How to Can with Frozen Tomatoes

Hi all!

I’m back with another vlog! I wanted to make a vlog about how I can tomatoes. Since I had tomatoes in my freezer that needed to be preserved for easier use I thought it would be a good time for a video!

Enjoy!

Beer Brats & Kraut

One of my most favorite – favorite – winter dishes (ok, I’ll eat it no matter the season!) is Beer Brats & Kraut.  I was first introduced to this method of cooking brats and kraut by my college boyfriend who was the stereotypical Johnny America.  Tall, blond hair, blue eyes, and from small town USA; Keokuk, Iowa to be exact.  I was never a big fan of bratwursts until he made them for me this way.  Apparently, this is the main way they make bratwursts in Keokuk, Iowa (he also taught me how to eat steak but that’s another story for another day.  Apparently my whole life, up until I met him, I was eating steak the wrong way and was he ever right.  Those Iowa boys know two things very well:  corn and beef!)

It’s very easy to make this dish.  It’s basically a one pot meal.  First you want to poke holes in your brats all over with a fork.  Then, in a large pan, dump in your can of sauerkraut, a bottle/can (12oz) of beer, and nestle your brats on top of the kraut.  Cover and simmer, low and slow, anywhere between 30 – 40 minutes.  After they have simmered, you want to place the brats under your broiler – or grill them up.  The brats are already cooked so all you want to do is brown them up.  While the brats are browning, turn the heat on the beer & kraut on high and let the beer boil out; this makes the kraut super flavorful.

You don’t need much for a yummy meal:  beer, brats, & kraut.

To assemble your meal, slather toasted bread (in this case beer bread) with your most yummiest mustard, top with a wonderful layer of kraut, and top that with your brat!  Enjoy!

Beer bread, beer kraut, and beer brats.  Did I mention beer?

Beer Brats & Kraut

1 pint of sauerkraut
1 bottle/can (12oz) of beer
1 package of bratwursts
mustard
bread

  1. Poke bratwursts all over with a fork
  2. In a large pan with sides, dump in the sauerkraut, beer, and nestle the bratwursts in the sauerkraut.  Cover and simmer for 30-40 minutes.
  3. Once brats are done simmering, remove from the pan and brown under a broiler or grill (or even pan fry). 
  4. While brats are browning, turn heat on the sauerkraut and beer on high and boil until the beer has evaporated.
  5. Toast bread, slather with mustard, top with beer kraut, and top that with brats.
  6. Enjoy!