The Art Of Spicing Bavarian Sauerkraut

Bavarian sauerkraut is a regional way of cooking the famous German dish. It is cooked with spices such as caraway seeds, brown sugar, and sometimes juniper berries. The dish also includes apples, bacon, cider, and onions. The process of making Bavarian sauerkraut involves sautéing the ingredients in hot fat, resulting in a softer and sweeter version of the traditional German sauerkraut.

Caraway seeds

When buying caraway seeds, look for a good quality brand, as this will ensure the best flavour. You can usually find them in the spice section of most grocery stores.

If you are making your own sauerkraut from scratch, you can also add caraway seeds to the fermentation process. Simply mix the seeds with shredded cabbage, mustard seeds, and pickling salt, and let the mixture ferment for one to three weeks. This will give your sauerkraut a more complex flavour.

Apples

When making Bavarian sauerkraut, it is best to use a sweet apple variety, such as Gala, Fuji, or Red Delicious. These apples will add more sweetness to the dish. You can also use tart apples like Granny Smith, but be aware that they will make the dish less sweet.

Bavarian sauerkraut is typically served as a side dish with meat, especially pork, and is often accompanied by potatoes, bread dumplings, or potato dumplings. It can be cooked on the stovetop, in the oven, or in a slow cooker.

Bacon fat

The amount of bacon fat used in the recipe will depend on how much fat is rendered from the bacon. However, one tablespoon is often stated as the amount required. If you don't have bacon fat, you can use lard or schmalz (rendered animal fat). For a vegetarian version, you can use oil instead.

Onions

When preparing the onions for Bavarian sauerkraut, it is important to chop them finely. This ensures that they cook evenly and melt into the dish, creating a soft and cohesive texture. Cooking the onions in fat, such as bacon drippings or olive oil, over medium heat until they are translucent, is an essential step. This process adds a depth of flavour to the dish and helps to soften the sharpness of the raw onion.

The amount of onion used in Bavarian sauerkraut can vary depending on personal preference. Typically, one medium to large onion is enough for a batch of sauerkraut. However, some people prefer to use more or less, depending on their taste. It is worth noting that onions are a key flavour component, so adjusting the amount used will affect the overall taste of the dish.

When cooking the onions, it is important to stir them frequently to prevent burning. Cooking them until they are soft and translucent is ideal, as this indicates that they have released their natural sugars and developed a sweeter flavour. This step also helps to reduce the sharpness of the raw onion, creating a more mellow flavour that complements the other ingredients in the sauerkraut.

Juniper berries

When using juniper berries in your sauerkraut, you only need a small amount – around three berries per batch of sauerkraut should be enough. It is best to squeeze them with the flat side of a knife before adding them to the dish, to release their flavour. You can add them at the beginning of the cooking process, and there is no need to remove them before serving.

As well as their culinary uses, juniper berries have a range of medicinal properties. They have been used to treat a variety of ailments, from indigestion to rheumatism, and are still used in some herbal remedies today.

Frequently asked questions