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Home My WebLink AboutNovember 20, 2003 - A sauerkraut slice of life November 20, 2003 • The Suffolk Times � sauer rau s lce ,r��„,, ; �, � q,� ,.� , � �l'�'°l�ti"rtµa�� '� '��^l Y�� ti��'f r �i, ,4;,,: , ;j' � � ��'' O � �� 1 N w� � ��„� d � ^ x � �'ni�„ , r ,, � ��' � �r'" ''%"" y , , , . ��, f � """ " " , ��„ ,. ��,� � + a � � �"��'"''� � '�� °��"" been added to each bucket t roug - ,r� � '� �,,' out the pounding operation.As Neil �y�� i� �� pounded each layer of cabbage and "u�"��" � � � added the salt,you could see a liquid ��-��,,,; being released from the cabbage.He r,ti�w 4 ,� „��„t��„ �, , '`'� would work on two or three buckets ,�,� r '' ,,� � �� ,��' ;�, �� at one time,giving each one time to a ��, " ;�� ,� ,�i�� ,pq� " ��,�� release its juice.When a bucket was �""�'�' �� ,� ��,';x�'i��'p��' filled to the top it weighed 40 pounds. � ° �v ' �� The cabbage pounded with the salt �` �"�"�� 9��;,� ' �`""� made the liquid or brine that filled ' i��- �. �i .' , the bucket to the top.Then a weight- .. ' ed plate was placed on the cabbage Times/Review photo by Ba�l , � :��„�_it n n�y!, t0 ICBe]J It UriC�2T'tk10 I1CjU1C1. Here an old family tradition comes to light each fall when cabbage is trans- These eight white buckets would formed into sauerkraut. On the left, John is slicing the cabbage; next, Carl is then be taken down to the cellar next salting it down; and on the right, Neil is pounding the combination to bring out to the furnace,and there the cabbage the natural juice that will cover the 40 ounds of cabba e in each bucket. would ferment.Each day Carl will poke a long wooden dowel through R�cEN��LY BartsattA overheard a '�e o owmg on ay oun us at the liquid to the bottom of the bucket. friend of hers telling someone her their home where Carl John and Neil T��s will allow the brine to run father was going to make sauerkraut were already in the process of making through the cabbage and ensure that this fall.Her ears perked up as she sauerkraut.Carl used to make it by it penetrates the whole bucket.So the remembered 20 years ago when we the barrels with the old-type wooden sauerkraut was in process. were invited to the Cherouski home slicer at his family home on their farm Once the fermentation stops,and in Jamesport to help with their mak- in Calverton,but this time they were you can tell that by the amount of ing of sauerkraut.There we were modernizing the process by using an bubbles still working,then it is ready going to learn that there was much electric slicer to cut the cabbage up. to be eaten.Then it goes to an outside more to it than we ever knew.In The slices went into a five-gallon building where it will be kept cold.It those days white bucket and then Neil pounded can be used right away from the buck- Stanley used the them down with a heavy wooden et or it can be frozen in separate bag- FQGjJ$ old convention- stomper.Salt was added,along with gies for later use.As a matter of fact, al cabbage more shredded cabbage.This layering �'e were given two bags of last year's ON slicer,which was of cabbage and salt and the pounding sauerkraut to try.When we got home NATURE a wooden board Would continue until the buckets were �'e put it on the wood stove with some by Paul �'ith a sharp full. kielbasa and enjoyed that old-time Stoutenburgh blade imbedded On the back porch we could see favorite of kielbasa and sauerkraut for in it.When you large tubs that held all of the heads supper.My,that is ood eatin . pushed the big of cabbage that they had collected chunks across,it would slice off thin from a farmer's field earlier in the layers of cabbage.But that was 20 day.They have an arrangement with �The cutting, years ago.It was fun working with the farmer where he gets his share of Slicing and them as they made their barrels of the sauerkraut—bartering I guess went sauerkraut.It was a real family affair. you would call it. p011�ldlllg So when Barbara heard Karen telling The cutting,slicing and pounding on all morning that her Dad was going to make went on all morning long.Eventually �ong•� sauerkraut soon,she asked if it would there would be eight buckets full of be okay if we watched the operation compressed shredded cabbage along at his house in Greenport. with two cups of kosher salt that had Thanks,Carl. tomatoes,peas—if it coul e pre- Most people think of sauerkraut as served,it was there.Those were the coming from overseas.You may have particular"Reuben. days when you didn't have a King heard of German soldiers in World On our way home Barbara and I Kullen just down the road and you War I referred to as"Krauts."Today talked over our shared experiences of lived off what you could raise. this sounds out of place but perhaps old-tirne recipes that you hardly hear When her Grandma Silleck made at that time it was used because one of anymore.When I lived in Fleets mustard pickles years of their mealtime staples was sauer- Neck for a while,a retired butcher ago,Barbara and her sis- kraut.Actually,sauerkraut dates back lived next door.He was as close as ter watched.Later they over 2,000 years when the Chine they came to being self-sufficient,for made them with her and created it by fermenting he and his wife did a fantastic job of over the years they both cabbage in rice wine.At raising vegetables,chickens and even made them for their fam- that time they were some fruit trees.One of the things I ily for the holidays.Years building the Great Wall remember about this interesting little ago,Barbara says,her of China and it was onc man was that he and his wife went to friend Martha gave her a of the basic foods for thc Florida each year and what they good relish recipe from laborers,along with thcir her mother,Edith Cochran. It was packed with them was jellied eels. rice. They would boil up the eels and let called Hidden Salad Relish.You can It was later brought to them sit,then a sort of jelly would see it here in its original state.We Europe around the end form which they canned in jars and have made it over and over again.It of the 16th century,and sa t replaced carried with them on their trip. is a great �ecipe to make up at the the wine in the fermentation process. When Barbara was a little girl she end of the season,and delicious. There are those who add caraway remembers going with her mother to We keep all our old family recipes seeds or other spices of one sort or Peconic to Nellie Krupski's house to in a special notebook so that in the another,and some even add a little future if anyone wants to find one of buy eggs.On one of those trips Nellie brown sugar for their own individual Was cooking up a batch of chili sauce. the old recipes they won't have to taste. look through all the cookbooks in She gave the recipe to Barbara's Probably most of us know about mother and we still have it today. the house. I'm sure many of you are sauerkraut as being used in the She also remembers watching passing down old recipes and old making of the famous Reuben sand Sophie Zaveski at the head of the lane traditions that hopefully will be wich that's on every delicatessen stuffing sausages in a big white enam- brought out during the coming holi- menu. It's usually made up of el pan in her kitchen.Her cellar with da s. sauerkraut,corned beef,Swiss its dirt floor and shelves were lined cheese,and Russian dressing on rye w,�th colorful jars of carrots,beans, bread. But, as I said,"usually"— for each eating place has its own � . , _�_ ,;�i r, � „��m� -,. ,� ,,;; . v , .. , � , �� , .,, �"„� . ., w r'��"�� ..,�s.�.w,: 4 . �� ^�'.-n�.,.m�...w„�„ � � � �' " � �,lp„'Mf..��6.w1N.#w '��.,, ,..�,�',�+ �t�+^C � .„,y� ,.� ��IRw"'��W° �� f p' �" '�.,,w . A.�dRd:,. � i � '�` � � '��-^��;M w ��,✓ ��,.�„�.k.� .� ..w .� � �» �',� ° � ""��r.~'�' �~-�-R'--�"-��-�r '" ,� � � ��... f..,�"� • �, , , � �` � � �� r , ._...w_ .1.� �'�c�' '�`� �� :m�„��r �,. . �'/ . �__ � _� � . :� �"'� '..�r�a�.�r.� °,��,,.,.� � : w „ `� _ ,"�� .�;�G - ��' �' � w;; � . < f ��',�� °� ,::��.,.�-- ✓ _ ,�,. �,�.� ��, `*� �'�, �'��,��.�l�r:..�... � /. • . � ��,;, �, n"� � � M �.� � ��.�.�.�. ;�"= � , �,.,.., , ��.,,,.., . , .,; . . �- �.` 1""".�..�. ,� � � M p � . / �',�✓ :�,, w�..�'�. ws �.��,. k �� „ -- ��.�.�.�.... .._.�..._.._...�....__ �.' Edith Cochran's ori inal Hidden Salad Relish reci e.