Apfelkraut

Start this recipe from 2 to 6 weeks before you plan to serve it.

Yield: 2 1/2 quarts sauerkraut; 6 to 8 servings

Ingredients

Sauerkraut

• 8 pounds cabbage
• 3 tart apples (such as Granny Smith
• 1/4 pound kosher or pickling salt
• 1 teaspoon caraway seeds

Apfelkraut

• 4 strips bacon
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 apples, peeled, cored and quartered
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 2 potatoes, finely grated
• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
• 1 to 2 tablespoons brown sugar

Instructions

1. Remove 2 or 3 outer leaves from each cabbage and set aside. Cut cabbages in half and slice very fine by hand or in a food processor.
2. Peel, core, and finely chop the apples.
3. In a large pan, mix the cabbage with the salt, caraway and apples.
4. Line a gallon crock with the outer cabbage leaves, saving a few to cover the top. Put in a quarter of the cabbage mixture and tamp it down with a heavy clean object like the bottom of a wine bottle. Repeat until all the cabbage is in. From the tamping, sufficient brine should be released to cover the cabbage. Cover the cabbage with the remaining leaves. The cabbage will swell wile fermenting, so it should not start out reaching all the way to the top. Lay a plastic bag or a cloth over the leaves. Cover with a plate and then a weight, such as a heavy can or jar of water, to keep the cabbage under the brine and out of the air.
5. The cabbage will take anywhere from 2 to 6 weeks to ferment; below 75 degrees F, 4 to 6 weeks; above 75 degrees F, 2 to 3 weeks.
6. Every few days, remove scum from the top of the brine, replace plastic bag or cloth, wash the plate and the rim of the crock, and return plate and weight. When the bubbling stops, fermentation is complete. Cover crock lightly and store in a cool (38 degrees F) place, removing scum once a week, or refrigerate and dispense with scumming. Rinse the cabbage before using.
7. Apfelkraut: Sauté bacon until crisp; remove from pan and drain, and pour off all but 4 tablespoons fat. Add onion and sauté until translucent. Rinse the sauerkraut; drain well, and stir into the onion. Cover pan and simmer 10 minutes.
8. Add apples, broth, wine, potatoes, vinegar and sugar. Return to the simmer and simmer gently until apples and potatoes are tender but not mushy, 10 to 20 minutes.