Fall Cabbage

Cabbage is one of those crops we grow every year. Our go to variety is an heirloom Early Jersey Wakefield. We have grown this particular variety for probably 30 years. The seedlings are usually these days started in milk jugs on the back deck and then transplanted to the garden. Here in Tennessee I can get 3 crops a year. One is planted in mid March for spring harvest and then a second in June and finally a third in mid July for late fall harvests just before frost usually. I could probably extend the season by covering with a season extending fleece or growing in a cold frame but it really isn't necessary I think. 

The spring and summer harvests of this crop are usually eaten fresh, made into casseroles or eaten with onions, potatoes and sausages. Years ago ( 2011) I published a cabbage roll casserole recipe that I received some sort of award for but now I see versions of this recipe all over the net. Who knew I would some day be a trend setter! Anyway that recipe can be found in the recipe section above or here is a link

https://hickeryhollerfarm.blogspot.com/2011/07/cabbage-roll-casserole.html

The remainder of those spring and summer cabbage crops I freeze for winter eating and to add to vegetable soups. 

As fall rolls around every year I turn the cabbage plantings made in July into a winter batch of sauerkraut. Now in the past I have canned sauerkraut but these days a couple half gallons fermented and placed in the back of the bottom shelf of the refrigerator last us all winter. We enjoy our kraut crunchy and fermented with sausage or brats usually. 

So as our first frost date approaches we start cleaning out the garden beds and the cabbage is picked and brought inside. 

 

It is washed and salted and stuffed into half gallon jugs and left to ferment on the table. Every day I burp it to let off excess pressure.

Don't forget to put your jars into a shallow dish to catch any juices that might overflow as they do have a tendency to weep excess moisture. I let mine ferment usually for about two weeks and then move them to the fridge to cool. There they will stay all winter until completely consumed. 

So as the leaves start to fall and the temperatures drop again cabbage is shredded and packed in jars with salt to ferment and be enjoyed as the snow flies. 

Everyone have a great weekend. 

Blessings from The Holler

CQ

*************************************

I can also be found here

https://thebackfence.freeforums.net/

Fermenting Vegetables

 

This time of year as summer begins to fade slowly into fall the summer vegetables roll in through that back door daily. Snap beans, okra, squash, cucumbers and peppers. All those heat loving vegetables that I used to, in days of old, pickle endlessly. These days though we rarely eat pickles. Instead we prefer to eat less and ferment a few jars to keep in the refrigerator until they are gone. We enjoy that crisp fresh taste as opposed to the vinegar pickles of old. And we find that they are better for you. 

I start with a clean half gallon jar and disinfect with boiling water.

 I wash my vegetables with cold water and cut off the blossom end of cucumbers and squash and trim stems on okra.

 I took the end off of the green beans and sliced some peppers an onions, Think more chunks so that they could be gotten out of the jar easier but you could do smaller slices.

 I layered the fresh dill with the vegetables in the jar until about 2 inches from top.

 I mixed a brine of 3 Tablespoons sea salt to 1 quart distilled water and mix well until salt is dissolved.

 Pour this over the vegetables in the jar to cover. It will take more than 1. Then I take a small ziploc bag and put brine in bag removing air from bag as much as possible.

 Place bag of water on top of vegetables and brine to hold the veggies under the brine. 

Then I take a clean ring and lid and place on jar and finger tighten. 

Everyday I loosen the lid and burp the air from the jar. Then tighten the lid back down finger tight. Wash the jar and place the jar back in a glass baking dish in case it leaks. 

I let it sit on the counter after about 5 days I will taste if it is to my liking. Once I like the taste I put it in the fridge to stop the fermentation process. Keep if refrigerated and enjoy. 

The longer it ferments the softer the vegetables get. I like my vegetables to be a little crunchy. 

They should last 6 to 8 weeks in the fridge if not longer. 

There are lots of sites and videos out there on fermenting but that is the basics. 

Blessings from The Holler

The Canned Quilter