Roasting peppers and sauerkraut cutter restored

I'm all "geeked out" over the fact that I got the sauerkraut cutter cleaned, refinished, and sharpened.  It is in beautiful shape again.  The pounder had some dry cracks in it, but I used the mineral oil/carnuba wax to penetrate and protect.  This is going to make the job of cutting cabbage and pounding it down so much easier than last year.  Take a gander at sauerkraut production 2012 and see how I improvised these tools last year.

As you can see, the cutter is essentially a four foot long mandolin.  The pounder has a nice long handle so I will not have to get inside my bucket so far to press the water from the cabbage.  The other exciting part is that I can use the same tools that were used for years by my own family.  There are lots of memories attached to this baby.  Now I just have to wait for the fall crop of cabbage, preferably after all the wedding plans are done so I can attend to the kraut.

I also got busy with peppers from the garden.  I roasted up a bunch and did some freezing and dehydrating.  I have two good batches of ancho peppers ready for a chili relenos casserole that I am planning on creating.  I also have dehydrated my jalapenos for making a smoky, hot powder that is good in so many thing.  I got some really hot peppers from a friend that I roasted and dehydrated, but he is getting those back as they are too hot for my taste.  

The other thing that I was able to get for a good price was a portable gas stove that I can do my canning on outside.  This will be a nice relief from the usual hot, steamy kitchen that I usually have in fall.  I have set up operations in the garage so I am ready to roll.  Now I just need the time and energy.

Restoring the Sauerkraut Cutter

Growing up in our family meant that in fall we would participate in making sauerkraut.  Dad would get the cutter cleaned and sharpened after having spent a long year in our very dank and dusty basement.  The cutter has not been in that basement for over 20 years, but it was in storage with one of my sisters.  It hadn't been used for longer than that.

It has been my good fortune that the cutter was taken out of storage and given to me along with the very valuable stomper.  I brought it home and hosed it off.  Then I took it apart and cleaned all the pieces, there was even some antique shreds of cabbage in the crevices.  I really scrubbed it down.  Naval jelly had to be used on the metal to take off the rust.  I was able to go to my Ace Hardware and find the right guy to sell me the right products for the wood and metal restoration.  I love Elliott's Ace.  

The wood looks beautiful with it's new finish of mineral oil and carnuba wax.  The metal is steel gray again.  I am going to rub it all down before putting it all back together.  I think my days of hand cutting my cabbage are over.