Frank's Kraut

Cooking with Frank's Kraut (not dated, 40 pp) is a small recipe booklet that was prepared by the National Kraut Packers Association and used to promote commercially processed sauerkraut to home cooks. Although the booklet isn't dated, it appears to have been published sometime during the late 1940s or early 1950s. This clue comes from looking at the clothing worn by the Test Kitchen Home Economists shown in the black and white photo inside the front of the booklet.

The rear of the booklet has printed on it:

Compliments of
The Frank Pure Food Company
Franksville, Wis.

The rear cover also says "Insist on Frank's Fancy Quality" and shows a green and white illustration of a can of Frank's Fancy Quality Kraut.

The front and rear covers are the only place that mention the Frank's brand. Inside, only generic kraut is called for in the recipe ingredients.

Although the booklet contains several pages of information on the history, nutritional value, modern manufacturing methods and the use of kraut in reducing diets, it does not give any insight about the history of the Frank's brand.

The little cookbook contains 56 different recipes that use canned sauerkraut. The recipes are divided into the following categories:

Kraut with Meats
Kraut and Frankfurters
Kraut with Pork and Apples
Kraut with Vegetables
Kraut Soups and Appetizers
Kraut Salads
Kraut in the Low Calorie Diet

There are several black and white photographs of some of the finished recipes that illustrate the book. The Frank's Kraut brand is still sold today by the Fremont Company.

Here's a recipe from the booklet that came from the Reducing Diet Section:

KRAUT SOUP

(Makes 8 Servings)

2 cups cubed, uncooked lean ham (1 pound)
1 medium-sized onion, chopped
1 No. 2 can kraut
2 tomatoes, peeled and quartered
2 quarts hot chicken broth
Chopped parsley

Brown ham; add onion and kraut and cook until lightly browned. In a large kettle, combine kraut mixture, tomatoes and chicken broth; cook over low heat 1 hour. Garnish with chopped parsley before serving.

Calories per serving - 230.12
Protein per serving - 11.97