Crispy Sauerkraut - Sauerkraut Recipe With Photo

2024 Author: Bailey Albertson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 12:53

Kvasim crispy, tasty and aromatic cabbage! Secrets and Tips. Photo recipe

This primordially Russian product, as many are accustomed to believe, in fact, according to one version, came to us from Ancient China. According to one of them, since it is no longer possible to establish for certain the true place of its origin. It is believed that the Mongols took it out of China. This happened in the 13th century during the conquest of the Chinese states by the Mongols. Later, sauerkraut spread to many European countries.

It was appreciated not only for its taste, but also for its rich content of vitamins and microelements. Even in ancient times, seafarers used it to prevent scurvy ("scurvy" - a disease caused by an acute lack of vitamin C (ascorbic acid), which leads to a loss of strength of connective tissues). Since the diet of sailors on long sea expeditions was very scarce in terms of the content of vitamins, it served as a worthy replacement for many vegetables and fruits and was practically the only source of vitamin C.

Content

• 1 Sauerkraut is a storehouse of vitamins and microelements!
• 2 Choosing the right white cabbage for pickling
• 3 Tips and Secrets of Sauerkraut
• 4 Sauerkraut recipe with step by step photos

Sauerkraut is a storehouse of vitamins and microelements

Not every vegetable can boast of this. See for yourself:

Vitamins per 100g of product:

C - ascorbic acid (38.1 mg). B vitamins: B1 - thiamine (0.05 mg), B2 - riboflavin (0.1 mg), B3 - nicotinic acid, B4 - choline, B6 - pyridoxine (0.1 mg), A - retinol (0.6 mg), K - (responsible for blood coagulation, wound healing agent), U - methylmethianine (antiulcer agent).

Trace elements and organic acids: calcium 54 mg; magnesium 16.3 mg; sodium 21.8 mg; potassium 283.4 mg; phosphorus 29.8 mg, iron, sulfur, zinc, copper, boron, silicon, iodine, selenium, phytoncides, enzymes, lactic and acetic acids, tartronic acid - slows down the processing of carbohydrates into subcutaneous fat.

In addition, low-calorie sauerkraut is only 25 kcal per 100 g of product. Proteins 1.6 g, fats 0.1 g, carbohydrates 5.2 g. For those who want to lose a couple of kilograms, you must definitely include it in the diet.

Sauerkraut can rightfully be considered the queen of the table. Using it, how many mouth-watering, tasty and satisfying dishes can be prepared. These are not only everyday cabbage soup, vinaigrette, fried potatoes with sauerkraut, but also holiday pies. It goes very well with oven baked potatoes with bacon. And of course it is better than it in its pure form, seasoned with onions and vegetable oil, you cannot imagine. I don’t know how a kebab with brandy, but pickled pelusta, and under the "white", but at the festive table - it could not be better! By the way, you can read my previous article "How to Grow Onions".

But, despite all its benefits and excellent taste, this salted vegetable is not desirable in large quantities for people with diseases of the kidneys, liver, thyroid gland, with high acidity, with peptic ulcer and hypertension. Be careful and know your measure.

Choosing the right white cabbage for pickling

Very well, we figured out the history, we were convinced of the presence of vitamins and even almost laid the festive table. Where is the hero of the occasion? But now we will choose it. Yes, such that you will lick your fingers later!

For fermentation, it is recommended to use late and medium late varieties. These include: Biryuchekutskaya 138, Zavodskaya, Volgogradskaya 45, Yuzhanka 31, Zimovka 1474, Zimnyaya Gribovskaya13, Gift 4, Belorusskaya 455, Kolobok, Slava. Moscow winter, etc.

But, I think, hardly any of the sellers on the market will answer you what variety he is selling. To see such information on the price tag in the store is generally not realistic. Therefore, we will be realistic and will choose according to the following criteria:

- Take the head of cabbage in your hands and squeeze it, it should be tight. If it seemed that it was soft, deformed, it is better not to buy this. He was not ripe.

- There should be no cracks or putrefactive spots.

- The smell is only fresh cabbage.

- The length of the cabbage stump is at least 2 centimeters and its cut is white. If it is brown, the vegetable is already lying down. It is also better not to take this one.

- If you buy cabbage from the market, green leaves are desirable. If they are not there, perhaps she is frozen and they were simply cut off.

- The weight of the fork is at least 1 kg., And it is better to choose 3-5 kilograms, so that there is less waste and more product yield.

The head shape should be slightly flattened on top. This is a feature of some late varieties. But if this is not the case, do not worry. I think that even without this sign, you will choose an excellent forks for fermentation.

Tips and secrets of pickling cabbage

Here I want to briefly outline the tips that I have encountered related to the process of fermenting this vegetable:

1. Under no circumstances should you use aluminum or iron containers for these purposes. Only glass, wood, clay, food grade plastic or enameled without chips.
2. The fermentation process occurs with a certain lactic acid bacterium, in order to avoid the ingress of other bacteria, due to which the vegetable will not ferment correctly, it is better to ventilate the room before starting the process.
3. Do not use iodized salt, the cabbage will be soft and tasteless.
4. It is better not to wash the forks, but only to remove the top leaves.
5. Take coarse or medium-sized salt, do not use fine salt.
6. The inside of the container can be greased with alcohol, vodka, vinegar, honey or vegetable oil. For added protection against unwanted bacteria.
7. It is recommended to ferment on a new moon or a growing moon. At full moon and waning phases, it turns out tasteless and "snotty".
8. Do not crush it very much with salt. It is enough to make a few crushing movements in order to mix all the ingredients. But it should be tamped into a container tightly so that the juice covers the entire surface.
9. If you want to keep as much vitamins as possible, don't chop too finely. The larger the healthier.
10. Do not store cabbage in the cold. After freezing, it will become soft and lose its crunch.
11. Pierce the bottom with a wooden stick daily. This is how the accumulated gases are released. By neglecting this seemingly trifle, you risk getting a bitter taste.
12. Skim off any foam formed on the surface daily.
13. Do not store the cabbage warm after the fermentation process is over, usually 3-5 days. Otherwise, it will become soft and lose its crunch.
14. The optimum storage temperature is from -1 to +2 0С.

Sauerkraut recipe with step by step photos

Sauerkraut recipe is rather classic, because apart from cabbage, carrots, salt and sugar nothing else is used. Although, of course, there are a great many options for pickling: with pepper and bay leaves, apples, cranberries, crusts of black bread, honey, and I'm not talking about the use of spicy herbs.

My pickling option is perfect for urban conditions, because We will do this in a three-liter jar and store it in the refrigerator. I use sugar for a softer taste and speed up the fermentation process. So:

Step 1. Preparatory

We will need:

- a three-liter jar (pre-wash it, dry it), you can process it as in paragraph 5 of the previous section;

- a fork weighing 3.5 - 4 kilograms, after removing the top sheets from it;

-carrot, pieces 5-7;

-salt;

-sugar;

-knife;

- vegetable cutter.

Step 2. Shred the components

We cut the forks into 4 parts. From one quarter we cut off several pelusts (from the Ukrainian "petal") of a rectangular or triangular shape, which we then ferment together with cabbage. Shred all the ingredients in a vegetable cutter or with a knife. Chop the cabbage so that the stump remains intact. You can cut it out beforehand.

Here we have such a beautiful slide. Pieces of whole cabbage - these are the same pelus.

Step 3. Mix the ingredients

Mix the chopped cabbage and carrots and knead with sugar and salt with your hands. For the volume of cabbage 4 kg. salt - 4 tbsp. spoons, sugar - 4 tbsp. spoon, all without a slide. Those. is obtained per 1 kg. cabbage 1 tablespoon of salt and 1 tablespoon of sugar, without a slide. We knead everything well so that the juice appears. It should taste a little too salty.

Step 4. We fill in the jar

We put a little chopped mixture on the bottom of the can, tamp it well with a fist (if the hand reaches) or with a rolling pin. We put the pelust, fill it with a mixture and tamp it again. We do this until we fill the jar.

At the end of the process, the juice should cover the top of all the cabbage. It is advisable to fill the jar to the shoulders or slightly higher, but not to the very top. As during fermentation our mixture rises, and if you put a full jar, it will overflow the jar, and the juice will pour out. This method of fermentation is convenient in that no oppression is required. Due to the dense tamping and rather narrow containers (all this is not a barrel or a basin), the cabbage holds itself up.

In this form, we put the jar on a plate, suddenly do not follow the juice and it will run away a little, then at least not on the table, and leave it warm for 3 days. Attention! Do not cover with a lid! Every day, be sure to pierce the cabbage to the bottom, preferably with a wooden stick. This will allow gases generated during fermentation to escape. If this is not done, the cabbage can turn bitter. Remove excess foam daily.

After 3 days, if the fermentation process is still actively continuing, leave the jar warm for another day or two. Then cover with a plastic lid and refrigerate. After 5-10 days everything will be finally ready, but after 5 days, when fermentation ends, it is already very tasty. Here's a very simple sauerkraut recipe.

Bon Appetit! Be healthy and take care of yourself

Yours faithfully,