Sauerkraut that's too mild :-(

[Enso]

We no longer eat wheat in my family, but have fond memories of reuben sandwiches, so I tried a reuben soup recipe. The sauerkraut seemed way too weak/mild and so the soup lacked good flavor.

Can you recommend a sauerkraut with a more intense flavor than average? (but maybe not to the level of knock-your-socks-off)

[shoo bee doo]

I would have added the sauerkraut at the last minute or even once the soup has cooled down a little. That way it would retain its enzymic value plus not have all the flavor cooked out of it.

[GutGrease]

That's a GREAT point about adding it near or at the end of the soup process. I have to do that with garlic when I make meals, so that the flavor doesn't cook out.

[Enso]

Thanks for all the input so far.

-Can't make S. from scratch.

-Did use canned; will try bagged next time.

-Thought about adding a bit of vinegar to leftovers, but was afraid it would make it curdle, which would be too undesirable (cream and cheese, ya know).

-Ak-mak do have wheat. And, unfortunately, any non-wheat cracker hits another limit for us: too high carb per volume.

-Will see if the nearby coops and psuedo-coops have alternatives. What would I look for on the label to know it's tangy-er/more sour? Does real sauerkraut have vinegar in it?

-Heartland sounds interesting, but is too far from my stompin' grounds.

[ajb05854]

I grew up eating lots of kraut fermented in 50 gallon crocks. Bubbies is the closest I've seen to homemade.

[GutGrease]

I do find that the bagged kraut available all Cub/Rainbow is better than the canned variety.

[Brad Ballinger]

Attempting to keep this thread on this board and not something like home cooking...

The sauerkraut for sale at Heartland's market is, in a word, fantastic. It's not going to have as much vinegar "kick" as sometihng purchased from a can or refrigerated bag, but it will have more depth and complexity of flavor.

[steve_in_stpaul]

I'm not generally a fan of canned sauerkraut; it doesn't taste as fresh (?) to me. The plastic-bagged variety is readily available at most grocery stores (usually sold in the meat department). An alternative that I really like (though it is not inexpensive) is the jarred sauerkraut from Angelica's Garden. I can buy it at my coop, Mississippi Market.

[splatgirl]

Are you talking about authentic, lacto fermented sauerkraut, or the canned kind?
If you can make it yourself, do so (cabbage, salt a vessel and time). The length of time it is allowed to ferment determines it's potency.
As far as canned goes, I like the kind with the green label--"Kraut"--name is escaping me--but find that there's really nothing like real, old fashioned sauerkraut made as above.
Reuben soup sounds interesting--maybe you could add more acid or something to pump up the sauerkrautish flavor element?
I have a reuben dip recipe that is awesome. It's just your typical reuben ingredients mixed up and melty in a crock pot, typically eaten on cocktail rye or crackers, but you could figure out a non-wheat vehicle I'm sure. (Do ak-mak crackers contain wheat?)