thank you!

I adore this video and have watched it numerous times.

Was just telling my mom about your video and she remembers as a child in Italy doing the same thing and having those large barrels to make the sauerkraut and exact same method as you shoed today

KZread must be listening to me. I just bought a jar of Bacik Polish salad this afternoon while I was picking up cabbage to make sauerkraut. My family is from Czechia, but we dont get a lot of Czech products in our area. I grew up in a predominately Polish area in the US in the 80s learning from my grandparents as well. We did a lot of substuting Polish products for Czech, finding this video kindof pulled at my heartstrings. Also, love the tattoos, ❤

Thank you! I will give it a try!

Next time I am in the States, Bacik will definitely be on my list. I love pure and simple recipes.

Anna is easy on the eyes! 👀❤️

Put a little salt in the bag of water, in case the bag leaks you don't dilute your brine :)

I remember dinner at my Bubunia's, I would feed her dog the sauerkraut and just feel up paczkis!

I will definitely be trying this recipe, Anna. Thanks for all the yummy stuff you share!

Will start this right now!

I agree with you Anna...no CARAWAY in my kraut...LOL...and no sugar either. I remember my grandparents making it in a glazed gray crock..it was huge...and it tasted so good compared to the store-bought stuff. I can't wait to try this myself using all of your tips!

@piosian4196

Жыл бұрын

Glazed crockpot is very important because the glazing is impermeable to heavy metals that may be baked in the clay. Enjoy the real ethnic cooking. BTW Genghis Kahn introduced Kimchee, later Sauerkraut. Alexander the Great tried it a thousand years before but lost in the dark ages..

Wonderful show thank you for teaching us how to make traditional recipes ❣️

Thank you for this easy recipe. We use so much sauerkraut, it will be great to make my own. Djadek used to make it for me when he was still with us. 😊👍

Good video. I've seen the bag of water technique for weighing it down. some people will mix some salt into the bag of water just in case the bag leaks out into the sauerkraut and dilutes the mixture

Love the programme. I will certainly try this next season. I've also subscribed so I can follow along with other recipes.

I am Polish/American and just listening to you brought back so many memories of my childhood on our farm and my Grandmother and Uncles. We used to keep big crocks of this in our milk shed while it was fermenting.

i ate it years ago and i liked it thank you God bless you

Thank you for this , great (hack) with the bag I shall be using this technique!

Hi Zana you did a great job presenting this show on how to make sauerkraut well done 😜🥰👍

Your cabbage looks so great. You just got a new subscriber.

Thank you so much.

Just recently bought Polish sauerkraut from the shop and I am really enjoying it. I am keen keen to try am make at home. Thanks.

Thanks alot maam for ,now i know how to make sauerkraut

@PolishYourKitchen

Жыл бұрын

Hope you enjoy

My parents used to do this in our basement,,,, in a big ceramic barrel... they would also add onion to the mix with ... bay leaves... pepper and salt .... after a couple weeks the whole house would smell like cabbage 😃

I have a gaint mandolin fir kupusta that my Busia used.

A big "dziękuję bardzo" to you! Lovely, now I feel inspired to take care of the cabbage here too ;)

I don't know how after all the saurekraut videos I have watched that I am just now finding this channel but I'm glad I did. I wanna come hang out at your house just to hear all your childhood stories.

I think you are a real nice lady, enjoyed watching and listening to you.

@PolishYourKitchen

3 жыл бұрын

Thank you so much

I'm going to try making some because I have lovely cabbages in my garden. Thanks ....New Zealand here.

Awesome 👏

Thank you Anna...made for the very first time...Delicious and Crunchy...mine took 12 days...it is now in the fridge

Brought back memories from Germany, like mama used to do it back home,o thank you a million ☺

I'm living in Taiwan seeing all those products make me cry 🤣 miss them so much

I really don't care for the Caraway Seed flavoring and for years have done simple salt brine. I think fine shred is impotant to uniform fermenting action. I am an avid forager now and have started to shred tender plantago major leaves throughout my jars and recently I discovered using tender fig leaf shreds through the cabbage (not a lot) adds a sweetness that is interesting! I eat raw kraut and almonds for breakfast often and it is a quick tasty start to busy days. Lovely demo!

Perogies sound so good right now 😁😁

Bacik pickles and sauerkraut are excellent.

I ate sauerkraut in Germany ( homemade) from a Rumanian friend and I fell in love with it. Can’t wait to go back and eat tons of it with sausage

I LOVE your T-Shirt!

Thank you so much. I really appreciate this video especially with the BACIK COMPANY SAUSAGES. I HAVE BEEN LOOKING FOR YEARS HEALTHY EUROPEAN FOODS.

Delicious!

Thank you 👏🙏🏻💖

Thank you! 😎👍🏻

I love sauerkraut so I will have to get brave and try making it! I don't have a jar that big but I could use gallon canning jars I suppose.

@PolishYourKitchen

3 жыл бұрын

Please do give it a try! You won't be disappointed. Thanks for watching!

Thank you for a great recipe:-). Greetings from Nova Scotia!. Missing my mamma who now lives in 🇵🇱 authentic tastes and smells make me feel like I'm with her 🤗

Love you two. You're both wonderful and beautiful. Thank you so much for teaching me this great way to make sauerkraut. Please continue to make Video's and recipe books. PS: Love your tats.

Well done. I'm going to.try soon. My new covid hobby!

I love watching your channel. Always fun. Love the bathtub story. I never imagined anyone would ever make that much sauerkraut ! You are both really cute together. Have tried your sauerkraut soup so far. It was so good.

@PolishYourKitchen

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching!

You gained a new subscriber. Can't wait to make sauerkraut😁

I adore your Tshirt!

@PolishYourKitchen

Жыл бұрын

Thank you Michelle! You can get one too on my website. Thanks for watching!

Great! Thank you.

@PolishYourKitchen

3 жыл бұрын

You bet!