Whole Head Sauerkraut
My ancestors came from the Transylvania area of Germany and in addition to regular sauerkraut they made whole head kraut and my uncle would put up a 55 gallon wooden barrel full with about 50 heads of cabbage each year about Halloween time and it would be fermented for the New Years Celebration. Pigs in a Blanket \ Cabbage Roles were the main course. As a kid growing up 60 years ago in addition to the pigs in a blanket we would frequently have sliced head kraut with meals and I always loved it. My cousin simplified the recipe and my brother and I still make it each year in smaller quantities in a food grade plastic barrel. As it is with Jonathon much of it is share with others.

Making snack sticks is the true test of a stuffer and its quality. I now use a 1/2" ratchet as it is a lot easier to pull down than push up and that really makes it easier for the person doing the cranking. Just got my turntable and very large stainless steel bowl and can’t wait to see if that will save time on the sticks and eliminate one person in the operation. Going to place a Waltons order today for supplies for next week. Also my wife is in charge of Vac Sealing our smoked salmon and snack sticks and she has had great luck with VacMaster full mesh Pint size bags in our noncommercial home sealer. they come in package of 50 and only 1-2 non seals in a box. Cant wait till I can afford a commercial Sealer.

Fresh!!! Tanner Crab, BBQ Rib Eye Steak, Fresh Steamed Asparagus and Bake Beans!

Thanks to Austin, Jonathon and all the staff a Waltons, I just placed the first order shipped to Alaska USPS and shure that there will be many more to come in the future.

Dave

The strings on both ends could be to be able to switch ends for even heat as before I put my convection fans in my smoker the end closest to the heat would get much hotter faster, but those sticks are short enough that should not be a problem

Home made German whole head Sauerkraut leaves wrapped around cabbage roles

Yes the only ones that I get pertain to topics I have replied to and that is great for me

1 Load up the snow machine and drive 18 miles up the road to virgin snow
2 Break trail threw a foot of new snow for 20 miles to the Lodge
3 Eat an awesome Burger and chase it down with a Local Draft Beer in a Mason Jar
4 Find our way back to the truck and drive Home

Got my snack stick supplies ordered Friday and received shipment Monday in the mail. Unheard of to Alaska!!
Thanks for support

I have traditionally used a milk based binder and have never had a problem with fat out unless I got the smoker temp too hot, over 170 degrees for snack sticks. I firmly believe in 160 degree hot water bath to finish snack sticks, bring 140-150 in smoker than finish in hot water bath

The 2 speed stuffers have high and low range, high for refilling the hopper and low for stuffing, especially snack sticks which really require a lot of power. When you are looking for a stuffer make sure you check out the brand and make sure they have a good reputation and also an air bleed valve in the stuffer plate to help get rid of excess air when you are stuffing. Most all stuffers will make summer sasuage But if you are going to make small Diameter snack sticks it requires a lot of pressure. I have seen lots of good reviews on the 11lb Weston

I have found that if I spray my racks with Pam or any spray Canola oil spray before I use them … that it definitely help them clean up easier. As for cleaning my racks I soak them in hot water with lots of dish soap and scrub them with a stainless steel BBQ brush. I wish I could find an easier way and am sure glad I have installed a deep sink in my shop for clean up. The worst is when I do smoked fish with a lot of brown sugar in my brine, it is brutal

I have been cutting my snack strands double the length I can hang in my smoker with out the ends being too close to the heat source and always keeping the length divisible by 4" or 5". When finished smoking I then cut them in either 4" or 5" length then my Dear Wife vacuum seals them in pint size Pre-cut VACMASTER vacuum sealer bags in our home sealer as we do not have a commercial sealer. She has had tremendous luck with these bags and gets almost 100% seals that last. With a home sealer we have never had much luck going over a Quart bag for dependable seals regardless of the brand of bags. Can’t wait till I can get a commercial sealer. I also love using scissors for trimming my smoked products

Please post a review on your flavor tests with 6 different batches on Brats, I have also been doing 12.5 lb batches on my snack sticks because it is 1/2 package of seasoning and 1 full stuffer tube. Brats are on my list for next week.

Ring Bologna is high on my list and I am going to make a batch in the next couple of weeks, Have a package of Excaliber mix, and am trying to find what to add to it to give it more of the flavor of Troyers Trail bologna from Ohio.

Check with all your hunting buddies, friends and neighbors and have them check the bottom of their freezer for meat other than pork and get some fresh beef fat, Have made lots of good summer sasuage and snack sticks with 2-3 year old frozen meat.

Tried 4 times to call in live stream phone number says not in service.

Just wanted to say as long as we are to stay at home this is a great time to practice making sasuage, snack sticks, Etc. and if you need more meat check with all your hunting buddies and neighbors to clean out their freezer for the older meat they might have. I have made some great snack sticks and summer sasuage from 2-3 year old meat. What they do not want to do is use old fat as it seems to get strong fast.

Dave

Joe Hell
I would think with a really big hydraulic stuffer it could get really exciting

Just wanted to let everybody know about frozen meat plugging up the small stuffing tubes for snack sticks, don’t think larger tubes will be problem, next thing I am looking for is a 16mm stuffing tube long enough for a full length of 19 mm collagen casings