Sauerkraut tamper wood

karlthev · 15th November 2009, 12:08 AM

I did get a thread/post reference "chart" when I started this thread but I don't think this one was addressed...but I could be wrong, new kid on the block ya know...

I make sauerkraut---cut cabagge, mix with salt, tamp into a crock and wait until it ferments. The problem is that the "tamper" has always been my right hand fist believe it or not! Well, after a crock or two of tamping the kraut down, I'm a bit bruised! Anyone have any ideas for a good wood (and source) that won't react with the cabbage juice or the salt that I can make a tamper out of?

Karl

olyman · 16th November 2009, 02:50 PM

i believe most of them were made of some type of hard maple--like butcher blocks--

LeifR · 17th November 2009, 05:08 AM

Accoording to Nordic traditions, birch is a good material for kitchen tools. But I agree, maple may be good, another one is beech. But they are both hard and may be difficult to form. Besides, really hard wood is more prone to crack when it is soaked, dries, soaked, dries....

karlthev · 17th November 2009, 10:24 AM

Great thoughts, thanks. My father passed on without ever saying anything about the tamper wood material. I never thought too much about it to tell you the truth.

Karl

Bruce Hopf · 18th November 2009, 03:56 PM

Another wood that was used in rolling pins was Cherry. There is a special varnish for using with food items, that is applied to the wood once you have made your rolling pin, or tamper.
I might have that varnish here, so I'll have a look and see if I can find the bottle it is in, and let you know what it is.
With wood lathe, you would be able to turn out a tamper, or rolling pin. Bruce.

LeifR · 18th November 2009, 07:17 PM

Bruce.
That's interesting. Is the varnish self made or bought?
For rolling pins I have used bee wax and boiled into the wood with a hot air gun. Though, wood and water is often a bad idea. I recommend my rolling pin customers to avoid water in the cleaning. A wegetable brush is fine. Tampers is another matter, of course.
Leif.

Bruce Hopf · 19th November 2009, 12:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LeifR

Bruce.
That's interesting. Is the varnish self made or bought?
For rolling pins I have used bee wax and boiled into the wood with a hot air gun. Though, wood and water is often a bad idea. I recommend my rolling pin customers to avoid water in the cleaning. A wegetable brush is fine. Tampers is another matter, of course.
Leif.

Hi Leif.
Dad had this stuff in his wood working shop in the basement of our house. It is like a paste that you buy, that is specially made for wood items used for food, such as a rolling pin. I'll look around and see if I can find it, and let you know the name of it. Bruce.

Bruce Hopf · 19th December 2009, 03:48 PM

I've looked around Dad's wood working shop, here in the basement, and I couldn't find the bottle that the stuff was in, for treating rolling pins, and such.
I'll be going to a hardware store, and I'll see if I can find it, and let you guys know what it is called. I did a rolling pin about 7 years ago, and I used it then. I could have used the last bit that Dad had here, and that is probably why I can't find it. Bruce.

15th November 2009, 12:08 AM	#1
karlthev Sappling Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 6	Sauerkraut tamper wood I did get a thread/post reference "chart" when I started this thread but I don't think this one was addressed...but I could be wrong, new kid on the block ya know... I make sauerkraut---cut cabagge, mix with salt, tamp into a crock and wait until it ferments. The problem is that the "tamper" has always been my right hand fist believe it or not! Well, after a crock or two of tamping the kraut down, I'm a bit bruised! Anyone have any ideas for a good wood (and source) that won't react with the cabbage juice or the salt that I can make a tamper out of? Karl

16th November 2009, 02:50 PM	#2
olyman Semi-mature vigorous tree Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: iowa--usa Posts: 125	Re: Sauerkraut tamper wood i believe most of them were made of some type of hard maple--like butcher blocks--

17th November 2009, 05:08 AM	#3
LeifR Mature tree Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Norway Posts: 285	Re: Sauerkraut tamper wood Accoording to Nordic traditions, birch is a good material for kitchen tools. But I agree, maple may be good, another one is beech. But they are both hard and may be difficult to form. Besides, really hard wood is more prone to crack when it is soaked, dries, soaked, dries.... __________________ My place - Bjørndalen. http://www.youtube.com/user/MultiVoff

17th November 2009, 10:24 AM	#4
karlthev Sappling Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 6	Re: Sauerkraut tamper wood Great thoughts, thanks. My father passed on without ever saying anything about the tamper wood material. I never thought too much about it to tell you the truth. Karl

18th November 2009, 03:56 PM	#5
Bruce Hopf Veteran Heritage Status Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: North of Sebringville, Ontario, Canada Posts: 1,176	Re: Sauerkraut tamper wood Another wood that was used in rolling pins was Cherry. There is a special varnish for using with food items, that is applied to the wood once you have made your rolling pin, or tamper. I might have that varnish here, so I'll have a look and see if I can find the bottle it is in, and let you know what it is. With wood lathe, you would be able to turn out a tamper, or rolling pin. Bruce. __________________ McCulloch chain saws 1- Pro Mac 60, 1- Pro Mac 700, 2- Mac 10-10 Automatic's, 2- Mini Mac 30's, 2- Mac 110's, 2- Mini Mac 35's, 1- Mac 140 with Automatic Chain Sharpener, 1- Pro Mac 10-10, 1- Mac Cat, 2- Eager Beaver 2.0's, 1- Mac 1-10 Stihl chain saws 2- 044's, 2- 034's, 2- 024's, 1- 064, 1- 084, Strunk chain saws 1- Busy Beaver, 1- SpeeDemon Special Stand Back, I Have A Very Extreme Case of CAD (Chain Saw Addiction Disorder).

18th November 2009, 07:17 PM	#6
LeifR Mature tree Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Norway Posts: 285	Re: Sauerkraut tamper wood Bruce. That's interesting. Is the varnish self made or bought? For rolling pins I have used bee wax and boiled into the wood with a hot air gun. Though, wood and water is often a bad idea. I recommend my rolling pin customers to avoid water in the cleaning. A wegetable brush is fine. Tampers is another matter, of course. Leif. __________________ My place - Bjørndalen. http://www.youtube.com/user/MultiVoff

19th December 2009, 03:48 PM	#8
Bruce Hopf Veteran Heritage Status Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: North of Sebringville, Ontario, Canada Posts: 1,176	Re: Sauerkraut tamper wood I've looked around Dad's wood working shop, here in the basement, and I couldn't find the bottle that the stuff was in, for treating rolling pins, and such. I'll be going to a hardware store, and I'll see if I can find it, and let you guys know what it is called. I did a rolling pin about 7 years ago, and I used it then. I could have used the last bit that Dad had here, and that is probably why I can't find it. Bruce. __________________ McCulloch chain saws 1- Pro Mac 60, 1- Pro Mac 700, 2- Mac 10-10 Automatic's, 2- Mini Mac 30's, 2- Mac 110's, 2- Mini Mac 35's, 1- Mac 140 with Automatic Chain Sharpener, 1- Pro Mac 10-10, 1- Mac Cat, 2- Eager Beaver 2.0's, 1- Mac 1-10 Stihl chain saws 2- 044's, 2- 034's, 2- 024's, 1- 064, 1- 084, Strunk chain saws 1- Busy Beaver, 1- SpeeDemon Special Stand Back, I Have A Very Extreme Case of CAD (Chain Saw Addiction Disorder).

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