Kraut and Maters

The sauerkraut has stopped emitting gas so fermentation has completed.  When you push down on the top and no bubbles rise to the surface, you know you have arrived.  We have enjoyed a couple meals with our fresh kraut by just dipping some out of the bucket and replacing the cover to reseal the kraut from air.  It has been very enjoyable eating homemade sauerkraut after so many years of not having it.  My cut is a bit course since I used the knife instead of a mandolin or cutter to get it thinner.

Last night we enjoyed the kraut along side the last package of venison bratwurst and some store bought perogies.  We do not make our own sausage, but had them done by a Croatian butcher near our home.  Milwaukee is full of different ethnic populations that still make dishes in the old world tradition.  The south side of town is blending in a larger Hispanic population with several grocery and bakery shops featuring Mexican and other Latino foods.  El Rey is even a "chain" of stores with one right down the block from our home.

 There is one sausage shop I really like in one of the old Polish neighborhoods.  They were featured on Wisconsin Foodie if you are interested in seeing how they make sausage in the old tradition.
http://wisconsinfoodie.com/2012/01/24/european-homemade-sausage/
They are only open three days a week, Thursday-Saturday, and only until 4 pm. My job takes me by here at least once a week, so I can make a lunch time stop to get sausage for supper.  They have some of the old "favorites" like head cheese (if that is your thing).  They also carry a few other food items from other local producers, like pickled herring and perogies.  People come in from out of state to pick up sausage at their store on south Muskego Avenue and west Rogers Street.

We are also enjoying the last of the tomatoes.  The green ones are ripening very quickly now, so I have been sharing them with family and neighbors.  Not as tasty as the vine ripened tomatoes, but slightly better than the store bought option.  I have kept them in the basement between layers of newspaper which helps them hold the gases around them for ripening.  Some people will individually wrap each tomato, but I think this is time consuming both for storage and for checking them for ripeness.  Keeping them in a tray as a single layer is just fine.  You are more apt to check them frequently if they are easy to check.
My goal this weekend is to can the sauerkraut.  It will destroy the pro-biotic aspects of the sauerkraut, but I also know I do not want to continue monitoring the kraut for mold (so far nothing has grown on top).  I may keep some in a large jar in the frig and can the rest for easier storage.  Freezing is also possible, but I am reserving freezer space for our beef which is has made its last trip to the butcher this past week.  Nuff said.  Have a good weekend.