A Sauerkraut Story
JULY 13, 2005 - My mighty sauerkraut crock is sitting empty, but I saw the first farmers' market cabbages yesterday, so the season is coming soon. I just want to let this incredible heat wave fade away so the fermentation happens a little less wildly. (Speaking of Wild Fermentation, that's the name of Sandor Ellix Katz's website, where you can find an excellent sauerkraut recipe.) It'll be exciting to use the crock. I found it in a "collectibles" (read: junk) shop near my old hometown, and paid about what I thought it was worth. The crocks are ridiculously expensive in the big urban centres - no, not because making sauerkraut is the hottest new trend, but because well-to-do decorators love them as vases, umbrella stands, etc.
I heard a lovely sauerkraut story the other day. Many years ago, apparently, European immigrants to Canada kept arriving with large, heavy rocks in their luggage. Why one earth would anyone pack rocks to Canada?
As it turns out, many of these immigrants came from places where generations of farmers had picked the fields clear of stones - all the rocks were used to build walls or houses (back in the crazy old days, folks used to build their communities using local resources). The immigrants also had little information on what to expect when they arrived in Canada. Just to be on the safe side, then, they brought along one of the necessities of good living: the rocks they used to press their sauerkraut, perfectly sized to fit into their crocks.-JBM
