Sauerkraut

July 11, 2026

This is the second year I have tried raising cabbage (Brassica oleracea) in my raised beds. Last year the weather was not conducive and the heads never formed. I tried to use the individual leaves, but nothing I made worked. This year I planted it earlier and put in more seeds. Ten plants came up, but one was eaten (by something) almost immediately. The other nine plants produced large leaves that were attacked by some sort of insect (never saw it). Three of the plants were overstressed by the attacks and I ended thinning them out to give more space to the others. That left two plants that had formed decent heads and the other four still in the process of folding (hopefully). Sunday Melissa made a pork loin in the crockpot by combining the meat with baby potatoes (Solanum tuberosum), carrots (Daucus carota subsp. sativus), and the smaller head of my cabbage. Melissa thought the cabbage was picked too late and had a bitter taste. I did not want that to happen to the one good head of cabbage left, so today I used it to make sauerkraut.

When I went online, I found Sauerkraut (lit. ’sour cabbage’) is finely cut raw white cabbage that has been fermented by various lactic acid bacteria. The dish has a long shelf life and a distinctive sour flavor, both the result of the lactic acid formed when the bacteria ferment the sugars in the cabbage leaves. The English name is borrowed from German, but the dish did not originate in Germany. Some claim fermented cabbage (Suan cai) came from China during the time of the building of the Great Wall. The Romans also pickled forms of cabbage and are the likely source of European sauerkraut. The dish became popular in Central and Eastern European cuisines, and countries including the Netherlands (zuurkool) and France (choucroute). Glenn Randall Mack and Asele Surina published “Food Culture in Russia and Central Asia” in 2005 and credit the Slavic peoples of Europe with likely discovering fermented cabbage. Before frozen foods and refrigeration, sauerkraut was readily available in Northern, Central, and Eastern Europe, and provided a source of vitamin C during the winter. Captain James Cook took sauerkraut on his sea voyages to prevent scurvy.

Sauerkraut is one of the easiest ways to preserve cabbage. Wash the head, remove the outer leaves (setting one aside), cut out the core. I used my large carving knife to cut thin slices off the head making a large pile of sliced cabbage. I sprinkled on four tablespoons (60ml) of sea salt and gently mixed it into the cabbage, then let it stand for 15 minutes. The important step is to knead the mixture for 5 minutes. I was surprised by how much water came out of the cabbage and by how much it reduced. I stuffed the entire head into the quart jar and poured the cabbage water over the mixture. There was not quite enough water, so I made a salt brine of two tablespoons (30ml) salt to one cup (0.26L) distilled water and covered the mixture. The last step was topping it off with the leaf I had set aside and adding one of Melissa’s decorative rocks to keep it weighted down. I did not add the weight last year and the sauerkraut got moldy. I need to wait 1 to 4 weeks for fermentation and then put it in the refrigerator. It should last up to a year, but I think it will be eaten long before then.

THOUGHTS: One of my fond memories growing up was mom making sauerkraut in a ten gallon (38L) stoneware crock. Mom would fill it with fresh cabbage and salt and place it in the basement to ferment where my brother and I would sneak “taste tests” out of the crock. Sauerkraut, kielbasa, and baked potatoes are still one of my favorite meals. Sauerkraut represents the two ways ideas, beliefs, and technologies spread. There appear to be two simultaneous independent inventions (Slavic and China) which then spread by expansion (from one people to the next). Technologies and ideas seem to have a life of their own and few things can be claimed as “mine” for long. Act for all. Change will come and it starts with you.

Condiment

July 04, 2026

Like most people in the US, I spent part of the day harvesting the bounty of my garden (really?). I began early this morning (for me) taking the kids for a walk. By 10 am it was already 89F (31.6C) with a “feels like” of 99F (37.2C). I got home in time to water my garden and to oversee what would be ripe enough to take to our feeding program tomorrow night. I mentioned earlier I harvested around 20 pounds (9kg) of Roma tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum var.) that I turned into 7 quarts (6.6L) of pasta sauce. The vines have kept producing and I was able to garnish another 10 pounds (4.5kg) today, along with another 12 Arkansas Travelers (Solanum lycopersicum var.). My red onions (Allium cepa) have stopped growing but there are 38 onions still in the ground. My jalapeno peppers (Capsicum annuum) are now producing as the weather has turned hotter (not warmer). I am also growing cilantro (Coriandrum sativum) in the herb garden. While I have made several batches of pickle de Gallo, I now have the ingredients for my favorite condiment, Pico de Gallo.

When I went online, I found a condiment can be defined as a supplemental food (such as a sauce or powder) that is added to some foods to impart a particular flavor, enhance flavor, or complement a dish. These foods are not considered enough to serve as a standalone dish. The term condiment originally described pickled or preserved foods but now includes a great variety of flavorings. Many diverse condiments exist in various countries, regions and cultures. Pico de Gallo can be used in much the same way as Mexican liquid salsas, and because it contains less liquid, it can also be used as a main ingredient in dishes such as tacos and fajitas. The tomato-based variety is widely known as salsa picada (‘minced/chopped sauce’) and in Mexico is normally called salsa mexicana (‘Mexican sauce’). The colors of the red tomato, white onion, and green chili and cilantro are reminiscent of the colors of the Mexican flag, and it is also called salsa bandera (‘flag sauce’). The Pickle de Gallo lacks the red of the tomato but is still a great way to use the 14 pints (6.6L) of pickles I canned last week.

Since today is the celebration of Independence Day in the US, there are two other important condiments associated with this day. Ketchup typically refers to tomato ketchup, although early recipes for different varieties contained mushrooms, oysters, mussels, egg whites, grapes, or walnuts. Tomato ketchup is made from tomatoes, sugar and vinegar, along with seasonings and spices. Mustard is a condiment made from the seeds of a mustard plant, which may be the white/yellow mustard (Sinapis alba), brown mustard (Brassica juncea), or black mustard (Rhamphospermum nigrum). The (whole, ground, cracked, or bruised) seeds are mixed with water, vinegar, lemon juice, wine, or other liquids, salt, and other flavorings and spices to create a paste or sauce. The sauce can range in color from bright yellow to dark brown. These are important condiments on Independence Day as they are often paired with hotdogs and hamburgers grilled on bar-b-q’s across America.

THOUGHTS: While a condiment is officially defined as a supplemental food, I often use both Pickle and Pico as a main course pared with tortilla chips. While the USDA Food Buying Guide explicitly lists tomato catsup and chili sauce as condiments that do not contribute toward the daily vegetable component, there is a famous historical debate surrounding school lunches in the 1980’s. Proposed USDA rules suggested counting various tomato condiments and pastes as vegetables, but this was never officially adopted for dietary health. It seems we are willing to do anything to get children to eat their vegetables, even if the condiments do not contain the necessary nutritional value to count as a vegetable. Act for all. Change will come and it starts with you.

Salsa Verde

October 16, 2025

Last week I decided to harvest the last of my jalapeños (Capsicum annuum). While they had been turning red (ripening) they were not getting over 2 inches (5 cm) long. This gave me a dozen peppers that I stored in the refrigerator. I have been waiting for the green tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum) to ripen for the last several weeks. I mentioned how the vines did not produce much fruit during the heat of summer. Now that cooler weather is (intermittently) on us they have begun to make fruit. The problem has been that most of it has stayed green. Yesterday I resigned myself to the idea they will never ripen on the vine. That left me wondering what to do with over 5 gallons (19 liters) of green tomatoes. While making green tomato relish (“chow-chow”) or frying them was an option, I wanted something more ambitious (that I would eat). One of the suggestions was to use green tomatoes as a substitute for the tomatillos (Physalis philadelphica and Physalis ixocarpa) found as the base for salsa verde.

When I went online, I found salsa verde (Spanish, “green sauce”) is a versatile green sauce with two main variations: Mexican and Italian. The type commonly found in Mexican and Tex-Mex cuisines is a spicy condiment made with tomatillos, while the classic Italian version is an uncooked, herbaceous sauce. The Mexican version is a vibrantly green, tangy sauce featuring tomatillos and chili peppers that can be made by boiling or roasting the main ingredients. For the boiled version, the tomatillos, chili peppers (Capsicum annuum), and sometimes onion (Allium cepa), and garlic (Allium sativum) are simmered in water until soft. The softened ingredients are then blended with fresh cilantro (Coriandrum sativum), salt, and lime (Citrus aurantiifolia) juice to create a bright and fresh-tasting salsa. The roasted version has a deeper, smoky flavor. The tomatillos, chiles, onion, and garlic are roasted or broiled until they are blistered and charred and again blended with fresh cilantro, salt, and lime juice. Italian salsa verde is a no-cook, chopped green sauce made from fresh herbs like parsley (Petroselinum crispum), basil (Ocimum basilicum), or mint (Mentha spicata). This version is known for its fresh, savory, and tangy flavor and is typically served with meat or seafood.

Melissa wanted to make a fresh salsa verde that is stored in the refrigerator. The problem was it has a limited shelf life (2 to 3 weeks). With the number of tomatoes we had there was no way to use all the verde before it would go bad. I decided to make several pints of fresh verde and then can the rest. We roasted the ingredients, and I used a hand blender to chop it, then blended in the lime juice, cilantro, and salt. We filled 3 1-pint (0.47 liters) jars with the verde and set them aside. Next, I prepared the verde for canning. This required adding vinegar (for acidity) and cooking the mixture on the stove while the water bath was coming to a boil. I can only get 6 or 7 pints in my water bath, which worked well as my largest pan could only hold about half of the verde mixture. I processed the verde and set the jars on the dining room table to cool. We produced 14 jars of salsa verde and an extra bowl of canning mixture (I ran out of pint jars). I had some with a burrito and it was excellent.

THOUGHTS: Even though I harvested most of the green tomatoes to make salsa verde, I hedged and kept three vines in the ground. The vines are filled with green tomatoes that I (still) hope will ripen. If not, I can always make fried green tomatoes or chow-chow. We plan on sharing some of the salsa verde with friends, but Melissa is looking forward to enjoying the verde as our main salsa until next season. We now have half of a pantry shelf filled with the vegetables I have canned this year, taking us closer to being self-sustainable. That is a good thing, as the second crop I planted in August has not faired well. It may be the seed is pushing its limit (3 years old) and is no longer viable. Always more to learn. Act for all. Change is coming and it starts with you.

Pressure

August 03, 2025

I decided I had enough tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum) to make another batch of pasta sauce. We used the last 2024 jar during January and have been using “store-bought” sauce. I like the store brand, but it never seems as good as my home canned sauce. The recipe calls for 25 pounds (11.3 kg) of tomatoes and makes around 10 quarts (9.5 liters) of sauce. I never have that many tomatoes at one time, but I had prepped and frozen a gallon (3.8 liters) from a previous harvest and the cool(er) spell last week produced another burst of fruit. This would give me 4 or 5 jars of sauce, so I adjusted the recipe accordingly. I have been able to make my sauce using a water bath (boiling water) due to the higher acidity of the tomatoes. Last week I had also prepared the carrots from my garden and the slices were sitting in the refrigerator. I had been reluctant to can them because of their low acidity. To can the carrots, I would need to do something I had never done before, use a pressure cooker.

When I went online, I found a pressure cooker is a sealed vessel for cooking food (pressure cooking) with the use of high-pressure steam and water or a water-based liquid. The high-pressure limits the water from boiling and creates higher temperatures not possible at lower pressures. This allows the food to be cooked faster than at normal pressure. The prototype of the modern pressure cooker was the steam digester invented in the 17th century by the physicist Denis Papin. The cooker worked by expelling air from the vessel and trapping steam produced from the boiling liquid. The steam is used to raise the internal pressure up to one atmosphere above normal (ambient) and gives higher cooking temperatures between 212 F to 250F (100C to 121C). Together with high thermal heat transfer from steam it permits cooking in between a half and a quarter of the time of conventional boiling while saving a considerable amount of energy. Almost any food that can be cooked in steam or water-based liquids can be cooked in a pressure cooker.

Modern pressure cookers have many safety features to prevent the pressure cooker from reaching a pressure that could cause an explosion. After cooking, the steam pressure is lowered back to ambient atmospheric pressure so the vessel can be opened. All modern devices also have a safety lock to prevent opening while the cooker is still under pressure. According to the NY Times Magazine, 37% of US households owned at least one pressure cooker in 1950, but by 2011 that dropped to 20%. This decline was attributed to a fear of explosion (rare with modern pressure cookers) and from competition by other fast cooking devices such as the microwave oven. Today’s third-generation pressure cookers have many more safety features and digital temperature control, do not vent steam during cooking, and are quieter and more efficient. These conveniences have helped make pressure cooking more popular. I bought Melissa a third-generation electric pressure cooker (an odd gift?) before we were married. I later found out she never used it.

THOUGHTS: As I was making the carrots Melissa told me of her experience with an early pressure cooker. She loved to watch her granny canning in the kitchen when she was a small girl. Then one afternoon when she was three, the old-style first-generation pressure cooker exploded, sending hot water and glass everywhere. Both her granny and mom wore glasses, but she did not, and glass got in her eyes. A quick trip to the doctor removed all the glass, but neither she nor her mom ever watched granny using the pressure cooker again. Even with the modern versions, her dad was the only one in the house who used one. It took me a week to build up the nerve to use the pressure cooker. I had never used one and had “heard the stories”. I went online to learn how to operate it and found it easy to use. I now have a new cooking method to add to my resume. New things are generally only daunting if never tried. Act for all. Change is coming and it starts with you.