Vanilla Rose Kraut, The Kraut of Love

Roses are red, and cabbage, it’s true
Is not usually thought of as something to woo.
Roses for lovers, but cabbage? And Kraut?
That’s not what we thought Valentines Day was about.

But this kraut is surprising, like love often is.
It sparkles, it dazzles, with pink petal fizz.
It’s weird and it’s wonderful, and somehow it works
And making it reminded us of some of the perks.

Kraut aids your belly, kraut feeds the soul.
Kraut is fermented, and we’re on a roll.
Kraut IS for lovers, we say it is true
Vanilla Rose Kraut for Valentines, old, young, and new.

She’ll never expect it, he’ll never guess
What’s inside that jar, beneath the weight pressed
Below the salt water, pricked out on a fork.
Taste it and swoon, yes, perhaps I’m a dork,

But I happen to think
That your love may amaze you with probiotic flair
Your love may entice you
With flavors that dare

To step out of the box, where love too often lingers
And into the light— you can eat it with fingers!
Or refined, on a fork. Eat it with pilaf, eat it with pork.
Eat it and make it and love it and share it.

Taste it, don’t waste it, go find it, go ferret
Out some good cabbage, vanilla and rose.
Make this kraut for your dear heart
And borrow this prose
If you think it is needed
If your love needs some coaxing after this advice has been heeded…
Tell them…

Roses are red, and cabbage, it’s true
Is made, like vanilla, for the lover in you.
This Rose Kraut is special and you are the best
Unique and special, unlike all the rest.
You may call it strange, but I call it delicious
Pink studded petals, vanilla, nutritious
Surprising and lovely and tasty and fine
I made you this rose kraut, I’m so glad you’re mine.

This recipe is courtesy of Karen Diggs, inventor of the KrautSource, and a master fermenter if ever there was one. Start this recipe today and it will be ready in time to feed to your Valentine.

Directions

1)Prepare the cabbage as directed.

Here, we used a beautiful Fille De Kraut variety that we found at Blue House Farms. It’s an old German heirloom variety used for kraut making, tender and soft, and, yes, absolutely adorable, with those little pointed witches-hat heads. Any green cabbage will do, though.

2) Combine salt and cabbage

In a large bowl, sprinkle salt on the cabbage. Using clean hands, massage the salt into the cabbage until the texture softens and a small amount of brine forms in the bottom of the bowl.

3) Season the kraut

Split the vanilla bean in half and scrape the seeds into the cabbage mixture, and add the outer pod of the bean as well.
Sprinkle the rose buds over the surface of the kraut and toss gently to mix well.

4) Pack your jar and ferment

Pack the cabbage mixture into a wide mouth quart jar, and affix a jar-top fermentor, such as the KrautSource.

Allow the kraut to ferment out of direct sunlight at room temperature for 7-10 days. This kraut is best enjoyed young rather than at the fully sour stage that comes after longer fermentation times.

When the kraut has achieved a taste that is to your liking, replace the jar top fermenter with a standard storage lid and store the kraut in the fridge.

Over to You

It’s part of our mission here at Mountain Feed to help you make delicious, sustainable, homemade food more often. Stop by and say hello on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or Pinterest. Or, as always, you can do it the old fashioned way and come by the store to speak with one of our in-house experts.