Content
Cabbage is an inexpensive and healthy vegetable that is included in the daily menu of many people. It is rich in fiber, minerals and vitamins. But this is in the summer. In winter, during storage, the vitamin content gradually decreases. At home, it is very difficult to keep the harvest of this vegetable fresh without loss. Requires special rooms with a constant low temperature and a certain humidity.
Our ancestors have long learned to preserve a delicious vitamin product until spring. For this they fermented it. At the same time, vitamins were not only not lost, but due to the fact that they passed into a form that the human body absorbed more easily, there was more benefit from such food. For fermentation, oak barrels were used, since glass was not cheap. In them, fermentation in the underground was perfectly preserved until spring.
Why is it better to choose jars for fermentation
Now the majority do not have an underground, and many simply do not need to harvest cabbage in large volumes. You can pickle it in an enamel bucket or large pot, but it's much more convenient to do it in a glass jar. Fermentation in such a container is easy to store in the refrigerator. If you ferment a new batch from time to time, then a tasty product will always be available. The process itself does not take much time, you can simply ferment cabbage in a jar, few products are required. You can choose any recipe for pickling.
How to choose cabbage for fermentation
Not all heads of cabbage are suitable for this. In order to always have the opportunity to enjoy a truly tasty and crispy preparation, cabbage must meet the following requirements:
- only varieties ripening in the middle and late periods are suitable for fermentation. From early varieties, soft cabbage is obtained, which is poorly stored;
- varieties should be intended specifically for fermentation, and not for storage. Until now, the best are the old and reliable ones - Slava and Belorusskaya;
- heads of cabbage should be dense and elastic, have a white color under the integumentary leaves and contain sugar in an amount sufficient for the lactic acid fermentation process;
- heads of cabbage with signs of disease on the integumentary leaves are not suitable for sourdough, there will be a lot of waste from them, and the fermentation will be of poor quality.
How fermentation takes place
To make the pickling tasty and crispy, only three ingredients are enough: cabbage, carrots and salt. Even without any additives, you can get a completely high-quality product from them. To succeed in this business, proportions are very important. Usually, the amount of carrots should be 1/10 of the weight of the heads, and about 20 g of salt is enough for each kilogram of cabbage, this is about 2 teaspoons with a top or an incomplete tablespoon without a top. If you ferment cabbage in a jar, then a head of cabbage weighing about 3 kg is required for a 3 liter bottle. To speed up the fermentation process, you can additionally add granulated sugar. For every kilogram of cabbage, it will take 10-20 g.
Fermentation is a process of lactic acid fermentation, during which the sugars in the cabbage are converted into lactic acid. It not only perfectly protects cabbage sauerkraut for the winter from spoilage, but is also useful for the body.With its help, you can solve many health problems, so sauerkraut should be consumed by everyone who has no contraindications to this.
The fermentation process takes place in two stages. At the first, yeast is active. It is because of their vital activity that foam appears on the cabbage brine, and gases are released.
To remove gases that can make sauerkraut taste bitter, it is pierced with a wooden stick to the very bottom. This should be done all the time while gases are being released.
After 2-3 days, lactic acid begins to accumulate. The fermentation process takes place at a temperature of at least 20 degrees. It is important not to waste time and put the fermentation in the cold, then the fermentation will not oxyderate. Usually they do it for 4-5 days.
Fermentation technology
Sauerkraut for the winter in a jar is made in almost the same way as in other dishes. But there are also some peculiarities. The load, which is necessarily placed on top of the cabbage, cannot be made large in such a dish. This is especially important if you ferment it in a small container, for example, in a liter jar. Therefore, it is necessary not only to tamp it well when laying it, but also to grind it thoroughly in the dishes in which it is cooked so that it can easily let the juice flow. For fermentation in another container, this is usually not done.
The acid, which is formed during fermentation, easily enters into a chemical reaction with the metal, resulting in the formation of harmful salts.
Fermentation without the addition of brine
How to ferment cabbage correctly? If you decide to ferment cabbage in a jar, you need to do it like this:
- clear heads of cabbage from integumentary leaves, removing damaged areas;
- peel and wash carrots, grate or cut into thin cubes;
- cut the heads of cabbage into large pieces, remove the stump, chop into thin strips, adhering to the longitudinal direction. The use of a special grater-shredder facilitates the process and makes the shredded cabbage of the same shape and size, which will help it ferment more evenly.
- transfer the cabbage with carrots to a basin or a wide saucepan, add salt at the rate and, if you need sugar, rub it well with your hands, as in the photo;
- put cabbage in jars - liter or other volume, tamping well, place each jar on a plate, cover the surface of the cabbage with a lid and press down with a load. A glass water bottle works best for this.
- with the beginning of fermentation, remove the foam and pierce it several times to remove gases;
- transfer the finished fermentation to the cold after 3-5 days.
Sometimes there is not enough juice in cabbage heads. How to ferment such cabbage in a jar correctly? We'll have to make a brine for pouring.
Pickling with brine
The fermentation process for this recipe will be different.
- a brine is being prepared: it will require 1.5 liters of boiling water with salt (1.5 tablespoons) and sugar (1.5 tablespoons) dissolved in it. If you like spicy cabbage, you can add those spices that you like to the brine. Most often these are peppercorns and bay leaves.
- to fill a three-liter jar according to this recipe, cabbage will need less - about 2.5 kg, carrots need 200-250 g;
- we prepare products as in the previous case;
- We mix the shredded cabbage with grated carrots, sugar and salt have already been added to the brine. If cabbage is fermented in brine in a jar for the winter, you do not need to grind it.
- we put the pickling in the banks freely, it is not worth ramming it;
- pour the prepared chilled brine so that it is above the fermentation level;
Next, we proceed in accordance with the previous recipe. The main thing is to stop fermentation in time, for which you put the cabbage in the cold.To prevent cabbage from appearing sour, the lactic acid content should not be more than 1%. If fermentation has ended completely, its content increases to 2%.
Pickling with honey
Following sauerkraut recipe for the winter is a cross between the two previous ones. For pouring, we will use boiled chilled water - 600-800 g, and add salt directly to the cabbage mixed with carrots. It only needs a tablespoon, honey is used instead. You need to take a little less than 3 kg of cabbage.
Lightly grind the chopped cabbage with grated carrots and salt and put in a glass dish, liter or larger. It is not necessary to tamp it strongly. It will be enough if it just fills the jar tightly.
On the second day after the start of fermentation, pour the brine into another dish, squeeze the cabbage, put it back in the jar, changing the layers - the top down and the bottom up. Dissolve honey in brine, enough tablespoon and pour into cabbage. She needs to wander for another day. Then the banks need to be removed in the cold.
Fast fermentation
Such cabbage is fermented in brine. Adding vinegar speeds up the cooking process. But such cabbage is more pickled than sauerkraut.
Ingredients for a 3L can:
- a head of cabbage weighing about 2 kg;
- from 0.5 to 0.8 kg of carrots;
- 6 tbsp. tablespoons of vinegar, better than apple cider;
- about 1 liter of boiled water;
- 3 bay leaves;
- 1 tbsp. a spoonful of sugar;
- 2 tbsp. tablespoons of salt.
Shred cabbage, rub carrots, mix, rub well so that the juice starts up. Add spices and put in a jar. Boil water and add all the brine components to it. For quick fermentation, pour it hot. As soon as it cools down, we take it out into the cold, preferably in the refrigerator. You can eat in 24 hours.
It is no secret for experienced housewives that the taste of sauerkraut largely depends on the size and shape of the cabbage slices. There are recipes for pickling cabbage with whole heads or halves. Of course, such a fermentation cannot be done in a bank. But here, too, there is a way out.
Spicy cabbage, sauerkraut
Garlic and hot pepper will add spice to the cabbage, and caraway will give a pleasant taste and aroma.
When used systematically, they will help strengthen the immune system, cope with intestinal and kidney problems. Caraway is an antiseptic and will keep the cabbage from spoiling.
Ingredients:
- cabbage heads - 5 kg;
- carrots - 0.25 kg;
- salt - 200 g;
- sugar - 400 g;
- garlic - 2 heads;
- cumin - 1 tsp;
- water - 4.5 l;
- hot pepper - 1 pod.
We cut the heads of cabbage into large checkers.
We put it in a container for fermentation. Fill with water and dissolved salt. We keep it under oppression for 4 days. Three carrots, add together with caraway seeds to chopped heads of cabbage, send sharp components there - garlic, pepper, pre-grind them. Mix, put in jars. The remaining brine must be filtered, boiled, dissolving sugar in it. Pour fermentation with warm brine. It needs to be kept in the room for another three days.
We store the pickling in pieces in the cold.
Outcomes
There are a great variety of pickling recipes, all of them are suitable for doing it in jars. The only exception is pickling with whole heads of cabbage or halves. By the way, this is the most delicious. Most often, sweet peppers, apples, cranberries, lingonberries, garlic, onions, and beets are added during fermentation. Each housewife chooses additives according to her taste and the wishes of her household. Successful fermentation.
