Mushroom Soup (sour)

Soak sauerkraut in warm water keeping most of the juice in the plastic bag. Set aside.

Soak mushrooms in salted lukewarm water to clean for 20 mins. Then rinse, trim away and discard only the very ends of the stems (leaving the stems attached to the top of mushroom), slice mushrooms into 1/4 pieces and rinse again.

Put sliced mushrooms in large pot, add 3 quarts (= 12 cups) of water, add pepper, cook and let it come to a boil. Mushrooms will greatly reduce in size. Leave simmering while preparing other ingredients.

Sauté chopped onion in butter until onion is light brown (be careful not to burn). When this is done add the flour, stir, and when flour is dissolved add this to the cooked mushrooms.

Take soaked sauerkraut, squeeze it as you remove it from the juices (save this juice), and cut it up into smaller eatable pieces. Then add cut sauerkraut and the saved juice to the cooked mushrooms. Add salt to taste.

Boil soup (low boil) for about 15 min., taste, if not sour enough add the juices from plastic bag, and add salt if needed. If still not sour enough add about 1 tablespoon of white vinegar. Simmer a little longer and taste test again.

Cook egg drops as directed on package, making sure the egg drops are tender and fully cooked. (This seems to take longer than ordinary noodles. Taste test for tenderness.) When done rinse in cold water in a colander or strainer, let drain.

Now you sit down and eat your homemade culinary efforts. Place the egg drops into a bowl and your wonderful sour mushroom soup.