Making It: Radical Home Ec for a Post-Consumer World (13 page)

Section Three

Month to Month

These are more ambitious projects with longer timelines. Some take a month to make, some yield products that last about a month, some we make on a monthly basis. These projects center around the ideas of preservation and transformation, whether that be transforming cabbage into sauerkraut via the mysteries of fermentation or capturing the power of herbs in homemade medicine.

The Transformational Power of Salt

Salting is the oldest form of food preservation. Unlike canning or freezing, salting transforms that which it preserves, making a new food in the process. Salmon becomes lox. Cabbage becomes kraut. When salt is combined with liquid, it creates an environment ideal for colonization by lactobacillus, a beneficial bacteria. Lactobacillus not only keeps harmful bacteria out, it also makes food more digestible and promotes nutrient absorption. Humans have eaten lacto-fermented foods for thousands of years, until, in the last century, heat processing and freezing became our standard methods of preservation. In just a few years, these lacto-ferments vanished from the average American diet, taking with them their health benefits and a whole world of intense flavors.

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Sauerkraut

PREPARATION:
20 min

WAITING:
2-4 weeks

The flavor of fresh, raw sauerkraut is a revelation. It’s also surprisingly versatile. A classic kraut is fermented into heady pungency. Its sour, tangy flavor is the perfect complement to meats. But you can also make kraut that’s crisp and light, more like a cabbage salad than a side for bratwurst, simply by stopping the fermentation sooner.

Store-bought sauerkraut is most often made with vinegar instead of fermented in salt the old-fashioned way. Even if the kraut was fermented, it has probably been heat-processed to make it shelf stable, and heat processing destroys the beneficial bacteria that make kraut such a powerful health food.

All lacto-ferments are living cultures. They are shepherded more than they are “made.” Many factors affect the final results, from the quality of the cabbage to the ambient temperatures. Making kraut is not so much a matter of following a recipe as it is understanding a technique. At its most elemental, sauerkraut is nothing but cabbage mixed with salt in a ratio of 1½ generous teaspoons of salt per pound of cabbage. Even the salt ratio is somewhat variable. Less salt makes a kraut that ferments more quickly but spoils more easily. Higher quantities of salt slow down the fermentation but make the product more stable over time. After making a few batches, you’ll begin to see these dynamics at work.

YOU’LL NEED

• 3 pounds green cabbage
  
• 5 tablespoons sea salt or kosher salt (Iodized salt interferes with fermentation.)
  
• Large mixing bowl
  
• Ceramic crock, glass jar, or food-grade bucket with a 1-gallon capacity
  
• Ceramic plate that fits inside the crock, jar, or bucket
  

PUTTING IT TOGETHER

Remove and discard the outer leaves of the cabbage. Cut each head into quarters and carve out the tough cores. Shred the cabbage using a big knife or a mandoline. Don’t use a food processor, because it will chop the cabbage into such small pieces that you’ll end up with cabbage soup.

Transfer the cabbage to the mixing bowl, mixing in all of the salt as you do. Toss the cabbage with your hands to distribute the salt evenly.

Put a couple of inches of salted cabbage into the bottom of the crock, jar, or bucket. Pack down the cabbage using your fist or the bottom of a clean beer bottle or canning jar. The idea is to bruise the cabbage a bit (don’t pulverize it) so it releases its juices. You’re also compressing the cabbage so it will all fit. The salt draws liquid from the cabbage to create brine. The brine is what transforms cabbage into kraut. The goal is to release so much brine that the cabbage shreds will be submerged beneath the brine.

If you don’t have a plate that fits your crock, you can use a zipper-lock bag of salt brine as a weight. It contains brine instead of plain water just in case it leaks—that way it won’t ruin your kraut. Put a couple of tablespoons of noniodized salt into a big zipper-lock bag, fill with water, and shake to dissolve. Lay the bag over the cabbage. It should hold the cabbage down. If it doesn’t, you need a bigger bag.

Keep adding the cabbage and compressing, layer by layer, until all the cabbage is in the container. At this point, a layer of liquid may be floating at the top, or the cabbage may still look dry. It all depends on the cabbage you used—older cabbages have less liquid in them. Don’t worry if it looks dry. The next step might produce more brine.

Weight the cabbage to keep it beneath the brine. During fermentation, the cabbage must always be kept under a layer of brine, because any pieces that float to the top may become colonized with unwelcome bacteria. This is where the clean plate comes in. Put the plate into the crock. It should be just a little smaller than the diameter of the crock so that cabbage doesn’t pop up around the sides. Hold the plate down with something heavy, like a big jar full of water or a clean rock.

Applying weight to the cabbage should draw out more brine. If after a couple of hours under weight the cabbage still isn’t submerged beneath an inch or so of brine, you’ll need to add more liquid. Mix 2 tablespoons noniodized salt in 1 quart water and add it to the crock.

Cover the whole crock and weight apparatus with a kitchen towel or a piece of cheesecloth to keep out bugs. Secure the cloth around the sides of the crock with a piece of string. Put the kraut in a quiet corner of your kitchen to ferment. Heat speeds up the fermentation process, often to its detriment. If you’re making kraut in hot weather, keep the crock in the coolest part of your house.

Check the kraut every day or two for mold. If you see scum forming on the surface, skim it off. Kraut can generate quite impressive blossoms of mold, but the presence of mold doesn’t mean it has gone bad. The mold is floating on top of the brine. The brine is protecting the cabbage beneath. Just remove the mold from the surface and carry on. If something goes very wrong, you’ll know it. The cabbage will turn slimy, and the smell will be rank.

It takes at least 2 weeks to make traditional, well-fermented sauerkraut. The timing will vary, depending on how much salt you used and the ambient temperature. Taste the kraut as it develops. It’s done when it tastes right to you. The longer it sits, the softer and stronger-tasting it will become. When it seems ready, transfer the finished kraut to glass jars and store in the refrigerator. It doesn’t need to be weighed down anymore, but try to distribute the juice between the jars so a little juice tops each jar. Kraut lasts several weeks in the fridge.

If you don’t think you can eat your sauerkraut that quickly—or if you make a huge batch—then can it. At sea level, heat-process pint jars of kraut in its juice for 20 minutes, quart jars for 25 minutes. Visit the National Center for Home Food Preservation online for complete canning instructions. Yes, heat processing will kill the healthy living bacteria, but the kraut will retain nutrients like vitamin C, and it will taste better than store-bought.

Makes about 3 quarts

VARIATIONS

The recipe above is for sauerkraut in its most basic form. We’ve been lectured by kraut aficionados that simple kraut is best and that it should always be flavored in the cooking process, not the fermentation process. Other people routinely add spices to their crocks. The most popular kraut spices are whole peppercorns, caraway seeds, and juniper berries. If you add these to your ferment, keep in mind that their flavors will intensify over time, so use them sparingly. To the recipe above, try adding something in the range of 2 or 3 peppercorns or juniper berries or ¼ teaspoon caraway seeds. Also, there’s no law that says kraut must be all cabbage. Add grated carrot or other firm vegetables, onion, cloves of garlic, or ginger chunks to the cabbage. The world is your oyster.

PINK KRAUT “SALAD.”
This makes a blazing pink, crisp, tart side dish or salad. Follow the recipe above, but use red cabbage and add 2 Granny Smith apples, cut into matchsticks, and a pinch of caraway seeds. Let this ferment for about a week, just long enough for the flavor to develop, but not so long that the apples lose their character.

KRAUT QUESADILLAS.
The tanginess of kraut pairs well with grease. We often make quesadillas with kraut, cheese and a little hot sauce. It’s a tasty clash of cultures.

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Kimchi

PREPARATION:
30 min

WAITING:
1-2 days

Packed with nutrition and flavor, kimchi—spicy pickled cabbage—is served with almost every meal in Korea. Traditionally, Koreans used kimchi as a way to preserve the harvest through the cold winter, preparing the cabbage in huge batches and fermenting it in ceramic jars. But kimchi is just as easily prepared in small quantities at home, which is a great way to remember the “fire” of summer during a long, cold winter.

The salt in the brine acts as a filter, allowing the good bacteria (salt-tolerant lactobacillus) to thrive while preventing the growth of molds and other bugs we don’t want.

Kimchi is made in many different ways (the Korean Food Academy has identified 100 different types), with varied ingredients depending on region. The common denominator is Korean red pepper powder
(kochukaru),
which is sold in big bags at Asian markets that carry Korean items. We’ve tried making kimchi with other types of peppers, and it simply doesn’t taste as good. If you can’t find Korean red pepper powder locally, order it online.

We learned how to make kimchi and kimchi pancakes at Krautfest 2009, a lacto-fermentation event we helped organize in Los Angeles. Kimchi champion and entrepreneur Oghee “Granny” Choe and her daughter Connie Choe-Harikul gave a demonstration on how to make kimchi. This recipe is a variation on the method they taught us.

YOU’LL NEED

• 6 tablespoons sea salt (or other noniodized salt)
  
• 4 cups filtered or bottled water, cooled
  
• 1 head napa cabbage
  
• 1 bunch scallions, chopped
  
• 1 cup mustard greens, chopped (optional)
  
• Handful of shredded daikon radish (optional)
  
• 1 head garlic, crushed
  
• 1-inch piece fresh gingerroot, grated
  
• 1 cup Korean red pepper powder
  (kochukaru)
  
• 1 tablespoon sugar (optional)
  

PUTTING IT TOGETHER

Make a brine by stirring 4 tablespoons of the salt into the water. Pull apart the cabbage, stack the whole leaves in a bowl, and pour the brine over them. If the water doesn’t cover the cabbage, make more brine at the same salt-to-water ratio. Put a heavy plate on top of the cabbage to keep it under the brine. Let it soak overnight in the refrigerator.

The next day, drain and rinse the cabbage and chop into 1-inch chunks. In a large bowl, combine the cabbage with the scallions and the mustard greens and daikon radish, if using, or with whatever vegetables you have on hand. Season with the garlic, ginger, 2 additional tablespoons of salt, and the red pepper powder. Add the red pepper to taste—but Granny Choe taught us to add it generously, about 1 cup per batch. Sugar is optional—add to taste.

Mix everything thoroughly and transfer to a large jar. Don’t screw the lid on tight, as the mixture will begin to ferment and produce gas. Let sit at room temperature for a day or two and then put in the fridge for long-term storage.

Makes about 2 quarts

KIMOHI PANCAKES

Kimchi can be served as a side dish or condiment. It can also be the centerpiece of a meal—like these kimchi pancakes, a spicy favorite at our house. In a bowl, mix together 1 cup kimchi, chopped fine; 1 egg; ½ cup flour;
1/3
cup reserved kimchi juice or water; and a couple of chopped scallions. Add salt to taste. Fry in an oiled pan ¼ cup at a time. Serve with a dipping sauce of equal parts rice vinegar and soy sauce.

Makes 4 pancakes