Geoffrey Schmidt cites his restaurant's sweet kraut as a customer favorite. Even those who wouldn't consider themselves sauerkraut enthusiasts are pleasantly surprised by the cabbage dish. “When we were young, my brother hated sauerkraut when he had to eat a little bit on New Year’s Day for good luck,” Schmidt recalls. “Now he loves our sweet kraut.”

German Sweet Kraut | Makes 1/12 quarts
Recipe courtesy of Schmidt’s Sausage Haus und Restaurant

INGREDIENTS
2, 20-ounce cans of sauerkraut
1/2 cup salad oil
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1 1/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 cup diced celery
1 cup diced onions
1/2 cup diced green peppers

DIRECTIONS
Open sauerkraut cans and empty into a colander to drain. Put salad oil, vinegar and sugar into a mixing bowl and mix until well blended. (Use medium setting on electric mixer or blend by hand using wire whip.)

Add diced vegetables to oil and vinegar mix. If using an electric mixer, whip on low setting for 1 minute and then medium setting for 10 minutes. If mixing by hand, whip until liquid portion gets a green tint.

Place drained sauerkraut in large mixing bowl. Pour vegetable and oil mixture over kraut and mix well by hand, breaking kraut up really well. Refrigerate and serve cold.