Here is my version of the sauerkraut we serve with our Thankgiving dinner here in good old Baltimore.

2 bags of sauerkraut...yes, bags, you buy them in the refrigerated section
1 small package of boneless ribs
1/2 cup chopped onion
4 apples skinned and cut up
1 cup water
2 cups white wine
2 Tablespoons caraway seeds
2 Tablespoons brown sugar

Mix in large pot and simmer from morning until the turkey bird is ready. When the sauerkraut is finished cooking the apples should be very soft and mushy, and the pork should be broken into teeny pieces.

This may not sound too great if you aren't from Baltimore, but it is such a tradition in B-town that whenever I smell sauerkraut I can't help but think of Thanksgiving day...HON! To those women in Wisconsin...you know you are dying to have this recipe...HA!

Thank you, thank you, I just may try it this Thanksgiving.

I never knew how much of a Baltimore "thang" this was until I grew up. We had sauerkraut (of course, my father's side is German and Dutch, so we had that and sour beef and knockwurst, etc. all the time, anyway!)every hoiday (Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter, etc.) with turkey or pork. I don't doctor it up so much--just add some meat (pork ribs for Easter, turkey necks and wings for the turkey days) and cook for a LONG time. We like it as sour as we can get it, so apples and wine would make it kind of sweet. My Polish relatives add caraway and rye seed instead of anything else, and onion. Wow--can;t wait until next week, even though I won;t be able to eat much!! I have learned about quality instead of quantity!!

i will never forget the first thanksgivng i shared with my husband's family in north carolina way south of the mason dixon line. (you know the rebels believe the line is above pennsylvania!) i was termed that day the damned yankee of the family for sure when i walked through the door with the saurkraut as my "offering" for thanksgiving. i never realised how truly northern a thing it is for saurkraut at thanksgiving until that very day!!!

My favorite stories about the holidays (and we have the same exact menu for Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter, except Easter is fresh ham and not turkey) revolve around the differences in the different areas and sometimes families. My family has always had the meat, dressing, gravy, mashed potatoes, candied sweet potatoes, sauerkraut, Waldorf salad, butter beans, cranberry sauce (the gelled kind) and rolls, with pumpkin pie and homemade whipped cream for dessert. When I was newly married, I went to my very first holiday dinner at my new MIL's house and she served: turkey, baked potatoes, peas, salad and chocolate cake and ice cream. I was mortified! Them when my brother got married and was living with his first wife in California, he called on Thanksgiving and told us that he was sitting down to his T-Day dinner of chicken enchiladas! We were just totally amazed!!! Anyway, this Thursday we will all be having our regular T-Day dinner except for the cranberry jelly--I will be making the Knockout!!

I too am making the KNOCKOUT! Got the ingredients yesterday. Will let you know how it turns out...and thanks for sharing. I had planned to make your mom's health salad, or fruit salad...whatever it was called, but this sounds perfect for Thanksgiving!

This is for Lynn. As you can see from the dates of this post, it's from last year.

I made the knock-out last year and am making it again this year. It was a hit!

Lynn, hope you like this crazy Baltimore recipe...and don't anyone laugh about the fact that we eat sauerkraut with our turkey.

sounds yummy to me Dots...now what about this health salad you are making. Can you share that one with us?

sounds yummy to me Dots...now what about this health salad you are making. Can you share that one with us?

Our house smells like Thanksgiving. Sauerkraut makes that easy!

Turkey's in the oven.

How 'bout y'all?

JJ, the healthy salad must be the cranberry knock-out. That recipe is also in this forum. Simple and delish!