Is it weird that I like the smell of sauerkraut?
Yesterday I walked out into my office kitchen and my coworker was microwaving leftover pork and sauerkraut for lunch. Mmmm…I told her I loved the smell of sauerkraut but I didn’t understand the whole sauerkraut and pork thing on New Years. She asked me if I had it on New Years, to which I replied, “no,”and she told me I would have bad luck this year.
Well if that’s the case then I must have had bad luck my whole life except the one New Years where I met my husband’s extended family for the first time (though my taste-buds would beg to differ). He was my boyfriend at the time and we were getting to be pretty serious, so I was attempting to make a good impression. His family is from the Reading area so they also observe some of these crazy Pennsylvania Dutch traditions.
Although I compare the sour-kraut to lemonheads, I actually thoroughly enjoy lemonheads. So much so that my friends funneled the lemonhead centerpiece at a wedding into the favors/champagne flutes for easy edible access.
We went to his Grandmother’s house for New Year’s dinner as was tradition in his family. I piled my plate high with sauerkraut and stared quizzically at the pork paired with it. You see, my entire family is Polish and we eat our sauerkraut with Polish sausage. I shrugged off the odd pairing and bit in. I immediately realized something else was different, at which time I imagine I made the same face as I do after biting into the center of a Lemonhead. This stuff was SOUR! Much more sour than I’d ever remembered! Tears may have been forming in my eyes as I tried to eat the whole plate, attempting to avoid offending my future in-laws. It made for an interesting meal and meeting of the future in-laws.
After the meal, I called my mom and asked her what was wrong with these people’s taste-buds? After a few minutes of laughter on the other end of the line, I learned that apparently we rinse the sauerkraut several times (and add barley) to make the sour taste milder. Unfortunately, I learned the hard way that I can’t handle my kraut full strength.
As for the pairing with pork, it’s not bad. I do prefer the Polish sausage though, it’s what I grew up eating. Sauerkraut and sausage is actually a big tradition in my family, hence the title of my post. When I smelled it cooking in the house I knew we were going to have a big family meal. We have it at every Holiday, even Thanksgiving! Except New Years, apparently. I wonder what my husband thought the first time he bit into the Polish version? Probably not as big of a shock as the sour version was for me.
I had never understood why most people don’t like the taste of sauerkraut, but I did after I had the full strength version. If you’d like to observe the PA Dutch tradition but have never much cared for sauerkraut portion of the deal, I would suggest trying to rinse it out a couple of times before you cook it. And add barley. You might like it.
Anyway, I can’t think of any New Year’s food traditions that my family does other than seafood on New Year’s Eve. Are there any other PA Dutch traditions I’m missing out on? Anyone care to explain the significance of the pork paired with sauerkraut?
Update: Thanks to the kind people over at York Weekend I believe I will be celebrating the PA Dutch New Years tradition next year. But with a chocolate-lovers twist: pork with a side of sauerkraut-laced chocolate cake. You think I’m kidding? Check out the chocolate cake recipe York Weekend sent.
I love me some “sour” sauerkraut! I wouldn’t mind trying your version though. How about posting a recipe? I don’t think “rinse and add barley” would turn out well with my non-existent cooking skills.
Also, what about the potatoes?! York’s all about Meat & Potatoes.
You know I’m fairly certain that my family will not have a recipe for sauerkraut and sausage, however I will do you one better! I just emailed my Aunt for her Sauerkraut Pierogies recipe. You are probably familiar with Potato and Cheese Pierogies (of which my Aunt also makes a delicious homemade version) however, the Sauerkraut ones are good too! I’ll post the recipe when I hear back.
Maybe next year I will put a Polish/chocolate-lovers twist on the PA Dutch tradition. We will be having pork, sauerkraut pierogies, and kraut cake – anyone care to join us?
Here is the promised recipe!
Sourkraut Pierogi
Dough:
2 eggs
2 cups flour
1/2 cup water
1/2 teas. salt
Mound flour on boad and make a hole in center.
Drop eggs into hole and cut into flour with a knife. (I use my hands.)
Add salt and water and knead until firm.
Let rest 10 minutes, covered with a warm bowl.
Divide dough in halves and roll thin,
Cut circles with a large biscuit cutter.
Place a small spoonful of filling a little to one side on each round of dough.
Moisten edge with water, fold over and press edges together firmly.
Make certain they are well sealed together to prevent filling from running out.
Drop pierogi into salted boiling water.
Cook gently 3 to 5 minutes.
Life out of water with perforated spoon.
Filling
1 small head cabbage (chopped fine) Or use a can of sauerkraut instead. Rinse in water and drain if you don’t like it too sour.
1 small onion (chopped fine)
butter (about 1/2 stick for a small can of kraut)
salt and pepper
Cut cabbage fine and cook in salted water until tender.
Drain cabbage. If using a can of sauerkraut skip this step.
Fry onion in butter until golden brown.
Add cabbage (or sourkraut) and fry until flavors are blended.
Salt and pepper to taste.
I fry the sauerkraut and onion until all the liquid is gone. The drier the better for filling.
Cool filling and fill dough rounds.