Sauerkraut wrap-up

I finally ate some of the second batch of sauerkraut. It's very different from the canned stuff. It's got some mint green in it, instead of being all white. It's not as crisp as the canned stuff, probably because I really pounded this batch pretty good. The flavor is quite different--not nearly as acidic (though it's still pretty sharp), but it has a much more cabbagey flavor. It actually tastes like pickled cabbage instead of the overwhelming acidity of canned kraut. It also didn't make me sick, which is a real bonus to any food product.

I paired it with some nice german-type foods--roasted pork loin with a roasted apple / mustard sauce, and a side of roasted potatoes and carrots. The sauce is much better than it sounds--the sweetness of the apples and the sharpness of the mustard balance nicely, so neither is overwhelming. The kraut mixes nicely with those strong flavors. I also included a German-style beverage, but I choose poorly there. It was a pumpkin spice ale, which is pleasant on its own (it's got a touch nutmeg or somesuch, and it does taste kind of like pumpkin pie. It's really good). However, it's not all that strongly-flavored, and it doesn't hold up well to the kraut, mustard, apples, and pork. It just tastes like water next to the germanic flavors; I guess I need to find a nice dopplebock to go with it.