How To Cook How To Make A Successful Sauerkraut (without Brine) - Recipe

Sauerkraut is a wonderful way to preserve the beneficial properties of vegetables in winter. When boiled, it loses valuable folic acid (vitamin B9), while when sour, all vitamins are not only preserved but also increased. The amount of vitamin C, for example, increases several times, reaching 70 mg per 100 grams of product, vitamin P is 20 times more in sauerkraut compared to its content in fresh. Thanks to lactic acid fermentation, a large amount of probiotics is formed, which equates sour vegetables with kefir in this regard.

Brine is also useful - it contains substances that do not allow carbohydrates to be converted into fat. Therefore, it is an indispensable helper for those who want to lose weight and is an excellent prevention against gastritis with high acidity.

You are probably already convinced that sauerkraut is good to have at every table. We suggest you see the following few tips, following which will help you successfully prepare your vegetables, because technology has its subtleties and rules that are important for a good end result.

• The cabbage you pickle should be a late variety, because in the early days the cobs are crumbly and the leaves are colored bright green. In addition, they are poorer in sugar, which will significantly impair the fermentation process.
• If you decide to use carrots, they should be 3% of the weight of cabbage (300 grams of carrots per 10 kilograms of cabbage).
• The salt that is added should be plain coarse, not iodized.
• The required amount of salt is 2-2.5% by weight of vegetables (200-250 grams of salt per 10 kilograms of cabbage).
• It is more useful to use coarse sea salt, but also not iodized.
• Additions to cabbage can be very different: apples, cumin, cranberries, bay leaf, beets. The quantities of them are to taste.

The technology

In fact, there is nothing complicated about cooking sauerkraut, but if you skip or neglect any of the stages, then all your efforts will go to waste.

• Cabbages are thoroughly cleaned, contaminated and green leaves, rotten, frozen and all unhealthy parts are removed. The cob is cut off.
• Chop finely.
• If you decide to add carrots, first peel, slice or grate them.
• Sprinkle the chopped vegetables with salt and mash by hand, adding fruits, vegetables or spices as desired. Mash until the cabbage releases its juice.

The arrangement

• Prepare the dish: put cabbage leaves on the bottom.
• Then it is the turn of the vegetables (cut, because it will be ready for cooking or for salad), with a layer of 10-15 centimeters. Compact it tightly and then make a second row, which you also press thoroughly. Continue until the container is full or the product is exhausted.
• If you use a large pot to pickle the vegetables, put a small whole cabbage in the middle of the bowl. This way you will have sarma leaves in the winter.
• Finish the arrangement with leaves, cover them with a clean cloth, a vine hoop / wreath or a wide tray, and put some weight on top (for example, a stone).
• If everything is done properly, after a day the brine should have appeared on its surface.

• The best temperature for fermentation is room temperature.
• The first sign of proper fermentation is the formation of bubbles and foam on the surface. The foam must be removed.
• The most important stage follows. The moment is especially important, because in this way the gases with an unpleasant odor are removed. For this purpose, the cabbage is pierced in several places with a wooden stick, reaching the bottom of the dish. This is done every 1-2 days.
• Once the cabbage settles, remove the weight and the layer of brownish leaves under it. Wash the tray with hot soda solution. Wash the towel in water, then in saline solution, drain the liquid well and cover the cabbage with the cloth. Place the tray on it, which you press again with an object, but this time it should be lighter than the previous one. Its size should be such that the brine comes out at the ends of the tub.
• If the liquid does not show, put more weight or add brine.
• Store sauerkraut at a temperature between 0 and 5 degrees.

Properly pickled cabbage has an amber color, pleasant aroma and sour taste.