German Biers.. Music.. Food.. and more.. let's make Sauerkraut

This week has been a truly TooMuchGirl "extravaganza".... Chef Steph and I have gotten a chance to get away, and
visit beautiful Big Bear Lake, California... and take in the opening weekend at this years Oktoberfest. A German tradition.. a gathering of people, families, enjoying, music, dance, traditonal German costume, foods and laughter.


Oktoberfest 101 - learning the lingo..

Herzich Wilkommen - A Hearty Welcome
Knockwurst - A knockwurst is a german sausage made mostly from beef. It is the equivalent to our hot dog, only
much larger. Unlike in America, Germans do not eat their sausages with ketchup, but rather with a spicy mustard and on a roll that is much smaller than the standard hot dog bun, more like a dinner size roll.

Gaudi Truppe - Gaudi in Germany is hard to translate into English. It means to have a very very awesome good time. Truppe means group. The host/hostesses at Oktoberfest are known as the Gaudi Truppe.
Bratwurst - A bratwurst is a white sausage made from veal, pork and a variety of german spices. It is generally served
grilled or fried (braten is the German word meaning fried) and in Germany is smothered in grilled onions and spicy mustard.
Ein, Zwei, Drei G'Suffa - One, Two, Three Drink! This is the wind up to taking a swig of beer. Prost! Cheers!

Zike - Zake, Hoi, Hoi, Hoi - A soccer cheer that originally somewhere in Northern Germany, zike -zake doesn't mean much of anything other than it is fun to shout after taking a swig of an ice cold beer.
Gemutlichkeit - Gemutlichkeit is the feeling of well being. It is the feeling you get when enjoying a cold beer with good food and great company.

The Chicken Dance - In Germany this dance is actually called Die Ente Tanz which literally translates to the Duck Dance. How a duck became a chicken isn't quiet clear. The most common explanation is that an American saw the dance being done in a beer tent in Germany and not able to speak German thought the crowd was imitating a chicken. When the Germans celebrate they love to dance and sing. Every few years a new dance craze comes along. The Chicken Dance was one of these dances. They have been doing the chicken dance in Germany for more than 22 years.
Lederhosen - Lederhosen are leather shorts traditionally worn in the mountainous regions of Germany. Their origin dates back to the early Middle Ages.They became increasingly popular in the early 1900's with the boys of the Wandervogel (Boy Scouts), who wore them much like we wear jeans today. They are worn with a variety of socks including knee socks or the split socks - loferl. The socks were a means of keeping the legs warm. The split socks or loferl were a poor man's sock to keep the ankles and veins in the leg warm, but not use as much wool.

Dirndl - The dirndle is the traditional folk-style dress of the working class in Germany. The Tracht is also also a traditional dress but was usually worn on Sunday or by the upper class. While the dirndl was made to accentuate the women's body. The Tracht plays down the women's body.The Tracht is designed per the region or clanship, the dirndl has no real design limits and is generally decorate by the whimsy of the designer.
Auf Wiedersehen - Good Bye

Let's Make Sauerkraut

Sauerkraut is made by placing salt between layers of finely shredded cabbage and then subjecting it to pressure,
which bruises the cabbage and squeezes out its juices. It then ferments.

Ingredients -

2 Green Cabbages
1 Medium Onion
12 Radishes
3 tablespoons Salt

Tools -

As for the tools, I have a huge stainless steel bowl, a sharp knife, and a 3 quart (I think) jar with a sealing ring. To prepare them, I washed them in super hot water (all hot, no cold) with a fresh sponge to make sure I was starting
with a sterile environment.

Directions -

Pull off the Do not wash the cabbage (as you want to preserve the proper bacteria for the fermentation process). Before chopping the cabbage, I peeled off the first couple leaves and tossed them in the trash, then peeled a few more leaves and set aside for later . I did give the radishes a rinse before starting to chop . I put aside half of the radishes, half of the onion, and a handful of the cabbage for use in the brine . Here's one of the cabbages chopped.

In a staniless steel bowl.. you start adding the salt.. and work the salt in. Lather, rinse, repeat until everything is well-coated with salt and water is starting to be pulled out of the cabbage. It took me 5-10 minutes of turning and salting, turning and salting. Then it was time to see just how much food can fit into a 3 quart jar. This part is easy: put in cabbage and compact, over and over until the jar is full. You can use a wooden spoon or whatever implement you desire.

Time for the brine. I added enough water to make a thick juice from the radishes, onions, and cabbage and then hit the Liquefy button on the blender. Then it was the same deal…pour in brine, work it in so that it fills in the compacted cabbage, pour more brine, etc.

Now take the leaves that you set aside earlier, roll them up like you did in college, and fill in any space at the top of the jar. We want this baby as packed as can be. The lid on mine needs that metal clasp to stay closed. Let this ferment for few days.

Tips:

When using canned sauerkraut, to reduce its brine flavor, place into a colander and rise well under cold, running water. Drain well before using.

Store canned sauerkraut in a cool, dark place.

Refrigerate fresh sauerkraut and use within one week.

Sauerkraut is also delicious cooked with one or two tart apples, which have been peeled, cored, and chopped into small pieces. Cook only until it is thoroughly heated; the apples should remain crisp. Caraway Seeds are also a great addition.

Servings - Makes 18 servings
Per serving = 3/4cup = POINTS® value 0*
37calories/0gfat/4gfiber