Farmers market to crock

**brewerpaul** · 27th May 12, 02:37 PM

It is that time of year to eat well in season from the farmers market and plan for the winter by canning and freezing. My saturday mornings involve picking up Jennifer and heading to our two farmers markets. Both are great markets serving up everything from range fed beef and lamb to veggies and flowers to eggs to knife sharpening to river trout to baked goods. The list goes on and on. This year I have been going kilted, Ill have to get a photo taken this next weekend for proof, which has gotten me some nice compliments and looks.

Jennifer and I eat in the season but also spend the summer investing in the winter food stocks. I buy from one farmer, Kenny Anderson of Anderson Produce, who always makes me a great deal on everything he grows. This past weekend he had purple cabbage, yeahhhhh. He has tried to grow it the past 3 years and this year it worked. Well 10 cabbage later Im in the kitchen making my kraut. I make regular green cabbage kraut so this year the addition of the purple will be a treat. I put one large cabbage aside for the week to make slaw and stir fry and proceeded to chop up my cabbage. I cut it course and it stays wonderfully crunchy.

Sink full of 3 chopped cabbage

Photo of the other 6 ready to chop up

After shaking the water out of the cabbage it goes into my crock with a scientific measured handful of pickling salt, then pack down into crock. This is done in layers so it packs well

Crock full of 9 chopped and brined cabbage

This whole crock weighed 50lbs when full so there is about 40LBs of cabbage in there. Next it is taken to my cool basement, a large plate put over the cabbage and a half gallon jug filled with water put on the plate. The jug is the weight that presses the plate down as the salt pulls the water from the cabbage. Ill make some trips down to press the plate down till the whole mess is covered by brine. From there it is lactic fermentation for 3-4 weeks to make the kraut. I keep a large cheese clothe over the top to keep out flying critters.

The next photo is of the 5 large cauliflower I bought to make pickled cauliflower. It is going to be a great summer and up coming winter.

If your community has a farmers market support it and enjoy some of the best tasting food you will eat. The summer has a variety from the early cabbage, root crops, leafy greens to the tomatoes, squash and other goodies winding up with winter squash, kales, hearty greens and much more. It is always a treat to eat in the season and locally and you support the ever important family farms.

Next week Ill update this with my green cabbage, enough to make 3 five gallon crocks of kraut, and Ill get a photo kilted with Kenny, my farmer friend.

**brewerpaul** · 2nd June 12, 11:40 AM

Proof is in the photos, here is me (Blackwatch SWK wool) and Kenny Anderson standing in front of the fine cabbage he just sold me. This cabbage will become at least 2+ crocks of saurkraut. Kenny is one of our wonderful Boone County farmers market growers that brings his whole family to the market. He and his family is Anderson Produce. You can usually count of two or even three generations of family there happy to sell you some of the best food you can eat. The Anderson family proves how much value the family farm is when such good food can be raised and shared.

When you can grow such wonderful food as this you deserve to smile big, Thanks Kenny for all you do.

**LitTrog** · 2nd June 12, 12:12 PM

Reminds me of the canning my dad would do when I was a kid--we had a huge garden that produced significantly more than we could eat or give away. My favorite was his kraut. Makes me sad to have to eat the store-bought stuff now; it just doesn't compare. That purple cabbage is beautiful!

Thanks--I now have one more skill to add to my "relearn" list. Now to find the time...

**brewerpaul** · 24th June 12, 04:16 PM

Ok, 4 weeks have passed and it is time to put the purple kraut into jars. I always try to keep the crocks around 70 degrees F or below so it wont spoil. From the crock I managed to fill 12 quart jars packed tight. Saurkraut can be hot bath canned to keep it all year due to the lactic fermentation and acidic nature of the brine. The purple kraut Ill just keep in the refridge and eat it fresh. In the fridge it will keep at least 3-6 months. Two weeks from now Ill have 2 crocks of green cabbage kraut to can. Those Ill hot bath for the winter when it taste so good with turkey brats and garlic rosemary mashed potatoes. A couple of photos to show the goodies before the go into the fridge.

12 wonderful jars of purple kraut

Here are my other two crocks perking away with green cabbage saurkraut

Already farmers are bringing in tons of squash, beets, onions, potatoes and greens. Sweet corn is hitting the market too as well as blue berries and black berries. Peaches are promising this year and soon Kenny of Anderson Produce will be having boxes of wonderful tomatoes. I see at least 40 quarts of chunky pasta sauce and stewed tomatoes in my future. If you are wondering if this is alot of work and worth the effort I will answer simply "Yes". First and foremost it supports local farming, next Jennifer and I eat well all year and for her and I it is time we spend together doing something we enjoy.

**FatherWilliam57** · 24th June 12, 05:41 PM

My wife attends a local farmer's market on Saturday mornings. I love this time of year! Fresh corn on the cob, tomatoes (for tomatoe sandwiches), and strawberry and rhubarb (for pie). Great time of year, and yes, it helps support local farmers. Even if you don't usually do the grocery shopping in your household, you should attend one just for the experience. (When my kids were younger, they enjoyed talking with some of the Amish farmers who sold their crops there. Never know what you're gonna find!)

**cruiser348** · 24th June 12, 06:08 PM

My sister-in-law has put in a 2500sq/ft garden at her families farm this year. I have been going out when I can given that they live about an hour away to help out. I am truly looking forward to getting to actually enjoy the fruits of the labor. Been getting some great corn from the families farm since I met my wife since that is one of the main crops they grow, but now it will be great to have an expanded bounty. I think I'm going to have to dust off some of the canning gear that my grandmother gave me that has just been sitting in my basement.

**Lyle1** · 24th June 12, 07:02 PM

Originally Posted by brewerpaul

The purple kraut Ill just keep in the refridge and eat it fresh. In the fridge it will keep at least 3-6 months. .

A friend used to give me kraut that she and her sister made. They froze theirs in freezer bags. She would give me a frozen bag on the train in the morning; I would put it in the fridge at work for the day, and by the time I got home at night it would be defrosted and ready to eat. It was crisp and kept in the fridge for a few more weeks. Best kraut I ever had!