If it's floating on the brine, place another plate on top of the first to create more weight. It's ready when it tastes like sauerkraut. Makes 5 cups. Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil and drop in the potatoes and boil for about 25 minutes, adding the apples after ten minutes. Drain the potatoes and apples and then mash or whisk them together with the sugar, salt, pepper, and diced butter until smooth.
Arrange sausage slices on top of mashed potato and apple combination and serve with black bread.
Remove the sausages and cut them into 2 inch slices. Stir the tomatoes into the skillet, scraping the bottom to mix well. Mix well, bring to a boil over high heat, and then reduce heat to low. Simmer, uncovered, for twenty minutes. After simmering, remove the onion and bay leaf and discard.