In 2019, as in any other year, it is worth preparing more sauerkraut. Each housewife has her own secrets for preparing it, but the vegetable should be fermented on certain days, which are indicated in the lunar calendar.
Basic rules for pickling
What rules will you have to follow when preparing cabbage? There are several of them, and All of them are required:
- It is better to take late varieties of cabbage.
- The heads of cabbage should be dense.
- The stalks must be cut out.
- Chop the vegetable into very thin strips.
- It is fermented only on the waxing moon.
- To make the cabbage crispy, horseradish leaves are added to it.
- If you don't like table vinegar, you can replace it with apple cider vinegar, aspirin, or lemon juice.
- As for the amount of salt required, everything is very simple - compact the chopped vegetable in a jar and apply salt over its entire area, this will be enough.
- Do not use iodized salt, otherwise the cabbage will not taste good.
These rules will help you properly prepare vegetables for the winter.
When to salt cabbage in 2019
Some housewives wonder why they can’t make a tasty dish. It's simple - they salt the cabbage at the wrong time. And if properly salted, the vegetable will not only be tasty, but will also be stored for a long time - up to 7 months.
The most unfavorable period for pickling is the full moon. If you work with cabbage at this time, it will turn out tasteless, soft, and quickly spoil. During the full moon, you should not preserve other foods, with the exception of beets. You should not ferment anything even when the Moon is in Cancer, Pisces and Virgo.
Sauerkraut according to the lunar calendar (video)
The best option is to harvest vegetables on the waning moon, preferably on the 3rd or 6th day after the new moon. It will be great if you ferment cabbage during the waxing moon in Aries, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Taurus or Leo. This way the product will be crispy and will be stored for a long time. Important! You should also take the vegetable to the table in the indicated signs!
There is an opinion that cabbage should be harvested only 10 days after the first frost. This mainly happens in October or November. This remark is due to the fact that during these periods the acid turns into sugar, so the cabbage turns out very tasty.
One more thing, if you ferment vegetables in tubs, do not open them often, otherwise the preparation will dry out. If we talk about the days of the week, the best days to do work are: Thursday, Tuesday and Monday.
Delicious sauerkraut recipe
Before you start preparing vegetables, you need to put in order the container in which it will actually be stored. To begin with, the barrel, if you have chosen it, needs to be washed thoroughly using a brush and laundry soap, then filled with clean water for several days. It is necessary to take into account that it will not be possible to wash out all the crap at once; it will settle in the water, so dirty water must be changed.
After the preliminary manipulations have been completed, you can begin preparing the “decoction” - water with the addition of fragrant herbs - in order to then pour it into the barrel. It is recommended to cover the container with a canvas cloth, and to cook the cabbage, leave it for 12 hours.
So, let's look at the recipe for pickling vegetables. For everything to work out perfectly, you should:
- Take a special cleaver for shredding cabbage and chop it.
- Place in a clean container, for example a basin, and add a generous handful of salt (coarse salt will do) and the same amount of granulated sugar.
- Now you can start adding supplements. Add what you like: carrots, onions, cranberries or aromatic herbs.
- Then you need to thoroughly rub everything with your bare hands, mash it, slightly squeezing out the juice.
- If you do not want to get orange cabbage, you should cut the carrots by hand.
- The entire resulting mixture remains to be sent to the barrel and lightly compacted.
In order for the cabbage to “breathe”, i.e. To prevent air from accumulating and causing it to ferment, you need to make several holes in the workpiece along the entire length of the barrel. Readiness is verified experimentally.
Lunar calendar for sauerkraut in 2019: favorable and unfavorable days
According to the lunar calendar, cabbage preparations should be made on certain days. This is the only way it will turn out crispy, with a pronounced pleasant aroma. Let's consider which periods are the most favorable and unfavorable for carrying out work.
| Month of the year | Favorable days | Unfavorable days |
| January | from 3.01-7.01, from 18.01-26.01, 28.01, 30.01, 31.01 | from 10.01-14.01 |
| February | from 1.02-06.02, from 14.02-20.02, from 24.02-28.02 | from 9.02 -13.02 |
| March | 1.03, 3.03, 05.03, 07.03, from 16.03 - 24.03, 26.03, from 28.03 - 30.03 | from 9.03-13.03 |
| April | from 01.04-4.04, from 15.04.-30.04 | 5.04, 06.04, 10.04- 12.04 |
| September | from 09.09 - 10.09, from 21.09 - 23.09, from 28.09 - 30.09 | from 5.09 - 07.09, from 18.09 - 20.09 |
| October | from 08.10 - 12.10, from 18.10 - 22.10, 22.10, 24.10, 25.10 | from 3.10 - 7.10, from 16.10 - 17.10, 30.10 - 31.10 |
| November | 8.11, from 14.11 - 15.11, from 17.11 - 20.11, 22.11, 24.11, 25.11 | from 3.11 - 5.11, from 12.11 - 13.11, from 27.11 - 28.11 |
| December | 12.12, 14.12, 17.12, from 19.12 - 22.12, 24.12, from 26.12 - 27.12, 29.12 | from 2.12 - 3.12,4.12, from 7.12 - 8.12 |
We ferment cabbage only according to the lunar calendar, and it turns out surprisingly tasty! You can do this too.
How and when to ferment cabbage (video)
What Russian person doesn't have a passion for sauerkraut? There are probably no such people. This is the first autumn-winter dish that goes well with potatoes cooked in any form, porridge and meat dishes. There is no need to talk about the benefits of this pickled vegetable. Everyone knows about this. Well, if someone is not aware, then we will help fill this gap in knowledge. We’ll also talk about when is the best time to salt cabbage and what time of year is suitable for this process.
Useful microelements
Firstly, this delicacy is an excellent source of vitamin C, which is considered an invaluable ingredient that helps maintain immunity during the winter. Fermentations also contain vitamins K and several that belong to group B. Among them are B1 - B3, B6, B12. These elements have wound-healing, general strengthening and other properties incredibly important for the nervous system. This product also contains the following minerals: iron, boron, potassium, silicon, copper and others.
So when do you add salt?
Many housewives and owners ask a difficult question: “When to salt There are several points of view on this matter. Supporters of the first argue that this can be done throughout the winter. But it will be better, of course, if you take up such an important event after the first night frosts, i.e. That is, in late autumn. Thus, late cabbage, caught by frost, will lose its characteristic bitterness. Then storing such a dish is much easier.
The second version about when to salt cabbage says that such preparations should be done according to the lunar calendar. On the fifth or sixth day after the new moon, the pickled vegetable turns out to be the most delicious and crunchy. It will be the same if you cook it during the New Moon period and it will provoke peroxidation and softening of the cabbage.
But there is another little secret about when it is better to salt cabbage. It is best to prepare this much-loved snack during the so-called weeks (Wednesday and Friday), from the beginning of October and always during the waxing moon. At this time, the celestial body promotes the reproduction, life and growth of bacteria necessary for leavening. The waning moon suppresses such processes. Men are recommended to ferment the product on any of the “men’s” days.
Note! If a girl decides to start making pickles during her critical days, she doesn’t have to wait for tasty cabbage. In any case, that’s what our grandmothers thought, but it’s still worth listening to folk wisdom. Therefore, it is better to abandon this idea and wait a little.
Dishes, salt, cabbage
When to salt cabbage for the winter - we figured it out. Now we have to figure out exactly what vegetables, utensils and salt should be so that the finished dish turns out tasty, crispy and healthy.
So, choose cabbage. It is preferable to choose forks of mid-late or late varieties. “Slava” is popular among gourmets. Late fruits are easy to recognize due to their dense and tight heads. They seem to be stuffed with something. Never purchase early varieties of vegetables for pickling. Such heads of cabbage are loose and have a green tint. The fermented delicacy will turn out to have the same, not entirely pleasant, and not appetizing color.
The most universal containers for fermentation are tubs and barrels made of wood. When you need to salt cabbage, it is best to give preference to just such containers. By the way, our grandmothers, great-grandmothers and great-great-grandmothers always prepared winter snacks. If you managed to get hold of such a rarity, then you are incredibly lucky. If not, then an enamel bucket or jar will do. The only thing you need to do is check the utensils for chips. Plastic food trays can also come in handy. The only thing you should avoid is aluminum containers. In such shards, cabbage will acquire a metallic taste and a gray tint.
When choosing a seasoning for pickling heads of cabbage, pay attention to coarse rock salt. It is the best among other types. in this case it is not suitable. Although it is healthy, it will make the cabbage soft.
What else could I add?
Each housewife uses her own proven recipe for sauerkraut. And she adds her own favorite ingredients. But we will still tell you what you can add to the snack. We’ve more or less figured out when to salt cabbage. Now let’s try to clarify which ingredients are suitable for preparing the original dish. Naturally, these are the heads of cabbage themselves, and, of course, salt. But you will also need carrots. So, for ten kilograms of cabbage you will need 300 grams of carrots and 200 grams of salt. Such proportions have already been checked and rechecked several thousand times. And if you are a novice housewife about to ferment cabbage for the first time, then this calculation should be taken as a basis.
But these are the main components. In addition to them, you can put apples in the pickle - whole or cut into large pieces. Antonovka is an ideal option for this. Cabbage fermented together with strong plums, sweet peppers, lingonberries, celery root or cranberries will turn out delicious. To make the dish aromatic, season it with cumin or dill seeds.
Cooking method
The moment has come when you can salt the cabbage: the date is just right, all the kitchen utensils are in place, and the food is also available. This means that everything is ready to begin the cooking process. Take the cabbage and cut it with a knife or shred it on a large special grater. If you need to do everything as quickly as possible, then the second device is best suited. If aesthetics are what matters, not speed, then take a knife. Cut the heads of cabbage into two parts, and then chop against the leaves from the center. Now we put the crushed product into the prepared large bowl.
Grate or chop carrots and other ingredients: apples, berries, etc. Mix everything and add salt. And now the most enjoyable part of the whole cooking process - you need to roll up your sleeves and mash the cabbage as if you were kneading dough. After this, put pressure on the future appetizer No. 1 and wait until it sours.
Sauerkraut as medicine
Many articles have been written about the beneficial and medicinal properties of this product. This salad plays the role of a kind of “nurse of the gastrointestinal tract”, because the acetic and lactic acids that are present in it suppress the growth of putrefactive bacteria. And people who are overweight simply must add this low-calorie delicacy to their diet, which helps burn fat. It has a lot of fiber. It binds carbohydrates, which promotes their rapid removal from the body.
Having figured out when to salt cabbage, I would like to know what other beneficial properties it has. Pickled white vegetables promote better digestion, regulate acid-base balance, and normalize cholesterol and blood sugar levels.
Carefully! Could be dangerous
There are a number of diseases for which consuming sauerkraut can be dangerous. Such ailments include: pathologies of the pancreas, kidney failure, hypertension and the formation of gallstones. The high level of acids of organic origin in this salad can provoke an exacerbation of all the diseases described above. Also, experts do not advise those who have problems with the thyroid gland to enjoy the traditional Russian delicacy.
Bon appetit!
The reader already knows how and when to salt cabbage correctly. I would also like to mention that this dish is incredibly popular in Ukraine, Germany and France. Therefore, it would probably be wrong to say that this is an original Russian dish. And it doesn’t really matter where it comes from. The main thing is that it is incredibly tasty and healthy. Therefore, eat for health and get vitamins, especially now, when it’s winter outside, and the body so needs the missing microelements.
It is believed that cabbage should be salted on the day of the waxing moon. The best time is on the fifth day from the New Moon. This is what astrologers advise. And experienced housewives can also show off their knowledge: women, shred cabbage on men’s days of the week: Monday, Tuesday or Thursday.
It has been verified that you don’t even need to touch the heads of cabbage when there is a full Moon in the sky. This is not a sign, but an everyday warning, if you like, an unconditional statement that has matured among the people over the centuries. And it’s not in the eyebrow, but in the eye. After all, your hands are always itching, you want to do it faster and have more time in your own way, but what if everything that others say is just empty words? Others don't succeed, but for me everything will work out as it should. Experiment, you will get malasha porridge, not crispy cabbage. The full moon is the worst day for pickling. White cabbage quickly softens, sours, and does not ferment. Let's remember: unlucky days on the waning moon.
We hear from astrologers about the position of the Moon, when Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aries and Taurus, and at the same time the growing Moon, we need to get to work. When the Earth's satellite is in Cancer, Virgo or Pisces, it is better to refrain from pickling and fermenting vegetables. Now we look at the schedule by month until the end of 2018.
In October, favorable days are 10 - 19. On the new moon, or rather on the fifth or sixth day after the new moon, you need to start the leaven.
There is an important detail. In October, a housewife who buys heads of cabbage at the market or in a store has a chance of mistakenly purchasing the wrong cabbage. By sight, not every one of us knows how to determine what type of vegetables are offered for sale. Sellers can also be misleading. There have been cases when women have encountered outright deception and purchased salad varieties out of ignorance. And when preparing such forks for future use, you soon end up with a soft mess.
The most correct and best time for pickling white cabbage in 2018 is November. Typically, gardeners wait for the moment, are in no hurry to harvest, it is believed that cabbage is only hardened during cold mornings and filled with juice. Often, slightly frostbitten forks are brought from garden plots. The frost also catches the heads of cabbage on the balconies when housewives are waiting for a favorable time. It is known that cabbage quickly fades when warm. In November it is the juiciest and ripest. It can be salted today for harvesting from November 8th. This month, the most favorable days for pickling are 8 - 15 and 19, 20.
And in the first month of winter, it is better to start harvesting from December 8th. In December, dates from 8th to 13th and 16th to 21st are suitable for pickling.
From ancient times in Rus' it was believed that it was good to salt cabbage for the winter after the Intercession. The heads chosen are tight and heavy, with a taste without bitterness, so that the veins on the cabbage leaves are juicy and not like a dry rope. Remove the top green leaf from the fork, but do not throw it away; you can cook very tasty cabbage soup from it.
Almost every Russian person loves sauerkraut. Sauerkraut goes well with meat dishes and potatoes. The benefits of cabbage for the body are also obvious. If someone is not in the know, then together we can fill this gap in knowledge. Additionally, we will discuss the time of year most suitable for pickling this vegetable.
Sauerkraut is a storehouse of vitamin C, which is simply necessary to maintain the health of the body in winter. This vegetable also contains other vitamins that have a strengthening effect on the body. In addition, sauerkraut contains potassium, iron, calcium, etc.
November is considered the best month for cabbage preparations. To be more precise, mid-November. At this time, many farmers finish harvesting and canning vegetables for the winter begins.
If you select mid November for pickling cabbage, it will turn out appetizing, crispy and will be stored for a long time. During storage, the beneficial qualities of this vegetable are preserved.
Many housewives believe that you can salt cabbage at any time. But if you pay attention to popular beliefs, it is best to salt cabbage on the ninth day after the first day of sub-zero temperatures. This period most often occurs at the beginning of November.
You need to make sauerkraut any day of the week, except Wednesday and Friday. At the same time, women should not ferment this vegetable on PMS days. It is recommended to additionally pay attention to the lunar calendar when pickling cabbage.
What should be the ingredients and utensils?
We have decided what time to choose for pickling cabbage. Now it is recommended to find out which is better to choose dishes, salt, and the vegetable itself, so that the result is positive.
So, we choose ripe heads of cabbage. It's better to stop your choice on late varieties. Lovers of crispy dishes choose the “Slava” variety. The late fruit differs from all others by its tight head. It's like it's stuffed with something. It is strictly not recommended to buy early heads of cabbage. They usually have a greenish tint and have a loose structure. The fermented dish does not turn out to be a particularly pleasant color.
In what kind of container can you ferment cabbage? The most popular containers are wooden barrels and tubs. It was in wooden dishes that our ancestors usually prepared winter dishes. If you can find such a container made of wood, then half the job is done. If a wooden container is not available, then a jar or enamel pan will do.
And you can also salt the heads of cabbage in plastic containers. It is strictly not recommended to make pickles in aluminum containers. In such dishes, the winter snack will acquire a grayish color and a metallic taste.
When choosing a seasoning, you should stop your choice on coarse table salt. It is most suitable for the fermentation process. If you choose iodized salt, the cabbage will turn out soft. Therefore, it is better not to use iodized salt in this case.
Skeptics may disagree with this statement, but the moon has a relative influence on certain aspects of our lives. Therefore, our great-grandfathers and great-grandmothers always followed the movements of the moon and its influence on everything. With the help of these observations, a special calendar was created. When can you ferment a winter snack, taking into account the phase of the moon? Favorable periods for this considered a new moon, as well as the first week of the waxing moon. Under these conditions, you can get a juicy and crispy snack that can be stored for a long time.
What days are considered unlucky?
It is strictly not recommended to ferment cabbage during the full moon. And it is also better to refuse any canning in the initial days of the waning moon. A winter delicacy during this period may turn out to be too soft and unappetizing.
And there is also a risk of quickly expiring its shelf life. It is better to postpone canning food during the moon period, descending. At this time, there is a high risk that the jars will burst and the product will be tasteless.
Each housewife has her own signature recipes for winter sauerkraut. Each lady usually adds those ingredients that she and her family like. But you can still give a few examples of additives to the snack. To prepare a winter delicacy, in addition to cabbage and salt carrots will come in handy. Carrots should be added to taste. Approximate proportions are 400 grams of carrots and 300 grams of salt. These proportions have been tested for a long time by many housewives. Beginner housewives are recommended to take this proportion as a basis.
And also you can add apples. They can be used whole or quartered. Antonovka is best suited. You can get another tasty snack if you add the following ingredients to cabbage:
- plums (they should be quite hard);
- lingonberries;
- Bulgarian pepper;
- celery.
If you want more flavor, you can sprinkle with cumin or parsley.
Cooking method
In order to pamper your family and friends with a delicious snack in winter, you need to prepare it correctly. First, you need to finely chop the cabbage with a knife. A grater may be suitable to speed up the process.
If speed is not particularly important, then with a knife everything will turn out much more aesthetically pleasing. You need to cut the head of cabbage into four parts, after which shred from the center against the leaves. The chopped future snack should be placed in a basin, which is best prepared in advance.
Now you should work on other ingredients: cut apples, herbs, carrots and other products that should be fermented along with cabbage. After everything is cut and prepared, you need to raise the sleeves to elbow level and mash the cabbage well. Now you can place the winter snack under some weighting material and wait until it starts to sour.
Sauerkraut is not only a tasty snack that is nice to eat with potatoes on a winter day, but it is also a kind of medicine for the intestines. It contains lactic and acetic acid, which prevents the proliferation of putrefactive bacteria.
Pickled vegetables simply need to be consumed by those people who are overweight. In this delicacy contains a lot of fiber, and it also helps to burn fat effectively.
When a person consumes this fermented product, he has digestion improves, cholesterol and blood sugar are normalized.
To prepare whole pickled heads of cabbage for the winter, you should first prepare the barrels. They are doused with boiling water to disinfect them. Next, the delicacy is prepared in the following order:
You can use cabbage enjoy in five days, and store using this method for no more than six months. This dish is popular not only in winter in Russia, but also in many other countries.
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Preface
Sauerkraut for the winter is one of the most delicious, healthy and popular pickles. They love it as a separate dish and without it it is impossible to prepare some others (vinaigrette, cabbage soup, etc.) that are truly tasty. Sauerkraut is healthier than fresh cabbage - not only does it retain all the vitamins and microelements present in the vegetable cut from the garden, but it also adds active healing substances formed during the fermentation of the product.
Of course, you can ferment absolutely any cabbage. However, to prepare a truly tasty dish, you should follow some recommendations for choosing this vegetable. First of all, it should be noted that it is best. Moreover, not every variety is suitable, and when purchasing or selecting a head of cabbage cut from the garden, you need to pay attention to its appearance.
You should use mid-late, or better yet, late varieties of white cabbage. The early ones are worse in that their heads are loose and contain much less sugar, which is necessary not only for the good taste of the product, but also for fermentation during pickling. Therefore, the best period for fermenting cabbage is mid-to-late autumn, when the forks of late varieties of this vegetable ripen and acquire the required density.
You should only choose really well-ripened forks - they will contain sufficient sugar. It is best to take larger heads of cabbage, slightly flattened and almost pure white. Their impressive size will indicate sufficient maturity. However, the head of cabbage should not be too large either. Firstly, it will not be very convenient to cut it, and secondly, it is possible that such a vegetable was “fed” with fertilizers that accelerated its growth.
When choosing forks, you need to pay attention to the upper outer leaves covering them. They should be light green. If they are almost white, then most likely the heads of cabbage were frozen, and the seller, wanting to hide this, removed the top leaves.
The stalk should be without damage or signs of rot, dense and white. The leaves should be free of any inclusions, spots or holes. The smell of the head of cabbage should be vegetable and fresh. If it smells rotten, you need to choose another fork.
Selection of utensils for fermentation
The best utensils for fermenting any vegetables are wooden. Previously, oak barrels or tubs were used. If cabbage is fermented in such a container, it will additionally acquire a pleasant aroma and taste.
A worthy replacement for oak dishes is enameled. An important condition for its use is that the enamel on the entire inner surface of the container should not have any chips or cracks. You can use enamel tanks, pots and even buckets. Clay containers are also suitable.
If you have a basement or cellar, you must definitely take dishes of impressive size. Only in large quantities can cabbage be fermented truly well.
Steel, aluminum and plastic containers are completely unsuitable.
The lactic acid released from cabbage during pickling and the brine itself will react with metal or plastic. Because of this, the workpiece will have an unpleasant aftertaste, and the formation of harmful and even dangerous substances may occur.
When there is no basement or cellar and you have to ferment cabbage in the apartment, it is best to use glass jars. Their volume must be at least 3 liters.
Ingredients and their ratio
The main ones are cabbage, carrots and salt. We take as much cabbage as we are going to ferment. Carrots - at your own discretion. It gives sauerkraut a sweetish, pleasant taste and makes it more aromatic, juicy and crispy, and the appearance of the dish served on the table is more attractive. In the classic recipe, you take 1 kg of carrots per 10 kg of cabbage and that’s enough. But you can do more, as is offered in various other cooking options. If you use too many carrots, they will overwhelm the taste of the cabbage.
Salt is a separate conversation. The main thing is that it should not exceed 25 g per 1 kg of vegetables. Otherwise, the result will not be fermentation, but pickling. The second requirement for salt is that it must be non-iodized. It is better to use coarse, but fine grinding is also possible. Iodized salt will make the cabbage not very tasty, not as crispy, and may become unpleasant to eat - slippery.
You can ferment cabbage with the addition of various spices and seasonings: dill seeds, bay leaves, black pepper, cloves, horseradish and others. They will give the preparation a pleasant aroma and piquant taste. However, you need to be careful when adding them. If you overdo it, the spices will overwhelm the natural flavor of the cabbage.
Sugar is often added, especially if the cabbage is unripe or of early varieties. It is usually taken in the same proportions as salt - up to 25 g per 1 kg of vegetables. Firstly, sugar improves fermentation, and secondly, cabbage sauerkraut with it turns out to be more pleasant and delicate in taste, sometimes even sweetish, and also less sour.
Some people sauerkraut with the addition of fruits and/or berries, for example, plums, apples, lingonberries, cranberries. These ingredients give the product a pleasant sour taste. You can add beets. The cabbage will acquire a ruby color and an unusual taste.
How to properly cut vegetables
You can ferment cabbage whole by dividing the head of cabbage in half or into several parts, cutting the leaves into large or small squares, triangles or rectangles, and also chopping it into narrow strips. The last option is most often used. This way the vegetable ferments faster and more evenly. Moreover, you need to chop it quite finely, but you shouldn’t chop it too much either. Otherwise, the chopped pieces will soften during fermentation and the cabbage will turn into porridge and will not be crispy.
You can shred with a sharp knife. Even better - a special shredder designed for chopping cabbage. With its help, this vegetable will be cut correctly and quickly.
Using a grater to chop heads of cabbage is strictly not recommended. The pieces of leaves will turn out too small and crushed, they will no longer be crispy and juice will be released from them prematurely.
Regardless of the recipe, carrots can be grated on a regular grater with large or medium meshes. Korean-style carrots are often used for cooking.
If the recipe requires adding other products, then the berries are left whole, the plums too, or they are cut in half, but in any case the seeds are removed. and the beets are cut at your discretion: in half, into several parts or into slices, plates. Small and small ones are best left whole.
Methods and temperature conditions for fermentation
There are two main methods, conventionally called wet and dry. In the first case, cabbage is mixed with carrots and spices when they are used, and then placed tightly in a fermentation container or placed in layers with other products (apples, berries or others), if they are in the recipe. Then everything is poured with boiled brine, cooled or hot. If sugar is added, it is dissolved along with salt during boiling.
Using the dry method as the basis for the recipe, first mix or even grind the cabbage with salt and mash it a little so that it releases juice. Then mix with carrots. This is usually done in an enamel cup in portions. Take 1 proportional part of cabbage, salt and carrots, mix them and place them in a fermentation container, compacting them as shown in the video. Then do the same with the next portions. At the same time, other products (apples, berries, or others) are placed in the container in layers, if they should be present. The cabbage is not filled with water or brine, but is fermented in its own juice, which is released during fermentation.
If the recipe calls for sugar or spices, they are added while mixing the cabbage and carrots. You should not crush or compact the vegetables too much, otherwise the preparation will not turn out crispy.
Regardless of the method and recipe for fermentation, the next thing to do is cover the cabbage with clean gauze or cloth and press down with pressure (weight). To do this, place an enamel lid or plate of a suitable size on it in a wide container, and place a load on top - a washed natural stone or a jar of water. Metal objects will not work. If the cabbage is fermented in a jar, then you can leave nothing in at all or use a small jar of water.
The first few days - usually three days, sometimes more - the cabbage should be fermented at room temperature. During this period of vegetable harvesting, constant monitoring is required. It is necessary to regularly remove the foam formed as a result of fermentation and pierce the cabbage in several places with a clean wooden kitchen utensil to allow the gases released to escape. If you don’t do all this, then you can forget about a tasty, and even more so, crispy snack. The preparation will turn out bitter and soggy.
When the foam stops forming and the brine becomes lighter in color, the cabbage can already be eaten, although it is still under-fermented. The container with it should be placed in a cool, dark place. It’s better to go to the cellar, but in the absence of one, you can go to the refrigerator. To ferment completely, the cabbage must stand there for about another month. And then it is stored there for up to 9 months. The optimal temperature for further fermentation and subsequent storage is 0–+2 o C.
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