Sauerkraut Crock

I have done a little reading on sauerkraut and other fermented foods, including fermented pickles.  I hadn't really bothered to look into it before, but now I understand that these foods are similar to yogurt in that they are alive with probiotics (beneficial bacteria).   So I have a couple of books on my list to purchase as well as the crock I have chosen.  This is the TSM Products Fermentation Pot, 10 Liter capacity, which is sold at Amazon.com, etc. 

The book is 'Making Sauerkraut and Pickled Vegetables at Home' by Klaus Kaufmann and Annelies Schoneck.   
An important point made by the authors is that the sauerkraut that we find on the grocery shelf is canned.  It has been pasteurized and there are no living beneficial bacteria.  It is dead and while some may enjoy the taste, the consumer will not enjoy any probiotic health benefits.  One would have to search for 'raw' sauerkraut which can sometimes be found in sealed bags in the produce aisle... or make your own!



National Center for Home Food Preservation
Hidden Pond Farm