I used to eat sauerkraut in the US, before relocating to Switzerland. It was from jars and I would just spoon it onto a plate. When I arrived here, I started buying Coop sauerkraut in plastic sachets. Well I have been following the same approach - spoon some straight onto a plate. But I just noticed that the Coop sauerkraut has cooking instructions on the back of the packet.

How non-Swiss is it, that I am eating my sauerkraut cold? Would it
revolt people? I think of it as a kind of pickle and cannot quite imagine having it hot.

Won't the heat kill the beneficial bacteria anyway? (Although maybe Coop sauerkraut is pasteurized - I am still building up to completely deciphering my food packaging...)

Thanks for advice,
Paul.

I don't think anyone would mind you eating it cold
We do heat it up though and usually add some meat.
Also, we only eat it during winter, do you do the same or do you eat it all year round where you come from ?

You can eat it cold or hot, whatever floats your boat. Germans (probably those Sour Krauts are the inventors of the Sauerkraut, no?) do it both ways.

When you do heat it up, a dash of white wine and a shot of vinegar can add a nice spice to it. Just like some fresh cracked black pepper, a shot of Tabasco, or various other additions.

Hi Sada,

I have been having sausages and sauerkraut and Rosenkohl
and mustard. Not quite traditional I think, but delicious. (I somehow
always like to have some green vegetable on my plate, hence
the Rosenkohls).

I don't have a rule about when I eat sauerkraut, but now I come to think of it, I guess I do eat it during the winter only.

Do you know if sauerkraut in Switzerland normally has live bacteria, or is it pasteurized? The Coop sauerkraut is kept in the fridge so I think it must have live bacteria. This is beneficial for digestion,

Paul.

Interesting thought! Never considered zipping up sauerkraut before,
Thanks for the tip,
Paul.

Warm Sauerkraut with Kassler: yummy

I eat it cold, but my husband prefares it warm, all depends on the persons preference

First the history of the famous Bernese Platter,where Sauerkraut is a vital part of it. It's mostly produced in what we Swiss call the 'Chabisland',the Gürbetal situated between Thun and Bern.

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

Bernese Platter

Whenever I am starting to write a new column, I always want to remain as accurate as possible, close to history, seasonal events and Swiss traditions. This is the reason why I am presenting you in this column with the history of the famous BERNESE PLATTER. Some of you may know it or perhaps have even tasted it already. It’s usually served during the winter, as it is quite a heavy and fat-laden dish. Its origin can be dated back precisely to the 5th of March in 1798,on that day the first historically mentioned *Bärner Platte* has been served!
This was the day when Bernese troops won over the French army at the battlefield of Neuenegg, despite being outnumbered threefold by the French. Unfortunately, whilst the brave soldiers were fighting, the French army marched into Bern anyway and the general battle was lost. Three times the brave Swiss soldiers had to be told to stop fighting; they simply couldn’t believe that the war was lost………………

Upset, sad and angry the soldiers decided to take leave and go back home. A Dragoner (cavalryman) who was far ahead of the troops went to have a drink at the Restaurant Kreuz in Wohlen and told the people there that the battle was lost and that the men were returning home. So the women of the village wanted to rustle up some good food as the men would surely be very hungry - if not starving - after all. They all went to raid their stocks in their cellars, smoking houses and pantries. One contributed a whole leg of pork, others gave sausages, hams, bacons and many other good things. As it was early March, there were no fresh vegetables available yet, so they opened their preserves consisting of dried green beans, sauerkraut and sour beets (sauerrüben) and vast amounts of potatoes.
All available pots and pans were in use that day and great was the joy when the soldiers finally arrived. Quickly they were ushered into the restaurant. So that every man would get his fair share of the goodies, the meat was cut up in even slices and heaped high atop the vegetables. As soon as everyone sat down, the plates were served with meat piled high on top of everything.

This dish comes in almost as many varieties as the Canton of Bern has got villages. I won’t write down a recipe, but will list what belongs on a traditional Bernese Platter if you want to make one at home. Perhaps you would want to go try it in a restaurant.

The meat is the key ingredient to this dish - smoked bacon, ham, sausages, saucissons, braised beef, and many varieties of salted and smoked pork. The meats being accounted for, add either Sauerkraut/Sauerrüben and/or dried green beans to serve along with it, and last but not least, boiled potatoes.
This needs quite some time to prepare, but can be left to simmer on the stove. It would make an ideal menu to serve when you have a large number of guests to cater for, although it’s not suitable for vegetarians. I often serve mustard along with it that has been flavoured with horseradish, as this helps the digestion of the fatty meat.
In the Canton of Bern the die-hard lovers of this dish finish it off with………………………a giant meringue and whipped cream!
©sylv06

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

Wether you eat the Sauerkraut boiled or raw doesn't make a big difference, it has its undeniable health benefits either way. Commonly here it's cooked,especially for the elder generation, but I for one love it raw as well. Try to make a salad with it, add a handful of raisins and chopped pineapple, serve with a light french salad sauce. YUMM, the sweetness of the fruits compliments the sourness of the Kraut ( yin-yang principle).

I have also tried and liked...............raclette with sauerkraut I use it raw and season with a little bit of paprika and pepper. makes a change fromt he pickled stuff to go along with it and has the same benefits as the pickles e.g. vinegar helping to digest the cheese

E Guete!

sylv

Another good combination with sauerkraut is pan-fried foie gras (Gänseleber)
on a bed of the above mixed with sweetish apple.
Then you have the salty, melting foie gras, sour kraut and the sweetness of the fruit. Also a great combination of textures!
Just a small portion, though, - you really can't eat much, it's so rich!!

where did you find this raincookie, sounds devilishly delicious, need to try that one that's for sure

Sada - I actually had it the first time in a good restaurant nearby.
I knew about foie gras and fruit or chutney being a good combination, but was surprised about the sauerkraut.
I've now made it once or twice at home with Gänseleber from Globus, although duck liver or even calves' liver would work well too.

Apologies to any vegetarians reading this, but I like liver and I try to buy "ungestopft" - not force-fed.

@raincookie
I wasn't anticipating recipes but this really does sound amazing! I would rather find some in a restaurant as an appetizer than have a 'bad food experiment' at home, but maybe I should just plunge in and give it a try.

Where was your restaurant? Was it Zürich by any chance?...

Paul.

It's dead easy to do at home.As learned by my ex mother in law (she was a good un) I prefer the raw pack. So give the kraut a quick rinse in a sieve with cold water.

Chop one medium size onion.
Saute it in a good knob of butter.
add drained sauerkraut, give a good stir.
Turn up heat and splash in a good shot of decent white wine.
reduce heat,you don't have to but this is what I do. Add a bay leaf.about 4-8 juniper beries (wacholderbeeren) some seasoning and a slice of cooking bacon (kochspeck). dont swamp it with water but always keep it a little bit
covered. Now the extra touch, take a potatoe and with a fine grater add it to your sauerkraut this will bind it.I usually give it about 2 hours.

Serve with anything you like.
Blood and Leberwurst.
Bernezungenwurst
Boiled beef.
Bohnenschinken.
It's all good and tasty.

__________________
www.thehappynest.ch

Thanks, Oldhand. And the 'leberwurst' grabbed my attention... I have been having some Coop liver and it's delicious. I started with the veal liver, then dropped to beef liver at a quarter-the-cost - assuming it would be four times as tough - and to my surprise it was very palatable and tasty. I saw 'Leberwurst' on the Coop counter a few days ago - is it really just mashed up liver reshaped into a sausage?

That liver sausage sounds intgeresting, I am curious too..

We eat sourkraut in my home country too, it is in fact our national dish with dumplings and a pork roast. We do not wash it though as it would wash off the good bacteria produced by fermentation. At home people quickly fry about a handful of bacon bits, then add diced onion and a spoon of sugar to caramelize it and for the last 30seconds a tea spoon of caraway seed. Then you dump the krout in it with the liquid and stew for about 20mins till the flavor smoothes out. Dad would throw some honey in or a spoon of applepuree. I think even pasteurized sourkrout is very healthy, as long as you do not rinse the goodness from it (then it basically only becomes cut up cabagge). Buy it fresh and cook it at home. I am going to make sourkrout tomorrow, it's quite coincidental to read about it right now, and serve it with slowbaked honey glazed ham and some spuds. Oooooh..

Peebix, your a person after my own heart.

Now I like the duo "blut und leberwurst"
For a lovely balance make a light syrup from sugar and water add a teaspoon of mixed spice(the English connection) and a good squirt of lemon juice. Bring to the boil and add apple wedges. Pull the pan from the heat and just leave them to absorb the juice.

Serve with the sauerkraut and whatever meat and boiled potatoes.

Sorry Music chic I haven't got quotations sussed. So here I go. The quick rinse doesn't mean you wash the goodness away it just makes the sauerkraut more palatable.

Now I've read your post I'll give it a no rinse try but with a spoonful of honey.
Do you cook it without meat?

This may sound really wierd, but I can recommend sauerkraut with raclette.
Warm up the sauerkraut, place a little in the raclette pan, then the cheese on top and under the grill.
Very tasty - and helps prevent indigestion from the cheese

Whenever I have sauerkraut left over I put it in the frying pan with an egg. I love it. So no, what you said doesn't sound weird.

I give it a quick rinse to get some of the saltiness out.