Traditional sauerkraut recipe. Recipe for sauerkraut without brine. Crispy and juicy cabbage

If you're addicted healthy food, prefer simple recipes, which will appeal to every family member, then there should definitely be sauerkraut on the table among the salads. Thanks to the composition, beneficial features This dish increases immunity, normalizes metabolism, and reduces cholesterol levels in the body. The use of such fermented pickles helps you lose weight, because salad is one of the dietary dishes. Doctors strongly recommend that diabetics and people with digestive system problems include it in their diet. Which recipe do you prefer?

How to choose the right cabbage for sourdough

A few rules when choosing a product will help you get excellent results. Buy a late vegetable; unlike an early harvest, it will crisp up after fermentation. The color of the head of cabbage should be predominantly white, then the taste will be sweet, without sourness. The upper leaves are allowed to have a green tint to the root crop. Choose a dense head of cabbage. This is checked by knocking, as when choosing a watermelon. “Slava” and “Michurinskaya” are considered sweet varieties.

Pay attention to the following nuances: if the top foliage of a head of cabbage is removed, it turns out that the seller did this because the vegetable began to rot. There should be no blackened, dark areas; this is a sign of punctate necrosis. Only cracks and abrasions are acceptable on the upper leaves. If there is a white dry coating on top, the vegetable will remain fresh for a long time. If the coating is wet, then the head of cabbage is spoiled.

In what container to ferment cabbage

Pickling is directly related to the fermentation process, divided into 3 parts. The first is the intensive proliferation of lactic acid bacteria, the second is the accumulation of acid, the third is post-fermentation. Sauerkraut must be safe to eat, so aluminum and galvanized cookware should be avoided. The metal, interacting with the vegetable, forms an iron taste and carries a health risk.

If you have a small apartment, then an enamel, ceramic or glass bowl of the right size will suit you. Many people keep it that way pickled heads of cabbage inside three- or five-liter jars. If you have your own house with a basement, then use traditional option- a wooden barrel. After fermentation, the salad remains there, being in a cool place.

Without vinegar

Classic recipe I am familiar with sauerkraut at home thanks to the work of our grandmothers and great-grandmothers. Behind for a long time culinary experts invented simplified and quick methods sourdough, but this method still incomparable in taste with the others. Crispy, non-sour heads of cabbage need to be prepared starting at the end of August, when young, loose vegetables are no longer sold.

For this pickled pickle you will need:

a head of cabbage weighing from 2 to 3 kg;
carrots – 2-3 pcs.;
salt – 15-25 g per 1 kg of cabbage (taken from a book on preservation);
bay leaf – 2-3 pcs.

Cooking steps:

At the market, select a white and juicy head of cabbage, preferably flat shape. The elongated head of cabbage is hard and produces little juice.
Divide it into 4 parts, removing the stalk.
Wash, peel the carrots, grate them on a coarse grater or cut them into long strips.
Cut 1 quarter of the head of cabbage with a special shredding knife, vegetable slicer, or using a food processor. Press your hands together to release the juice. If you have very thin slices, then it is not necessary to squeeze the liquid out of them; it will form on its own after a while. Add some salt.
Place carrots on top.
Place all ingredients in a fermentation container.
Do the same with the remaining 3 parts: chop, squeeze, salt, add carrots.
Cover the top with a plate, bottom to top, and place pressure (stone, jar of water) on top.
After a day, bubbles will form. To release the gas, remove the pressure and pierce it with a knife to the bottom.
Keep for 4-5 days pickled vegetable in a warm place, repeating the procedure daily to get rid of bubbles.
Put it in the refrigerator for the whole winter. Enjoy delicious, homemade sauerkraut!

With beets

Sauerkraut with beets is a preparation that will please your taste true gourmets, and housewives will cope with the snack in record time. Jars with ready-made dish swept off the table in a matter of minutes. Such salty product add to salads, first courses, and simply decorate the table with it. For the recipe you will need:

beets – 300 g;
cabbage – 8 kg (3-4 pcs.);
garlic – 90-130 g;
horseradish – 100 g;
parsley - 1 fragrant bunch;
hot pepper – 3-4 pcs.;
water – 4 l;
salt – 200 g;
sugar – 200 g.

Cooking steps:

Cut the heads of cabbage into small cubes weighing 300-400 g. Remove the stalks and large ribs. By this recipe Many people immediately cut into squares, while others prefer a fine shredder. There is an option from small blocks of initial weight, and before use the product is already crushed to the desired size.
The beets should be juicy and elastic. Peel and cut the head of cabbage into large cubes.
Peel the garlic and horseradish. Wash the parsley. Grate the horseradish on a coarse grater, chop the garlic and parsley with a knife.
Prepare an enamel bucket or large pan. Pack all the ingredients there.
In a separate saucepan, bring water, salt, and sugar to a boil. These ingredients need to dissolve. Let the brine cool.
Pour well-packed cabbage and other vegetables warm water with sugar and salt. Leave in a warm room for 2 days.
Move the pan/bucket to a cooler place.
After a week, feel free to eat a dish with beets!

In German

We will need:

white cabbage – 3kg;
carrots – 2-3 pcs.;
cumin – 3 tbsp. spoons;
salt – 2 tbsp. spoons;
juniper or cranberry - half a glass (optional);
apples – 3 pcs.

Cooking steps:

Remove the top leaves from the heads of cabbage. Chop finely. This is the secret German recipe. This shredder is different from the classic one, but this cut simply melts in your mouth.
Heat a frying pan and fry the cumin seeds without oil until aromatic, about 2-3 minutes. Use a rolling pin to remember hot spices.
Wash the apples, remove the core, cut into thin slices.
Place the vegetable in an enamel container, knead it with your hands, and compact the rest of the ingredients on top. We do everything in layers.
Place a weight on top, and a basin or bowl below under the container.
Every day, pierce with a knife or wooden stick over the entire surface of the cabbage, to the bottom. This will release the gases.
2-3 days in a warm place - and German-style sauerkraut is ready! Put it in the refrigerator.

With carrots and apples

You will need:

cabbage – 2 kg;
carrots – 2 pcs.;
apples – 2 pcs.;
lingonberries - half a glass (if possible);
a little lemon juice;
salt – 60 g.

Cooking steps:

Shred the head of cabbage into thin strips. To do this, you should disassemble the vegetable into sheets, roll each of them, and cut them alternately. You will get a long, crispy, thin and juicy straw.
Peel the carrots and grate them on a coarse grater.
Remove the peel from the apples, cut into cubes, pour over lemon juice.
Mix the head of cabbage with salt so that it releases juice.
Add the remaining ingredients, compact tightly into a container, and leave under pressure for 3 days in a warm room.
Remove gases daily using a wooden stick, spatula, or the tip of a spoon.
Fermented dish With a huge amount vitamins are ready! The apples should taste like pineapple.

Without salt

Many recipes sauerkraut include salt, so people with gastrointestinal diseases are not always allowed to eat such a snack. To make the product dietary, healthy and accessible to everyone, it is necessary to slightly modify the combination of ingredients. The absence of salt will allow hypertensive patients and those who really want to lose weight to enjoy sauerkraut.

For this recipe you will need:

white cabbage – 3.5 kg (1 large);
carrots – 0.5 kg;
dill seeds - a quarter cup;
cranberries - less than half a glass.

Stages of making fermented cabbage dish without salt:

Wash and peel the vegetables.
Finely chop the cabbage. Grate the carrots on a coarse grater.
Mash the cranberries until pulpy.
Mix the ingredients with the dill seeds. Mash the sauerkraut with your hands. Pack tightly into an enamel container.
Cover with a plate on top and place under pressure. Its weight should be 2 times greater than the total amount of the snack in kg.
After a day, change the pressure to a lighter one when you notice a sufficient amount of juice released.
In a day or two, the sauerkraut will be ready to eat.
Transfer it to glass jars and put it in a cool place.

In brine

Snacks for every table best traditions– sauerkraut in brine. The recipe is quick, simple, and tasty, which is why many housewives choose it as an addition to borscht, cabbage soup, salad, stew with sausages and meat. The advantage of sauerkraut in brine is that after 3 hours you can add this dish to dinner. For convenience, it is better when you have a food processor or shredding device at home, then the cooking time is reduced.

For the brine recipe you will need:

head of cabbage – 1 pc.;
carrots – 3-4 pcs.;
garlic – 4-5 cloves;
onion – 1 pc.;
brine - water 1 l, sugar 1.5 tbsp. l., salt 2 tbsp. l.

Steps for making sauerkraut:

For quick serving, chop the head of cabbage very finely. Then the cabbage will be juicy and tasty for dinner.
Wash and peel the carrots and onions. Cut into strips and rings or use a coarse grater.
Place the garlic in a garlic press.
Mix the ingredients in one large container, remember well clean hands.
Prepare the brine - bring water, sugar, salt to a boil. It is necessary for the crystals to dissolve in the liquid.
Arrange the cabbage, carrots, onions, and garlic tightly among the jars. Fill with warm brine. Sterilize for half an hour and then close.
After 3-4 hours, serve!

How many calories are in sauerkraut

Pickling helps preserve all the valuable vitamins and elements in cabbage. long time. No heat treatment will achieve the same result. Not only cabbage is rich in vitamins, but also the future brine, which is formed during the fermentation process. There is a statement that when lactic acid occurs useful material increase in quantity, but calorie content remains the same.

100 g of sauerkraut contains 19 kcal. Keep in mind that when using salt, the number of calories increases. If you are preparing this dish with the goal of losing weight, then choose a recipe with a minimum of minor ingredients and no various seasonings. 100 g of sauerkraut and carrots in brine contain 23 kcal. Recipes can easily be attributed to a passive reduction of calories in the body, because the body spends more money digesting the product rather than absorbing minimal fat.

Video

In the video below, an experienced gardener and part-time home cook will show you in detail the process of sauerkraut. After viewing it, you will determine for yourself all the nuances of preparation. The classic recipe according to grandma’s method will appeal to many, it’s not for nothing that it has been so loved throughout all generations. Don't forget to pierce the sauerkraut with a stick to release unwanted gas. This way it will stay in the refrigerator for a long time, preserving its beneficial substances.

Sauerkraut is one of everyone's favorite dishes. This is very tasty dish instant cooking you can cook all year round. There are many recipes for sauerkraut. And each is good in its own way. Amazing taste And pleasant aroma, an appetizing type of crispy cabbage... It is also an important and practically the main source of vitamins and microelements that are so necessary for our body! Nowadays, there are many recipes for sauerkraut in cooking.

And without that great taste The fermented crispy dish can be supplemented with various fruits and vegetables, berries, herbs, herbs and spices. It is prepared with carrots, bell peppers, and is very tasty with pickled beets. Add cumin, cinnamon, corinder, garlic and bay leaf.

On our website there is a large selection of the most popular recipes sauerkraut. Simple and easy to prepare options you will definitely like.

Sauerkraut - a classic recipe

Let's start with the classics: proven step by step recipe with photos for beginners. Traditional sauerkraut served with rings onions, seasoning with aromatic sunflower oil. They are also used to prepare winter rich soups: sour cabbage soup, cabbage, solyanka.

What do you need:

5 kg white cabbage;
1 kg carrots;
80 g salt.

Sauerkraut recipe, prepared in the classic way:

Finely chop the cabbage or grate it using a shredder designed for this purpose. Grate the carrots on a coarse grater. Sprinkle the prepared vegetables generously with salt.

Mix the ingredients, lightly rubbing the vegetables with your hands until the juice begins to release. Place in jars or pans, compacting with a wooden masher. To make sauerkraut very tasty, juicy and crispy, it is very important to pack it very tightly.

Cover the jars with a clean cloth. Cover the chopped vegetable mixture with an inverted plate and place a weight on the plate. Leave in the room for 2-3 days, then store in a cool place.

After some time, juice will be released. It can be removed with a spoon. But don't pour out the juice completely, vegetable salad must be completely covered with liquid. Pierce several times a day with a clean wooden stick (suitable Chinese chopsticks for food).

Simple sauerkraut recipe

Products:

1 kg cabbage;
300 g carrots;
1–2 bay leaves, cumin and anise seeds to taste;
25 g salt.

How to cook:

Shred the cabbage. Leave a few leaves whole. Some of them need to be placed on the bottom of the prepared container. Place shredded cabbage in layers on top, sprinkling each layer with salt and shredded carrots.

Add bay leaves and spices. When filling the jars, carefully compact each layer for better juice release. Cover the top with whole leaves and clean gauze folded in 2 layers. Then put a wooden circle and a weight. The weight of the load should be 10% of the weight of the cabbage (per 1 kg of vegetables/100 g of load).

After a few hours, the cabbage will settle and juice will be released. On the 2-3rd day the fermentation process will begin. You need to keep an eye on it during fermentation: remove foam from the surface periodically

Sauerkraut with berries and apples

Ingredients for pickling:

1 kg cabbage;
100 g apples;
100 g carrots;
30 g salt;
cranberries, lingonberries - to taste.

Cooking method:

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Chop the cabbage and mix with grated carrots and apples. Place some of the prepared cabbage in a jar lined with cabbage leaves. Sprinkle with salt, add cranberries and lingonberries, and then lay out the rest.

Cover the top with cabbage leaves and put under pressure for a day. Remove foam that appears on the surface, pierce vegetable slicing with a wooden stick to release the gases formed between the layers.

Armenian sauerkraut

Required:

1 kg cabbage;
2 cloves of garlic;
100 g carrots;
0.5 bell pepper;
20 g beets;
dill, cilantro and parsley - to taste.
Brine: 500 ml water, 1–2 bay leaves, 1/6 tsp. cinnamon, 30g salt, 6 black peppercorns.

How to ferment cabbage with carrots and bell peppers in Armenian:

Cut the head of cabbage into 4 parts, remove the stalk. Carrot, bell pepper, peel the beets and cut into thin slices. Peel the garlic, previously soaked in warm water, and chop the greens. Mix all the ingredients and place in a jar, cover with cabbage leaves and a linen napkin, and press down with a weight.

Prepare the brine: add black peppercorns, bay leaves, cinnamon and salt to the water, boil, filter through cheesecloth folded in several layers. Carefully pour cooled brine over the side of the jar. Place in a cool place for 1.5–2 months. Remove the top layer before use.

Spicy sauerkraut

What do you need:

1 kg cabbage;
1 clove of garlic;
200 g carrots;
30 g salt;
ground black pepper - to taste.

Cooking method:

Wash, peel, and cut a strong, dense, intact head of cabbage into 4-6 pieces. Peel the carrots and grate them on a coarse grater, sprinkle with salt and pepper, add crushed garlic. Stuff the cabbage with the resulting mixture, placing it between the leaves.

In this case, the leaves need to be crushed with your hands so that the cabbage is saturated with salt.

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Place tightly in enamel pan and put under pressure so that the juice appears. If the released juice does not completely cover the cabbage, add additional brine to it. It's easy to prepare: 300 ml of water and 20 g of salt. Boil and cool.

Instant sauerkraut

Delicious quick sauerkraut, which will be ready to serve three hours after fermentation.

Ingredients:

white cabbage – 1 kilogram;
garlic – 3 – 4 cloves;
carrots – 2 – 3 pieces;
table vinegar 9% - 10 tablespoons;
salt – 1 tablespoon;
vegetable oil – 0.5 cups;
water – 0.5 liters;
sugar - half a glass.

Cooking method:

Peel the cabbage from the top leaves and cut out the stalk. Chop into small strips. Peel the carrots and grate fine grater or in Korean. Press the garlic cloves with a press. Mix all ingredients in a bowl.

Pour water into a saucepan and bring to a boil. Place salt, sugar, oil and vinegar into a saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring thoroughly.

Pour hot liquid over vegetable mixture. Cover with a large plate. Place under pressure in the form of a liter jar filled with water. Sauerkraut from three hours to a day at room temperature.

Helpful advice!

The finished dish can be poured into glass jars and stored in the refrigerator covered

Sauerkraut in jars for the winter with brine

Delicious crispy sauerkraut in the classic way, which will not leave any lover of such a product indifferent.

Ingredients:

white cabbage – 2 – 3 kilograms;
bay leaf – 3 – 4 pieces;
carrots – 2 – 3 pieces;
black peppercorns to taste;
salt – 2 tablespoons;
sugar – 2 tablespoons;
water – 1.5 liters.

Recipe:

In the warm boiled water dissolve, sugar and salt, mixing well.
Shred the cabbage on a coarse grater or in a food processor. Grate the peeled carrots on a coarse grater. Mix the products.

IN three liter jar spread the mixture with carrots, compacting it a little. Periodically place bay leaves and peas between layers. Pour brine into the jar until it is completely covered. Cover the jar loosely with a lid or a piece of bandage.

Leave for 2-3 days at room temperature. Ready sauerkraut can be stored in the refrigerator.

Useful tips!

The jar of cabbage should be placed in a deep bowl, as the brine will overflow during fermentation. For sauerkraut according to this recipe, it is better to choose late varieties.

An unusual recipe for sauerkraut, which turns out to be a very beautiful purple hue.

Ingredients:

white cabbage – 3 kg;
beets – 1 kg;
water – 1 liter;
sugar – 1 tbsp. l.;
salt – 2 tbsp. l.;
bay leaf – 3 pcs.
table vinegar - 1 tbsp. l.;
allspice – 5 pcs.;
black peppercorns – 7 pcs.

Step-by-step cooking instructions:

Remove the top leaves from the cabbage and wash well. Cut in half and cut crosswise into squares.
Cut the peeled beets into thin slices.

Bring a liter of water to a boil, add salt, sugar, allspice and black pepper, bay leaf. Boil over low heat for 10 minutes, then add vinegar. Let it boil for another minute.

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Mix the prepared vegetables with beets in a bowl and pour in the boiled marinade.

Place all ingredients along with the marinade in a three-liter jar. Sauerkraut in a jar for 3 to 4 days in a warm place.

Before serving, you can season with sunflower oil.

Helpful advice!

When fermenting cabbage, you must ensure that its top layer is not left without brine.

Sauerkraut with bell peppers and grapes

Ingredients:

6 kg cabbage;
1.5 kg carrots;
8 sweet peppers;
1.5 kg of seedless grapes;
apples, salt - to taste.

Preparation:

Chop the cabbage, sprinkle with salt and lightly grind. Grate the carrots on a coarse grater, Bell pepper cut into strips. Mix everything, add grapes and apples, cut into slices.

Place the resulting mass in an enamel container, cover the top with a lid and apply pressure. Leave at room temperature for 2-3 days to sour. Several times a day, pierce the mass with a wooden stick to the very bottom. Then transfer to a cool storage area.

Crispy sauerkraut with carrots

Composition for a 3-liter jar:

cabbage - 3 kg;
carrots - 2 medium;
salt - 70 g;
bay leaf - 10 pcs.;
black peppercorns - 10 pcs.

The method for making sauerkraut is very simple and very tasty:

Wash the vegetables. Shred the cabbage and grate the carrots on a coarse grater. Mix thoroughly and add salt. The mixture should be a little saltier than usual in a salad, so when adding salt, taste it. Add bay leaf and peppercorns and mix again.

Next, you should rub everything well with your hands and compact it into a jar, very tightly. Using your hands or a masher (each layer), the jar should be filled to the very top (so if you don't have a lot of cabbage, use a smaller jar).

Place the jar of sauerkraut in a deep plate and leave it on the table for three to four days. Ferment at a temperature of about 20 - 21 "C.

Once or twice a day, you need to pierce the cabbage in several places to the very bottom to release the accumulated gas (if this is not done, the dish will taste bitter). You can pierce with a long knife or a wooden stick.

The jar must be covered with a lid! (but not completely closed).

After 3 - 4 days, close the jar of cabbage nylon cover and put it in the refrigerator. In the cold, the fermentation process will complete.

Sauerkraut - a very tasty recipe

How much cabbage will fit in a jar can be approximately calculated based on the fact that for each liter you need to take 1 kg of cabbage, but due to waste, take a little more.

For a 4 liter jar:

4-4.5 kg of cabbage in heads;
350-400 g carrots;
salt - to taste;
sugar - a couple of large pinches, but most likely to taste too.

Preparation:

If you use a food processor, use the attachment for the smallest pieces.

Chop the cabbage and pile it up. Grate the carrots and place on top. Sprinkle the carrots with salt and sugar, and mix everything well, but not aggressively, but gently.

Well, if you have a large bowl, it is much more convenient to do this in a bowl. As soon as Vegetable mix becomes homogeneous, taste for salt and sugar. The taste should be such that you would be pleased to eat it right now, as a salad.

Cover the jar loosely with the lid and leave it on the table for two days if the apartment is warm. If it's cool, you'll need a day or two more.

How do you know when sauerkraut is ready? It will become as if glassy in appearance and will sink into own juice, and its taste will be pleasantly sour.

The finished sweet and sour sauerkraut should be covered with a lid and put in the refrigerator. The cabbage juice released there will partially return.

But I can’t stop and hope that I will still have time before the end of the harvesting season. I believe that sauerkraut is simply an indispensable attribute of autumn and winter. Juicy and crispy, with carrots, apples, cranberries or caraway seeds, sauerkraut beckons us to the table. Moreover, sauerkraut is healthier than fresh thanks to lactic acid bacteria, which are formed during the fermentation process.

In apartment conditions, it is most convenient to prepare sauerkraut in glass jars. But if you are the happy owner of a cellar, and you have wooden barrel, then it would be simply a crime not to fill it with cabbage and ferment it for the joy of the whole family. And so that your efforts are not in vain, you need to read carefully useful tips when sauerkraut.

The main thing is that you only need to buy or grow cabbage for pickling late varieties. Summer cabbage completely unsuitable for this. At the cabbage summer varieties the leaves are thinner, greener and looser. Winter varieties of cabbage are distinguished by their dense heads and white color. When choosing cabbage, pay attention that it is not too “stringy”, with hard veins.
Cabbage for pickling should not be cut very well small pieces. The thickness of each piece should be about 5 mm. If you chop the cabbage too much, it will become soft.
To sauerkraut, use coarse non-iodized salt.
Be responsible when choosing containers. Glass, wooden or enamel dishes without chips are suitable for fermentation. IN aluminum pan the lactic acid that is formed during fermentation will react and ruin the whole thing for you.
Sauerkraut should be fermented at a temperature no higher than 24 and no lower than 20 degrees. If you overheat, you will get jelly, but in a cold room the cabbage simply will not sour.
The fermentation process takes about 3 days. After this, the cabbage can, of course, be eaten. But real taste classic sauerkraut will appear only in a week.
Shredded cabbage for sourdough must be pressed down with something heavy, for example, a plate with a 3-liter jar of cucumbers. My grandmother always kept a pressure handy - a wooden circle and pressed it with a clean, heavy stone.
To prevent the gases formed during fermentation from accumulating in the cabbage, it must be pierced in several places with a wooden stick.
For storing sauerkraut ideal temperature from 0 to +2 degrees. You can transfer the cabbage into 3-liter jars and then it will be convenient to store it in the refrigerator.
Cabbage is perfectly preserved for 9 months. True, the longer it is stored, the more sour it becomes. Therefore, it is better to cook in small portions.
Cabbage retains its properties only when frozen once. You can put the sauerkraut in bags and put it in the freezer.
To get delicious crispy sauerkraut, pay attention to the phase of the moon. It is best to ferment cabbage on the waxing Moon, 3-4 days after the New Moon.

To prepare delicious, crispy sauerkraut, I offer several simple classic recipes.

Sauerkraut - classic recipe with brine for a 3 liter jar

In order to get 3 - liter jar sauerkraut, we will need forks of fresh cabbage weighing approximately 2.5 kg. The simplest, classic and no-nonsense recipe for sauerkraut.

Ingredients:

cabbage - 1 head weighing 2.5 kg
carrots - 3-4 pcs.
salt - 2 tbsp. l.
sugar - 2 tbsp. l.
water - 0.5 liters (approximately)

Shred cabbage using any of the following methods. It’s convenient to have a special grater for this, or you can simply cut it into thin strips using a knife. Place the cabbage in a deep bowl.

2. Grate the carrots on a coarse grater and add to the cabbage.

3. Simply mix both of these ingredients with your hands. Moreover, the cabbage should not be squeezed, otherwise it may become soft.

4. Take a clean 3-liter jar and put the cabbage and carrots into it, lightly compacting it. Fill the entire jar. Add salt and sugar on top of the cabbage with a spoon.

5. Cabbage must be fermented in brine. Simply fill the cabbage with cold, unboiled water (not chlorinated) up to the very neck of the jar.

The brine must cover the entire cabbage. If the amount of brine decreases, simply add water

6. We pierce the cabbage in several places with a wooden stick so that the gases accumulated during fermentation escape. During fermentation, it is advisable to pierce the cabbage with a wooden stick at least once a day.

During fermentation, the amount of brine will increase and it will flow out of the jar, so be sure to place the jar of cabbage in a basin or any other container.

7. Cover the jar with cabbage with gauze and make sure that the brine covers all the cabbage. Cabbage should stand at room temperature for 2-3 days. After this, you can close it with a lid and put it in the refrigerator for storage.

How to make sauerkraut at home in jars - a simple recipe

Also a classic recipe, only here we will do without adding water. The ingredients are the same - cabbage and carrots, and we will also add salt in a 3-liter jar.

Ingredients:

cabbage - 1 head weighing 2 kg
carrots - 1 pc.
salt - 1 tbsp. l. with a slide
sugar - 1 tsp.

Chop the cabbage and carrots and place in a deep bowl.

2. Mix salt and sugar in a glass; we will gradually add them to the cabbage.

3. In this recipe we will stir and rub the cabbage with our hands as if we were kneading dough. The cabbage should release its juice.

4. Gradually compact the cabbage into a 3-liter jar and sprinkle each layer with salt and sugar. Fill the jar to the very top.

5. Close the jar with a plastic lid and place a saucer or bowl underneath. Sauerkraut for 3 days at room temperature. Don’t forget to pierce the cabbage with a wooden or plastic stick 1-2 times a day.

6. After this cooked cabbage put it in the refrigerator for storage.

In order for the brine to constantly cover the cabbage, you need a load on top. To do this, place a plastic lid inside the jar, and place a 0.5 liter bottle of water on it.

Delicious sauerkraut with apples and peppers - a recipe for the winter

This recipe is a little more complicated, with the addition various ingredients. The cabbage turns out simply delicious, cook it and see for yourself.

Ingredients:

cabbage - 1 head weighing 2 kg
carrots - 1 pc.
apples (Antonovka is best) - 4-5 pcs.
bell pepper - 1 pc.
parsley, dill
garlic - 2 cloves
coriander - a pinch
black peppercorns
water - 1 liter
salt - 4 tsp.
sugar - 1 tsp.

Shred the cabbage, grate the carrots on a coarse grater, cut the bell pepper into strips, cut the apples into 4 parts and remove the seeds.

2. Place the ingredients in layers in a large container, such as a bucket. A layer of cabbage will go to the bottom, sprinkle with sweet pepper on top and lay out a layer of apples.

3. Place a layer of cabbage again, carrots on top, then chopped parsley and dill. Next add chopped garlic.

4. We repeat these layers again - cabbage, peppers, apples. Cabbage, carrots, herbs, garlic.

5. Cooking hot pickle. The recipe is for 1 liter of water, you may need more water. Bring the water to a boil and add salt, add coriander and peppercorns to taste. Pour brine over cabbage. We pierce the cabbage in several places with a wooden stick. Let the cabbage ferment for 3 days at room temperature.

After 3 days, transfer the cabbage into clean jars and put them in the refrigerator. Delicious cabbage ready.

Sauerkraut - recipe with bell pepper and horseradish

Another recipe for sauerkraut, which uses not only traditional cabbage and carrots, but also bell peppers and even horseradish.

Sauerkraut with apples, cranberries and rowan berries

A unique recipe in which we will use a decoction of oak bark to obtain crispy cabbage. Well, there will be even more vitamins in cabbage when we add cranberries and rowan berries.

Ingredients:

cabbage - 1 head weighing 3 kg
carrots - 3 pcs.
apples - 2 pcs.
cranberries - 1/2 cup
rowan - 1/2 cup
black peppercorns
salt - 3 tbsp. l.
oak bark decoction - 50 ml

Chop the cabbage and carrots, sprinkle with salt and rub with your hands until the juice appears.

2. We choose sweet and sour varieties of apples such as Antonovka. Cut the apples into thin slices.

3. For the starter we will use a large enamel pan. Place on the bottom of the pan cabbage leaves and add peppercorns.

4. Lay cabbage and carrots in layers, then apples and generously sprinkle with cranberries and rowan berries. We repeat the layers in the same sequence and be sure to compact them with our hands.

To remove bitterness from rowan, pour boiling water over it.

5. To make the cabbage crispy, prepare a decoction in advance oak bark. To do this, boil the washed bark in boiling water for 10 minutes and cool. Pour the cooled broth into the pan with cabbage.

6. When you have laid out all the cabbage, place a plate of the appropriate diameter and a heavy weight, for example, a jar of water, on top.

7. To allow gases to escape from the cabbage, insert wooden sticks into the cabbage.

8. The cabbage will ferment for 3 days, after which it can be put into jars and stored in a cold place.

Delicious sauerkraut with apples and pears

You are convinced that there are many recipes for sauerkraut and I tried to introduce you to various recipes for every taste. Now is the time to prepare sauerkraut. As I already wrote, it is very good to ferment cabbage after the New Moon, which will occur on the 19th in October 2017. So stock up on cabbage, save the recipes, and I wish you good luck in making healthy and tasty preparations.

The simplest and clear recipe sauerkraut - classic. You can add classic sauerkraut - tasty, juicy, crispy - to borscht and soups, stew and simmer meat with it, use it as a filling for pies, pies and dumplings. It will take you exactly 3 days to do everything. Remember that yeast loves heat, but not above 30 degrees, so at room temperature your cabbage will ferment faster than on the balcony or in the cellar at 10 degrees.

Ingredients

1 head of white cabbage weighing about 1.5 kg
1 large carrot
3 tbsp. l. coarse salt

Preparation

1. Late varieties of white cabbage are used for pickling. Only late ones, otherwise when you leaven the cabbage slices you will get porridge! Remove the top leaves from the head of cabbage and rinse it.

2. Cut into two or four parts and chop in any convenient way: thin, thick or into squares. Place the cabbage slices in a deep bowl.

3. Grate the peeled carrots on a large-mesh grater onto the cabbage slices into a bowl.

4. Add coarse salt. Do not use iodized salt or salt with other additives! If desired, you can add 1 tsp. sugar, then the cabbage will ferment faster.

5. Gently stir the contents of the container with light pressure for 1-2 minutes and leave for 10 minutes so that the cabbage releases its juice.

6. Transfer the cuttings to a suitable sized jar or container and pour the remaining juice into it.

7. Fill the container with water to the top, leaving a small gap to the edge of the container, and place the container with the contents in the bowl. Leave at room temperature for exactly three days.

8. In the morning, at lunch and in the evening, pierce the slices in the jar with a long fork or knitting needle, releasing carbon dioxide bubbles. If you don’t do this, the cutting will absorb it and become bitter in taste - this is how you transform the food! Also, the container with the slices cannot be tightly closed - air and carbon dioxide must circulate.

Preface

Sauerkraut for the winter is one of the most delicious, healthy and popular pickles. She is loved as separate dish and without it it is impossible to make some others truly tasty (vinaigrette, cabbage soup, etc.). 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 choosing a head of cabbage cut from a garden bed, 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 because their heads of cabbage are loose and contain much less sugar, which is necessary not only for good taste preparations, but also for fermentation during fermentation. 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 sugar in sufficient quantity. It is best to take larger heads of cabbage, slightly flattened and almost clean 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 used oak barrels or tubs. 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. Important condition its application - 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. From iodized salt the cabbage will not be 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 leaf, 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 turn ruby in color and 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, the 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 appliance to allow the released gases 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. Optimal temperature further fermentation and subsequent storage 0–+2 o C.