Zuurkool maken

Artusi begreep niet hoe je zuurkool moet maken,zoals ik eerder blogde. In de Amerikaanse versie van Hannah Glasse The Art of Cookery made Plain and Easy uit 1805 is een recept opgenomen dat duidelijk van de Elzasser, Duitse of Hollandse immigranten afkomstig is. Zij wisten het wel.
In 1805 maak je zuurkool alsvolgt:

To make Sour Crout
Take your fine white cabbage, cut them very small, have a tub on purpose with the head out, according to the quantity you intend to make; put them in the tub; to every four or five cabbages, throw in a handful of salt; when you have done as many as you intend, lay a very heavy weight on them, to press them down as flat as possible, throw a cloth on them and lay on the cover, let them stand a month, then you can begin to use it. It will keep twelve months; but be sure to keep it always
close covered, and the weight on it; if you throw a few carrawayseeds pounded fine amongst it, they give it a fine flavour.
The way to dress it is with a fine piece of beef stewed together.
It is a dish much made use of amongst the Germans and in the Northern countries where the frost kills all the cabbages; therefore they preserve them in this manner before the frost takes them.
Cabbage stalks, cauliflower stalks, and artichokes stalkes, peeled and cut fine down in the same manner are very good.

Twee opmerkelijke zaken: rundvlees in plaats van varkensvlees, dat klinkt nogal kosher. En het zuinige huisvrouwsyndroom: hoe verzamel je ooit genoeg afval van kool, bloemkool en artisjokken om een vat zuurkool van te maken!