At this point, I can trace my Germanic roots back to Ohio. I'm still working on that project! I now know that I had a grandfather who was a brewmeister! To me, a Christian who doesn't drink beer, the beer is only secondary to the great course of meals associated with Oktoberfest or German cuisine in general.
At the time I was growing up, most of my family identified with our German heritage. What I experienced as a child was, that Oktoberfest was likened to a precusor to the holiday seasons of Thanksgiving and Christmas. With an upswing of cooking and baking, it reminds one of all those meals described in "Farmer Boy"! It wasn't that my family was wealthy; because we weren't; but they never lacked for a good meal. There were times when the only meal we had was a single slice of store-bought white bread, spread with ketchup. This was a satisfying "Double Tover" sandwich. (I didn't know at the time that a "Double Tover" was named such because it was a slice of bread that was doubled over on itself, instead of using two slices of bread!) But those lean times always gave way to the seemingly "abundant" times! I guess celebrating our version of Oktoberfest was just a good excuse for self-indulgence. Of course it meant that money had to be saved and bartering had to take place in order to get all the ingredients necessary for the feast. And, I guess, Oktoberfest and the subsequent holiday feasts actually led to those lean times! But it was still a joyful family time around a dinner table.
This month, following that tradition of Oktoberfest, I'll be posting some of our family recipes associated with Oktoberfest. These are recipes which were handed down for generations on all sides of the family. I hope you'll try them out as well. And you don't have to be of German lineage to enjoy them! If you have never experienced German cuisine before, now is your chance!
Living alone and cooking for myself, I found it difficult to adapt these recipes to suit one person, since they are designed for more. If I wanted to enjoy them I had to invite others over to my table to enjoy them with me; and that emulates the whole idea behind the tradition of Oktoberfest anyway!
Here is the first of these recipes:
Homemade Sauerkraut
As far as I know, my family has always made their own kraut. I can remember the stories of how my Great Grandfather made some in a crock in the basement of the family house. One time he forgot to leave the lid loose on the crock while it was fermenting. One night there was a tremendous explosion in the basement that woke the whole family and the neighbors! They guessed that it was Pa's home-brewed beer that had exploded. When they went down to the basement they found kraut hanging from the rafters, walls and the floor! And when it exploded it also took out a number of bottles of that home-brew as well, and all the shelves they were sitting on! From that point on it became my Great Grandmother's job to make the kraut!
This is my modern-day version of homemade kraut. You still want to make sure that it is kept away from things, just in case it decides to explode!
Sauerkraut is a very versatile side dish used in German meals, by itself or as part of other entrees. Since it takes a while to ferment, it is the best recipe to begin with. Of course, you could substitute store-bought kraut; but it's just not the same!
Ingredients:
- 1 head of cabbage (shredded)
- As many quart canning jars as you wish to make - and for each jar - the following:
- 1 heaping teaspoon full of salt (you can use pickling salt if you wish)
- 1 teaspoon of sugar
- 1 teaspoon of white vinegar
- Boiling water
Directions: Jam the raw cabbage into each jar. (Use the handle of a wooden spoon to be sure it is a tight fit.) Pour in the salt, sugar and vinegar. Fill each jar with boiling water up to 1 inch from the top. Place the ring and cap on immediately. Turn the jar upside down and place it in a "safe", cool spot. It will have to sit to ferment for about 3 weeks. As it approaches the end of the 3 weeks, turn the jar over. (This will help release any extra gas from the jar and may prevent any surprise explosions!) (It's probably not as volatile as I make it sound; but better safe than sorry!) It is ready to use. If you want to seal the jar and store it, follow normal canning directions.
To use this homemade kraut as a side dish in a meal, I suggest this recipe, which is one of my generational recipes:
Farmer Boy Sauerkraut
Ingredients:
- 1 quart - homemade kraut (or you can use the store-bought variety)
- 1 teaspoon - caraway seeds (These will cut the digestive gases down some!)
- 1 small onion (sliced) ( I prefer a yellow onion for this myself)
- 1/2 teaspoon - ground cumin
- A pinch of sugar & ground black or white pepper
Directions: Simply place all ingredients in a pan and heat over medium heat, stirring, till heated all the way through. Delicious!!!
If you make these recipes, please let us all know by leaving a comment here. Thanks. The Old Man in the Bib Overalls And remember to sign up as a follower of my blog site, so you don't miss anything! And tell a friend too!
Growing up, we lived next to a Polish couple. The wife made sauerkraut at least once a month. I never had the guts to try it, but I can still recall the smell.
ReplyDeleteMy mother would regularly make sauerkraut and sausage for my dad. I never liked it as a child, but now I do. I never make it, however, as my family has never liked it. I get to enjoy it at the occasional potluck. I remember my father jokingly telling my picky eater husband many years ago (while we were dating), "You're not a true German if you don't like sauerkraut!"
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