Sauerkraut and Apples Recipe (2024)

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BNH

Left out the bacon to make it vegetarian. Added another couple of tablespoons of butter to replace the bacon fat. It was outrageously good.

JM

Yup, I grew up in Maryland. And yes we always had sauerkraut with turkey. And most people think we're nuts. So thank you for the validation and for this great recipe.

Very nice

We always had sauerkraut at family festivities in NY. Usually made with kielbasa. We still make it for Thanksgiving and/or Christmas. But, today, I had a pork tenderloin and wondering what to do with it? A quick look in the fridge: I have half a red onion, 3/4 jar kraut, Apple Cider beer, and apples on the counter. Brown the tenderloin, sauté the onions, apples, kraut, etc... and follow the rest of the recipe. Throw the browned pork on top and into the oven. Voila! Easy peasy.

Carajo

If you rinse the sauerkraut-as called for in the recipe-it will diminish the flavor. I made that mistake once. You may want to give it another try without rinsing, and leave out the bacon if you don't like it. ALSO-grate the peeled apples and onions.

Ann

Mashed potatoes mixed with kraut on your plate...divine!

Ann

Always kraut with turkey. Grew up in MD too!

Ann

My grandmother used to make this, usually without bacon. I hated the apples because I love the tartness of kraut. I'd add ACV to cut the sweetness from the apples. She used to make some separately just for me saying that's how she liked it but everyone else didn't. Miss her. I make my own sauerkraut from scratch now. Wonderfully lacto-fermented. Grammy would have proud!

Eileen

This is great. Reminds me of Grandma. I used hard apple cider instead of beer and it came out great. Baked it with good sliced smoked sausage on top.

deborah

Excellent exactly as written. However, I did follow one person’s suggestion to shred the onion and apple. And another person’s suggestion to not rinse the sauerkraut. Rinsing the sauerkraut takes away the probiotic goodness of it and the sour flavor.

Mark

It's delightful as is, and, as noted, great substituting apple cider, alcoholic or non, or a Germanic white, such as a crisp Riesling, for the beer. I often add a sprig or two of thyme. Btw I associate this with Pennsylvania Dutch Thanksgiving traditions. Perhaps it migrated down to neighboring Maryland?

Bill A

I'm going to try this with a half dozen smoked apple bratwurst I picked up at a local shop.

Patricia

I hate beer so I used 16 oz of Chardonnay . I also added 4 Shish*to peppers for some spice ( cause Texas) and used butter instead of bacon. Turned out quite nice

fletch

I have made this several times. Always a hit and serves 6-8 people generously

Laura

1- small onion thinly sliced5 slices Amish smoked bacon 1- 16oz jar Vlassic Sauerkraut, drained. 1- grated granny smith appleHandful of mushrooms sliced 1- bottle Guinness 5 browned on stove Amish Bratwurst, placed on top.Ingredients were Prepared on stove, baked in 350 oven 1 hour My German Mother made it this way minus the beer.Made me super nostalgic.

Lori in Vancouver

I grew up in a community with lots of Eastern Europeans where sauerkraut was a New Years tradition. My mom cooked sauerkraut in a large pot in the oven, with pork and cooked low & slow until the pork fell off the bone. Now, a vegetarian, I skipped the pork when using this recipe, replaced apples with carrots (although I usually do love apples in my kraut), reduced the butter to 4T, added a bay leaf, oregano, dill & 2 cloves garlic. Delicious! Serve with perogies, potato dumplings or gnocchi.

Cathy

I made this as written. It was delicious, and a big hit at the family reunion.

Mark

This is actually more of a Pennsylvania tradition that migrated south to Maryland along the Susquehanna. Still delicious!

Jon B.

Any recipe that starts out with sauteeing bacon in butter gets a big thumbs-up from me. Here's another vote for not rinsing the sauerkraut. Or draining it, for that matter. No need to incorporate a lot of brine, but no need to be afraid of it either; the tartness of the kraut is the whole point here. I've made this several times, using homemade sauerkraut (which is a million times better than any commercial version) and dry hard cider. It's wonderful, much more than the sum of its parts.

Irene

I added a 12ozcan of beer, does not look like enough liquid. What should I add if anything?

visser.ja

Needs salt.

HenryLM3

I sliced the apples really thin, less than 1/8 inch, and they just disappeared. I would aim for 3/8 to 1/2 inch the next time.

visser.ja

I had the same experience. Are the apples supposed to be present as pieces in the final dish, or are they supposed to become applesauce?

Gail

Delicious! My beau is from MD and always had sauerkraut as a Thanksgiving side. This is great with pork!

BG

This was delicious! I did not rinse the sauerkraut as I thought that would take away from the “tangy” flavor. Used apple cider instead of beer. Cooked a couple of sausages, sliced them, and added to the pot at the end to make this into a complete meal. The sweet and sour flavor profile was quite enjoyable.

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Sauerkraut and Apples Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Why add apples to sauerkraut? ›

Apples and kraut are a wonderful combination and one I use a lot when I'm making kraut. Apples are a prebiotic so you will get lots of extra probiotics from adding apples to your kraut.

What can I mix with sauerkraut to make it taste better? ›

Ten Delicious Kraut Additions
  1. Juniper Berries. Small and dark, these little raisin-sized berries pack a flavor punch. ...
  2. Beets. Peeled and grated or thinly sliced, even a tiny bit of beet stains the whole ferment fuchsia. ...
  3. Ginger. ...
  4. Lemon Peel. ...
  5. Dill. ...
  6. Caraway Seed. ...
  7. Fennel. ...
  8. Celery Root (celeriac)

Do you have to rinse sauerkraut before cooking it? ›

The best way to know is to just open the bag and taste a little bit of the sauerkraut . When it has already a nice taste (not too salty) that you like, you don't have to wash it before using it. If it's very salty then rinse it to get rid of the saltiness.

Should you drain sauerkraut before eating? ›

Yes, they do, and for a good reason. The main argument for rinsing canned sauerkraut is to reduce its sodium content and make a healthier meal. Luckily, rinsing sauerkraut is quite easy and can be done in the sink with a strainer like any other vegetable.

Why does sauerkraut make you go to the bathroom? ›

Sauerkraut also has a high fiber content that helps with constipation by making stools softer, and simultaneously increasing its mass and volume. This bulkiness makes for easier passage through the digestive tract and quicker elimination.

What diseases does sauerkraut prevent? ›

The fiber, probiotic, and vitamin K2 contents of sauerkraut may contribute to lower cholesterol levels, slight improvements in blood pressure, and a lower risk of heart disease.

What is the tastiest way to eat sauerkraut? ›

Sauerkraut can be added to soups and stews; cooked with stock, beer or wine; served with sausages or salted meats, and is especially good with smoked fish, like hot-smoked salmon.

Is it better for you to eat sauerkraut cold or cooked Why? ›

One important issue to remember is that cooking sauerkraut will kill off the probiotic bacteria that we want to consume. Even after cooking, sauerkraut is a healthy, cabbage-based dish, but it will be missing out on that probiotic boost. So, when possible, try to add your sauerkraut to your dishes uncooked.

What is the best spice for sauerkraut? ›

Classic sauerkraut spices are juniper berries, caraway seeds, dill and celery seeds.

Can you eat sauerkraut straight from the jar? ›

Raw sauerkraut can be enjoyed as is, by the forkful. Just take the jar out of the fridge, grab a fork, and enjoy the health benefits! Eat a forkful once or twice a day straight from the jar.

What happens if you don't rinse sauerkraut? ›

These bacteria, known as probiotics, are important for gut health and can help improve digestion and boost the immune system. Therefore, if you are looking to reap the full health benefits of sauerkraut, it may be best to consume it without rinsing.

Do you drain the liquid from sauerkraut? ›

To store for a longer period of time, drain the sauerkraut, reserving the liquid.

Should I eat sauerkraut in the morning or at night? ›

Sauerkraut is a fermented dish best consumed in the morning at about one tablespoon to 10 grams per day.

Should sauerkraut be crunchy or soft? ›

The lower end of the salt range produces a sauerkraut with more crunch. But too little salt will speed up fermentation, which could leave you with soft, slimy fermented cabbage if your fermentation temperature is too high. *A good rule of thumb: taste the brine as the cabbage is releasing its juices.

What happens if you don't burp sauerkraut? ›

If you are using a clip-top mason jar, be sure to burp your ferment each day. Gas will build up in the jar so you're going to want to release it through burping. You may notice bubbles appearing, an odour and your sauerkraut will become more translucent as time goes on.

Why is Apple good for fermentation? ›

Apples are great fruits for fermentation for several reasons. They are very sweet, which provides the needed sugar for yeast to ferment into alcohol. Also, they have excellent flavour, which holds up pretty well to the transformation process.

Can you add fruit to sauerkraut? ›

I'm having a good time experimenting with small amounts of fruit added to my sauerkraut fermentation projects. I used fresh, organic blueberries and frozen Açaí puree from Trader Joe's for this recipe. Caraway Seeds: Caraway seeds add a nice herbaceous flavor and crunch to sauerkraut.

What to add to sauerkraut to make it less sour? ›

A couple. tablespoons of brown sugar and a can of beer.

What makes sauerkraut taste good? ›

Sprinkle in spices and aromatics

When we're talking about sauerkraut, the most traditional spices and aromatics come from anise-like caraway seeds, bay leaves, and the distinctive spicily earthy juniper berries. Those are all good options, and a lot of recipes call for them.

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