Canning & Eating Sauerkraut – A New Year Tradition

/ Jodi

canning-saurkraut-processed-jars

On New Year’s Day, Hubby and I canned the homemade sauerkraut we made this year at Krautfest about 12 weeks ago.

canning-saurkraut-marty

In past years, we froze it in Ziploc bags, but we decided to can it this year, and I’m so glad we did.  It tastes so much better this way, and no freezing and thawing.

canning-saurkraut-packed-jars

It was really quite simple to do.  We “cold-packed” it – meaning we did not heat or “cook” the sauerkraut first.  We simply packed the cold sauerkraut in warm, sterile jars and processed them in a hot water bath for 25 minutes.

canning-saurkraut-pot

Easy instructions can be found HERE.

Pork or kielbasa and sauerkraut is a New Year’s dinner tradition in our home and in our area.  Eating it on New Year’s Day is supposed to bring good luck and fortune in the new year.

So eat it we did!  Did you eat yours?

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

43 thoughts on “Canning & Eating Sauerkraut – A New Year Tradition”

  2. We did! Except ours is Hot Dogs, Kielbasa and sauerkraut. He-Man was born and raised just outside of Pittsburgh. When we got married he wanted me to make this on New Years Day and I’ve been making his Mother’s recipe for over 35 yrs now. Wait! I take that back. I didn’t make it the year we spent New Years in Mexico. That year we did as the natives do and ate 12 grapes at midnight for luck.

    Prior to marrying He-Man I didn’t have a New Years Day food tradition. I can’t imagine not having Hot Dogs, Kielbasa, and sauerkraut on New Years Day now.

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  4. Sauerkraut is not on my most fav food list, Jodi, truth be told, but yes I do eat it. Interesting to read how you canned yours. My Mom used to can a lot of veggies and fruits when we were kids. Good to know that tradition is still going strong for some. Happy New Year to you and your family! ❤

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  7. Jodi, The men in this household will not eat sauerkraut, so I have been away from it for a while, but this year I chopped off the end of the ribs, and while the rest was roasting, cooked mine in sauerkraut. There is NOTHING better than pork cooked in sauerkraut…but I was disappointed in the kraut itself! It was bitter…I picked up one of the last jars at the store, and will definitely switch brands next time.

    Anyway, it was good to ‘feast in’ the new year with a traditional good luck meal, and reading about your home-made adventures is good, too!

    Pam

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    • Good for you, but BOO that your saurkraut was no good – if you are ever in my neck of the woods – stop by for a jar! It is the best, and oh how I would love to share with you!

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  8. Good for you Jodi, I’ve never canned or preserved anything and so admire those that take time to do so. I’m sure the freshness will pay off in your tastebuds! We eat black eyed peas for luck in the South, which I can’t stand, but my son hid some in a hand pie for us, so we could stand eating them!
    Jenna

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  9. I live in New Ulm MN and it is a big German town and my mother served sauerkraut and dumpling at least every other week mostly on Saturdays she would cook the sauerkraut on the stove top with pork in it, cooked almost all day thicken with a couple grated potatoes and we had the best sauerkraut. I make mine in the oven these days with some chicken broth 1 can – a glass of water and pork on top and bake for 3 hours at 325º and then thicken with potato that has been grated/or mushed up really fine, bake again for about 1/2 hour. If you want the actual recipe I sure will send it but this is basically what I do and it taste like my Mom’s.

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    • Oh Diane – this sounds so interesting! Thanks for sharing! I have never added chicken broth or thickened with potatoes. About how much potato to kraut? We love serving the kraut on top of mashed potatoes! 🙂

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  12. I miss that smell in the house the day the crock gets opened. My mom canned it up every few years. She made something very delicious with kraut and pork neck bones. I might try to duplicate that. Very delicious.
    p.s. did not know that freezing was an option

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  14. I don’t have any food traditions for New Year’s so I found yours quite interesting. I am a big fan of sauerkraut. I have never made my own though. It is super good on pizza with Canadian Bacon and a tomato sauce. My hubby and I used to eat a lot of it in college. You should try it some time! 😄

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  16. Hubby’s family has made sauerkraut for several generations; hubby has his great grandfather’s equipment. They never froze or canned it though, just kept them in bags in the fridge.

    My favorite way to eat it is cooked with porkchops and over mashed potatoes. 😋 Hubby’s uncle has a kraut salad recipe that’s pretty good. I also love it on a Reuben.

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  17. My mother-in-law canned sauerkraut (about 100 at least) every year! It was a lot of work, but also a fun time when we were all there to help. I don’t know if the canned tastes different from the frozen, but I’m glad you tried it.

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    • My mother-in-law taught me about canning, and we used to do it all together too. Made it a lot of fun – we made a party out of it. Maybe someday I will do that with my kids or grandkids 🙂

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