By Jessica
I have never been a fan of sauerkraut, which is odd given that I love cabbage and most other cabbage preparations but there was always just something about it. Something off and overly strong. I had thought that maybe it was the metal can in combination with the acidity, maybe that combination made it taste off to me? So I sought out a variety that came in a glass jar and alas no change in my opinion.
It happens to be something that my husband loves, however, so I have always hoped to find one that I could be happy eating too and then most of my twitter stream started Whole30 and I started seeing raw sauerkraut in my feeds.
Farmhouse Culture has several different varieties of kraut to choose from and I was able to find a couple of them at my local Whole Foods markets. For my husband, I selected the smoked jalapeƱo and for myself the horseradish leek. On its own, it's still a bit sharp for my tastes but all manner of weird and off that I taste in regular kraut is gone. It's flavorful and even though I was expecting the horseradish to take over everything, it's so well balanced, that doesn't happen.
We had brats and kraut for dinner tonight (I had Apple Sage Field Roast sausage) and I was really happy with it as a condiment. While I'm not a total convert, I will be finishing the jar I have and I also am now intrigued to try other varieties/brands. I have my eye on the Lemon Garlic Dill by Straight From The Vine next.
Have you tried raw sauerkraut?
(Photo via Farmhouse Culture)

I love sauerkraut but my husband does not. I wonder if he'd like these variations? It's worth trying. He said his main issue with it is the smell, do these still smell really strong?
Posted by: Em | January 14, 2013 at 02:59 PM
Straight from the Vine is made right here in my town! I love it. Bubbies is also a good one.
Posted by: Genevieve | January 16, 2013 at 09:46 PM