Sauerkraut. How many nuances of taste and benefit in a simple at first glance dish, how much cooking skill! This dish is proudly considered to be national by all countries where not only sauerkraut is fermented every autumn, but also celebrations and festivals are held in its honor. In our country, you are invited to taste sauerkraut in a festive atmosphere in November: for example, in Veliky Ustyug and Cheboksary. Somehow magically this month, the Kimchi Festival is also taking place in Korea. Of course, this is not sauerkraut, but the “Peking” known to us, but very spicy and incredibly tasty.

  In a world that loves sauerkraut, no one disputes the championship, because everyone has their own peculiarities of its preparation: from the tradition of slicing to the secrets of pickling and eating even in the territory of one country. In Russia, cabbage is crushed by hands, and in Poland, they are often stamped with feet, just like grapes in Italy. How to cut cabbage - thin lace, which then stretches like spaghetti, than Ryazan cabbage is famous for, or with thick petals and cubes, spicy or sweet taste - it's up to you. Use an oak barrel or coat a container for salting with honey - special subtleties. And how it is: slightly seasoned with lean butter or to cook something complex and satisfying - the question is very personal.

Europe and America use sauerkraut as an ingredient for preparing hot dishes, Russia as a finished product, a queen of a meal and a doctor, as well as a piquant component of cabbage, hodgepodge, and salads. At the same time, not everyone knows that the first inhabitants of China began to sow cabbage in the era of the Yellow Emperor. And if you believe the legends, then she came to us during the raids of the army of Genghis Khan.

Sauerkraut is admired by poets, writers and artists. She was dedicated to poetry by the Polish poet Adam Mickiewicz, Ernest Hemingway wrote deliciously about her in his brilliant novel "Farewell to Arms." An interesting watercolor by S.A. is kept in the Chuvash State Museum Stepanovich "Chopping cabbage", written at the turn of the twentieth century. In Korean Gwangju, the National Museum of Sauerkraut was created.

Sergey Kapustnik

In Russia, according to tradition, they started harvesting cabbage in the fields on September 27 at the Exaltation, which is why they said: "On the Exaltation of a good fellow, cabbage at the porch." Heads of cabbage with juicy white sweet leaves were not supposed to touch the first cold. Processed cabbage on Sergiev Day or Sergey Kapustnik, which falls on October 8. It was a holiday - funny "cabbage". Frosts were already coming. And it was a good sign: if you ferment cabbage at this time, it will be tasty and not sour. The first snow on this day heralded the arrival of winter on Mikhailov Day on November 21.
In the villages and small towns in Kapustka they drank beer and sweet hop honey, tried various treats - “snacks”, including cabbage pies and flat cakes that were baked on a cabbage leaf. They were brought in by the mistress, in whose house the cabbage girls came to help chop the cabbage, saying: "Forks in a bucket, chop silver, chopped meat, into a tub of treadmill." Because the holiday had another name - "help." The more people came, the better - it means that the cabbage harvest was glorious. Well, if among the young people were those who bears the name Sergey.

And the girls were not simple. Families with daughters of marriage were usually invited. After all, the guys later came to look after the bride, who showed her beauty and industriousness, and help to do the hard work: close the oak tubs with cabbage, and put them underground. So the words "Wack the girl about cabbage, but remember about the groom" sounded relevant. After all, ahead was the Intercession day, after which the time came for matchmaking and weddings.

Beneficial features

In Russia, sauerkraut is ready to eat all year round, to praise its taste and the author of the preparation. And in this gastronomic impulse there are only pluses. Because the dish is rich in vitamins A, B and C. Improve the taste, nutritional and beneficial properties of the ingredients added when serving: apples, cranberries, herbs, spices, vegetable oils.

However, for some people, the inclusion of sauerkraut in their diet is contraindicated: if they suffer from a stomach ulcer or duodenal ulcer.

Sauerkraut

1. Peel the cabbage from the upper leaves, wash, cut into 4 parts, remove the stalk, finely chop.
  2. Wash, peel, grate carrots or cut into strips.
  3. Grate the cabbage with salt.
  4. Add carrots, mix.
  5. Put the cabbage in a large saucepan and tamp. Put a lid on top and bend. Leave on for 3 days.
  6. Pierce cabbage several times a day with a knife.
7. Store prepared cabbage in a cold place.

Georgian spicy sauerkraut

1. Coarsely chop the cabbage, beets with petals, grate the carrots on a coarse grater, hot pepper into several parts, chop the garlic.
  2. Combine garlic, carrots, beets, hot peppers.
  3. Pour water into the pan, add sugar, salt, allspice. Boil.
  4. Mix all the ingredients, pour brine.
  5. Leave to ferment for 3-4 days.

Soup "Kapustnyak" (Poland)

1. Chop the onion. Fry in a saucepan, stirring, in oil, until transparent, add caraway seeds.
  2. Peel the carrots, cut into circles and add to the onion, fry.
  3. Pour in water. Add diced potatoes and pork ribs. Cook until vegetables are cooked.
  4. Squeeze out excess juice from cabbage.
  5. Add cabbage to the soup. Salt, pepper. Cook for 15 minutes.

Bigos Staropolsky

1. Rinse sauerkraut. Pour a little water and cook for 40 minutes.
  2. Chop fresh cabbage.
  3. Chop the onion. Dice the meat. Fry onions and meat in a pan.
  4. Combine the meat with two types of cabbage. Add tomato paste, wine, jam, spices, salt, pepper.
  5. Stew for 40 minutes over low heat.

Sauerkraut (Germany)

1. Grind onions and garlic and put in a saucepan with olive oil.
  2. Add paprika and sauerkraut.
  3. Pour in wine and cream. To salt.
  4. Stew for 30 minutes over low heat.

Bavarian Sauerkraut Salad

  1. Peel the orange and apples from the peel and seeds, cut and combine in one bowl, mix. The orange juice formed during cutting is combined with lemon.
  2. Peel and chop celery. Mix with sauerkraut.
  3. Finely chop the green onion. Chop the nuts. In olive oil add citrus juice, nuts and onions, salt and pepper.
  4. Mix all the ingredients, fill with dressing, mix.
  5. Put the leaves of green salad in the cup and then the salad itself.

Shoukrut (Alsace, France)

1. Chop the onion and fry in the bacon. Add sauerkraut and fry. Add cabbage and spices.
  2. Cut the bacon, ham and loin, fry. Put on cabbage, cover with a small lid and squeeze a little so that they are a little immersed in cabbage. Put sausages on top.
  3. Add the broth and wine so that they cover the cabbage. Cook 1-1.5 hours.

The Invented History of Russian Products from Kievan Rus to the USSR Syutkina Olga Anatolyevna

Sauerkraut, salted and Russian cabbage

Cabbage is one of the oldest plants adapted by man for his needs. Its wild leafy varieties have long been known. Cabbage (Brassica oleracea) has been cultivated in the Mediterranean for four thousand years. It is possible that her healing properties were an incentive for her cultivation, and she was then valued rather as a medicinal plant. However, very soon it fully entered the diet of Europeans - as the basis for soups.

Unlike other vegetables, cabbage is a true cosmopolitan. Her homeland is everywhere and nowhere specifically. It is unlikely that any country or region can rightfully declare that cabbage was born on their territory. The championship of the European Mediterranean disputes Transcaucasia, which, in turn, cannot compete with Ancient China. Kale analogs existed in pre-Columbian America.

There are three main varieties of cabbage: cabbage, cauliflower and leafy. The head of cabbage is divided into smooth-leaf (or ordinary), curly-leaved single-headed (Savoy) and curly-leaved multi-headed (Brussels).

Cauliflower is represented by two types: real cauliflower - with a more or less large "head", and broccoli - with a less dense inflorescence, decaying into separate lobes. Hard cabbage does not form heads.

There are many varieties of cabbage - both Russian and foreign. Among them:

- white

Early: bull heart, Erfurt small, Bronnitskaya (round small head of cabbage);

Later: Revel pood (large round head), Mandeburg (large, slightly flat head), Braunschweig (large head, well tolerates drought), Saburov (huge flat head of white, good for cutting, long stored fresh), filder (long conical very large head of cabbage), Schweinfurt (large loose head, tender), Greek pood (slightly flat head), Ulm (medium-sized spherical head, not quite white);

- red-headed:  Erfurt (round head, early), Dutch (large head, late);

- savoy cabbage: Vienna (small heads of cabbage, early), Ulm (small head of cabbage, early), Marcelin (large head of cabbage, late, suitable for more southern areas);

- brussels: Brussels low with small heads;

- color: Hague dwarf greenhouse (beautiful white, dense rather large heads), Erfurt dwarf (large delicate white heads, early), Lenorman (large white dense heads, early), imperial (wide white heads, early), statholder (huge heads, late ), Algerian (large white heads, late, well preserved);

- sheet: gruenkol, braunkol, plume (or cirrus) and fodder.

But let's go back a little - to the history of the distribution of this plant. The first mention of kale dates back to ancient Greece, perhaps, as far as 600 BC (we emphasize right away: mention in the European region, since domestication of Chinese cabbage is also an ancient process, but it’s a completely different story). In fact, it became one of the few wild plants that have successfully tried to cultivate in antiquity. This variety received the scientific name "Brassica oleracea", or "Acephala", which means "without a head" (of course - without a head of cabbage). It entered the European languages \u200b\u200bas " Borecole ",  or " Coleworts. "  There are several varieties of it, differing in the color of the leaves - from green to deep purple. The leaves themselves are lace, corrugated.

Apparently, in antiquity there also met cabbage (or some intermediate varieties - a product of artificial selection). The experiments of the emperor Diocletian (3rd century A.D.) are known, who grew cabbage in the present Split, one species of which prevented him from returning to Rome at the call of the Senate. What kind of variety it was is now difficult to determine. One can only speculate: since the emperor was so proud of her, then, probably, the variety was still cultivated, requiring selection, creation of conditions for cultivation, and so on. And that means, most likely, a head.

But then there was a curious incident, quite common for the beginning of the European Middle Ages. The invasion of the barbarians in the 4th – 5th centuries naturally changed the nutritional structure of Europeans. On a vast territory, familiar Roman dishes and customs gave way to the dishes of the new conquerors. Beer replaced wine, fatty pork - Mediterranean fish diet, lard - olive oil. A similar fate befell many cultivated vegetables.

Under these conditions, only on the outskirts of the empire the achievements of the culinary culture of the past were preserved. Now look at the map: where are they, those areas not occupied by the Goths and Huns? That's right, this is Britain, part of the Iberian Peninsula and, of course, Byzantium. It was from there (and also a little earlier from the Greek colonies of the Black Sea region) that the same kale came to ancient Russia.

Our homeland then lay on the path "from the Varangians to the Greeks." However, it should be borne in mind that in the culinary field the influence of Greek (Byzantine) cuisine on our ancestors was small. The Mediterranean tradition is not much established here. It is understandable: the main products of Greek cuisine - olive oil, goat cheese, sea fish, unleavened bread - were not characteristic of Ancient Russia. Only seeds of cultivated cereals and vegetables became links in a thin chain of continuity in gastronomy. Prince Oleg, upon returning from the campaign of Constantinople (907), brought with him to Kiev gold, fabrics, vegetables  and wine. But let's not forget: it is one thing to bring amusing gifts and trophies from the campaigns, and it is another to introduce them into everyday life. And here one of the decisive factors was the weather. In our cool, continental climate, only the most seasoned cultures have taken root. Kale is one of them. Since antiquity, it has been famous for its resistance to cold and disease. But what's there - after the first frost, it becomes only sweeter and juicier.

Actually, this variety, along with turnips, was the basis of the vegetable diet of our distant ancestors. And only about 700-800 years ago, it was gradually begun to be replaced by heading varieties.

It is believed that cabbage in Russia is known a long time ago. But the first written mention of it dates back to the 11th – 12th centuries. She, of course, was cultivated before. It is enough to say that the rutabaga that was common in our time was a cultural hybrid of cabbage and turnip, so that traces of the appearance of cabbage in Russia are generally lost in the deep past. No wonder that one of the most “characteristic” Russian dishes is based on cabbage. “And fresh white cabbage is very small,” was also noted in the “Mural of Tsar’s Foods” (1610–1613).

Although mentions of cabbage appear in some chronicles, we find the first more or less ordered information about its role in Russian cuisine in Domostroy. It is full of picturesque quotes: “at dinner sometimes eat cabbage oily”, “take cabbage from the worm and fleas and take them away”, “how to plant cabbage and beets and ripen the cabbage to boil the leaves”, “cook cabbage and beets all summer, and in autumn salted cabbage. "

Unfortunately, there are very few written sources on ancient Russian cuisine. A few chronicles, known to all as Domostroy, and the recollections of foreign travelers - this is perhaps an exhaustive list of information about it. It is thanks to the memoirs of foreign guests that we can judge today about our medieval cabbage “menu”.

Thanks to Olearius, we know that in Russia "there are all kinds of kitchen vegetables ... different varieties cabbage, onions and garlic in great abundance. " A little later, the certificate of a foreigner belongs to the Dutchman Cornelius de Bruin, who left memories of his journey to Russia in 1701-1704. “Turnips are abundant there, just like red cabbage". You see, we are talking about red (that is, leafy) cabbage. But not red-headed - it will be brought to Russia only at the end of the 18th century, and for the first time it will be called "black."

There was still cabbage "Gray". Actually, she is known today in Russian villages. These are just those dark green leaves that grow around a head of cabbage. And if these days they are fed more often to rabbits and goats, then about two hundred - three hundred years ago they were widely used in the "human" kitchen. They harvested gray cabbage in the same way as white cabbage: chopped, salted, rammed it tightly, pierced it with a wooden stick for the first three days to release the gases, crushed it again, covered it, laid the load and left it alone for the whole winter. Barrels of gray cabbage lasted until spring for cabbage soup, barrels of white cabbage - for everything else (just for a snack with vegetable oil, cranberries and honey, or for more complex dishes - with meat and poultry).

However, today it is “gray” cabbage - the leaves around the head of cabbage. And in our long past, this variety probably had a “endless” look. Long selection processes have changed the vegetable so familiar to us. After all, in the current garden the head of cabbage is not always tied. Often just gray-green leaves grow, today they are not suitable for anything, and several centuries ago they are quite suitable for food.

A tavern on the Volga between Saratov and Kostroma. 1867

Ordinary white cabbage rightfully took the place of one of the main vegetables in our kitchen. Of course, the first thing that comes to mind in connection with it is the use of it in a fermented form. Note, however, that the old recipe was different from the modern one. In particular, it was commonplace to put anise, saffron, and coriander in sauerkraut (salted) cabbage. Here is what the author of the 17th century writes: “Peasants, instead of any service, were obliged to put cabbage on the royal cuisine. Each one would almost have found two or three full barrels of cabbage of the whitest, and as good as it is difficult to see with us or elsewhere. They ferment it in steaks with anise and gut, which makes it extremely tasty. ”

Anise in the recipe lasted long enough. So in 1843, the famous journalist Nikolai Grech, describing the pickling of cabbage, noted that it was stacked in a barrel "in layers, sprinkled with salt and anise, and shifted with lemon circles."

Souring (salting) cabbage for Russia is, rather, not a culinary, but a cultural phenomenon. In the 19th century in Siberia, for example, this activity turned into evening gatherings with neighbors, called " cabbage. "  Here is what Ekaterina Avdeeva, the first woman-author of a cookbook in our country, wrote about this in 1837:

What else did cabbage go in Russian cuisine for? You can recall at least two extremely characteristic dishes. The first is blasts. It is difficult to call them an independent dish. This is more seasoning - boiled to a thick sauce for fish, meat and the like. Even in the “Mural of the royal dishes” (1610–1613), it is mentioned: “And to the swans, to the fire and to the offal, 45 spools of saffron”, “yes, to the fire, 3 buckets of bastra”, “part of the leggings are ripe under the sound, and in it 2 spools of pepper "," and a blast on it with saffron from raflenago smoking. " Boil as a universal sauce could consist of various spices, onions, cabbage, honey and other things. Here, for example, one of the "cabbage" options:

Another historical Russian dish is a peasant. As always, there is confusion here: a villager or a hodgepodge? Which of them is soup, and which is fried cabbage? Frankly, the study of ancient sources of clarity on this issue did not add up - in different books one name can mean both. Which, in general, is understandable: fried, stewed cabbage is the basis for both hot and soup.

With the advent of European dishes in our kitchen at the end of the 18th century, cabbage becomes indispensable for salads and soups. It’s hard to say how, say, such a recipe was common in the real kitchen of that time. Perhaps this is only the creativity and desire of the compiler of the Culinary Calendar, who tried using the unpretentious translations to instill a taste for foreign dishes. In different areas of knowledge, we came across similar processes - when European-oriented literature of the era tried to acquaint the public with new habits, tastes, things. It’s not always that these aspirations of the authors aroused real public interest, sometimes they remained just a curious sign of the times, strange, in our opinion, combination of “French with Nizhny Novgorod”:

What varieties of cabbage were known in our XVIII century? You will be surprised, but in those years the cabbage assortment actually approached the modern one. In the "Dictionary of Cooking, Minion, Canditorial and Distillatory" published in 1795-1798, we see cabbage, Savoy, cauliflower and others.

Here is a short list of recipes from there:

Fried cauliflower

Cabbage with Parmesan

Bavarian cabbage

Flemish cabbage

Cabbage stew

Cabbage soup

Parfass cabbage

Cabbage stew

And this is only a small part of the variety of dishes characteristic of Russian cuisine of those years.

However, as Maria Redelin, author of the popular encyclopedia Home and Housekeeping, already noted in 1900, “broccoli and leafy cabbage are rarely bred in the vegetable gardens of the house. On sale, you can probably find seeds, for example, French broccoli, and from leaf - low and high bruncol, yellow butter, as well as kotran. " In general, the whole European "cabbage" assortment was present in the Russian cuisine of the 19th century. And the dishes prepared from it, largely repeated the dishes of German and French cuisines. However, there is another cabbage variety that has a pronounced "Russian" shade. In some countries, this cabbage is called “Russian”. While researching the history of Russian cuisine, we often come across amazing things. That some traditional dish is not even Russian at all, but came from our old neighbors. That Slavic roots are found in the distant foreign food ... If you look at the photograph sent to us from California, then only by connecting a rich imagination, you recognize in the plant depicted a relative of our white-headed. “Okay,” we thought, “cabbage is really a very diverse plant. More than a hundred varieties - which you will not meet. ” But why "Russian"? Moreover, another name is Kale -  also did not cause any language associations.

The riddle of cabbage "Red Russian kale", known precisely by this name in the USA and Great Britain, has long troubled us. So far, finally, with the help of ancient sources it was not possible to shed light on its history. It's about red kale. This is not to say that this plant was an indispensable attribute of the Russian table, but in our culinary of past centuries kale was used quite often. Similar in taste to white cabbage, it was consumed both fresh and in soups or as a side dish. The stems, usually too hard, were thrown away, and the leaves went into food. Here, for example, is one of the references to kale ("curly" cabbage) in the book "Cookery, Candidate, Minion and Distillator Dictionary" published by Vasily Levshin in 1795:

Until the end of the XVIII century, this kale was quite common with us and existed along with cultivated head varieties. Actually, the traditional Russian dish - sauerkraut or salted cabbage - is prepared only from white plants. So the cultivation of her leafy relative gradually shifted north to Siberia, where he had no competitors because of the special frost resistance. At the same time, as a result of natural selection, kale cabbage acquired a reddish-blue hue of the stem and veins.

Cabbage Kale from California. Photo by Helia Delerins

A.T. Bolotov (1738–1833). Engraving beg. XIX century

Carrots and cabbage grew only in some volosts. On the left side of the Dvina planted carrots, onions, garlic, red  and “ordinary” “gray” (leaf) cabbage. ” The Russian north, and later Siberia, became a kind of “reserve”, where this variety of cabbage, not particularly known in the early Middle Ages in the European diet, was preserved for a long time. Meanwhile, European medieval sources contain many references to it. Say, in the XV – XVI centuries in Spain and Portugal this plant was not uncommon. On another outskirts of Europe (outskirts by the standards of that era) - in England - William Turner back in 1548 in the book " The names of herbs in Greke, Latin, Englishe, Duche and Frenche »  referred to cabbage, "called Kole or Kiel." The same name is given in one of the oldest (about 1400) British "botanical" manuscripts - "A Feat of Gardening"  John Gardener.

But note: already in 1767, John Mills in the book " A new system of practical husbandry”Notes that the“ curly ”kale from Dorsetshire is also called“ Siberian cabbage ”, which never suffers from the cold:

Many authors say that by the end of the XVII century, feces completely left the English gardens. Philip Miller mentions that “in the London area the feces have practically disappeared, and the cabbage and Savoy cabbage are being delivered to the markets instead.”

And here is a coincidence - it was at the beginning of the XVIII century that the trade of England with Russia intensified. We all remember the Petrine transformations, the development of crafts and trade in Arkhangelsk, where at the beginning of the century trade carts pulled into the capitals (Mikhailo Lomonosov arrived at the throne with one of them). From Arkhangelsk ships sailed to England with Russian goods - hemp, honey, potash. Probably, among other cargoes, there were seeds of the same “Russian” cabbage. It seems that since then the name has been attached to it. Thus, having disappeared from British everyday life, she came there a century later under a different name.

In general, the “character” of cabbage is clearly reflected in the history of feces. We have already said that this plant is a cosmopolitan whose birthplace is a mystery. And kale is a real “deceiver" at all! It was grown in many countries, but everywhere for some reason it received a name from another country: in England it was called "Siberian or Scottish", in Holland - "German feces", in Germany - "French". No country considered kale as a domestic, native cabbage. Maybe because her true story has been lost for centuries?

Regarding the way kale appeared in America, there are different opinions, which on the whole do not contradict each other. According to one of them, this type of cabbage came to the New World in the 17th century from England (when it was still widely cultivated there). The first mention of this plant in America dates back to 1669, although it is obvious that it was brought there earlier. In 1822, American Samuel Dean notes in his manual "New England farmer":

Please note: this is the east coast of the United States, New England. This vegetable crop got to California and the surrounding areas only at the beginning of the 19th century. And it is thanks to our merchants. Arriving from Kamchatka, Russian ships gradually, through Canada, reached California. And several cabbage plots planted near Fort Ross laid the foundation for the cultivation in California of this "Russian" (as it is still called here) cabbage.

Mockery of fate: today, feces are considered in Russia mainly as an ornamental variety for decorating gardens and parks. The old recipes with her are almost lost; attempts to make “kale chips” may be interesting as an experiment, but they hardly have a serious culinary prospect. In general, this cabbage threw out the usual trick again - it came to the country as a foreigner, pretending that no one here knew it.

Sauerkraut

What do you need:

For 1 three-liter can of Cabbage - 1 large head of cabbage Average Carrot - 1 pc. Rye flour - 2 tbsp. tablespoons salt, sugar

What to do:

Prepare all the ingredients - cut off the top damaged leaves from cabbage, grate the carrots on a coarse grater, sugar, salt, pour flour into small containers. Wash the jar with hot water and wipe dry.

Chop the portions in portions into a large bowl (you can do this with an electric vegetable slicer) and, as they fill up, generously salt the cabbage, sprinkle with a pinch of sugar and grind it with your hands until the juice appears. Add part of the carrots, mix.

Sprinkle the bottom of the can with rye flour and lay the cabbage tightly.

Then chop the next batch and lay the jar in the same way. Cabbage should be stuffed in a jar as tightly as possible. In the middle of the jar, sprinkle the cabbage with flour.

Once the cabbage is all laid, put the jar in a large bowl - during fermentation the juice will pour out. Cover the jar with gauze and leave on the table. By the end of the first day, if the room is warm enough, active fermentation will begin. Over the next time, you need to pierce the cabbage in several places with a wooden stick five to six times. By the end of the third day, fermentation will become less active and, having pierced the cabbage for the last time, be sure to add the sprouted cabbage juice to the jar, close the lid and put the cabbage in the refrigerator. Until full maturity, cabbage should stand in the refrigerator for at least 3 days.

     From the book Preservation and Procurement. The best recipes from natural products. Simple and affordable   the author    Zvonareva Agafya Tikhonovna

Cabbage, salted with citric acid On a 3-liter jar - 1 large head of cabbage, 6 - 7 sweet peppers, 2 - 3 carrots, 0.5 teaspoon of citric acid, 3 tbsp. tablespoons of sugar, 3 tbsp. tablespoons of salt. Chop the cabbage, peel the sweet pepper, cut into strips, grate the carrots on a large

   From the book Fancy blank recipes   the author    Treer Hera Marksovna

Salty cabbage with mushrooms, carrots and apples "Princely" 3 kg of cabbage 800 g of any mushrooms 300 g of apples 200 g of carrots 4 tbsp. tablespoons of salt Remove from the cabbage stalks, chop with straws and grind with salt. Put the prepared cabbage in a container (preferably in a barrel),

   From the book Smart raw food diet. Food for body, soul and spirit   the author    Gladkov Sergey Mikhailovich

   From the book Home canning   author Kozhemyakin R. N.

Russian classics: sauerkraut Of course, speaking of diverse and sophisticated methods of fermentation, I should not forget to bring a recipe for ordinary sauerkraut. Thanks to this dish, you can effectively help meat eaters and those who eat pizza and

   From the book Encyclopedia of Economics   the author    Polivalina Lyubov Aleksandrovna

Sweet-salty cabbage Components White cabbage - 4.5 kg Carrots - 0.5 kg Boiled water -1 l Sugar - 0.5 cups Salt - 1.5–2 tablespoons Fine chop the cabbage, grate the carrots. Mix the vegetables, put them in a bowl for salting and pour in chilled

   From the book New recipes for canning   the author    Lukovkina Aurika

Salted cauliflower 2 kg of cabbage, 3-5 glasses of water, 1 glass of salt. Put in a sterilized 3-liter jars disassembled into inflorescences and peeled green leaves. Pour boiling water and close the lid. After half an hour, drain the water. After the inflorescences

   From the book Dainties from cabbage. Cooking like professionals!   the author    Krivtsova Anastasia Vladimirovna

Kohlrabi salted cabbage Number of servings - 10 1 kg of fresh kohlrabi cabbage 3 g of citric acid 1 l of water 30 g of salt Preparation 15 min. Cooking 60 min. 1. Wash and peel kohlrabi fruits with a diameter of about 12–15 cm. Cut into large cubes. Need cabbage

   From the book The Encyclopedia of Smart Raw Food Science: The Victory of Mind over Habit   the author    Gladkov Sergey Mikhailovich

Salted cabbage White cabbage with prunes? 1 forks of white cabbage? 50 g of prunes? coriander seeds For brine :? 30 g of salt? 20 g of sugar? Bay leaf? 500 ml of water Chop the cabbage finely, cut the stalk. Pour prune with boiling water and leave for 5-7 minutes.

   From the author’s book

Early ripe white cabbage salted? 1 forks of white cabbage? 20 g of salt? 50 ml of water Remove green leaves from cabbage, rinse them in cold water. Shred cabbage finely, rinse in cold water. Then dip in boiling water for 3-5 minutes. Throw the cabbage on

   From the author’s book

Salted canned white cabbage? 1 fork of white cabbage For brine :? 60 g of salt? 30 g of sugar? 1 liter of water Remove the top leaves, chop the cabbage. Bring the water to a boil. Add salt, sugar, mix until completely dissolved. Put the cabbage in

   From the author’s book

Cabbage salted with carrots and pomegranate? 1 fork of white cabbage, carrots? 3 grenades? 20 g of salt? dill seeds Remove the top green leaves, chop the cabbage. Grate the carrots on a coarse grater. Salt the cabbage and grind until juice appears. Then

   From the author’s book

Salted white cabbage? 1 forks of white cabbage? 20 g of salt? 10 g sugar Remove the top leaves. Chop the cabbage, add sugar and salt. Lightly grind the cabbage. Then put it in prepared jars, tamping tightly. Top with cabbage

   From the author’s book

Salty red cabbage? 1 forks of red cabbage? 20 g of salt? 10 g sugar Remove the top leaves and rinse them. Chop the cabbage in wide strips, then add salt, sugar and mix thoroughly. Leave the cabbage for 1-2 hours at room temperature.

   From the author’s book

Salted Beijing cabbage? 2 heads of Chinese cabbage? 20 g of salt? 10 grams of sugar? 1 chili pepper, ginger root? 30 ml of wine rice vinegar Separate leaves from the stump, wash and dry thoroughly. Cut into small squares. Remove the seeds from the chili pepper and chop

   From the author’s book

Savoy salted cabbage with pumpkin? 1 forks of savoy cabbage? 400 g peeled pumpkin? 30 g of salt? 20 g of sugar? tarragon greens Cut the pumpkin into small pieces, cover with sugar and place in a cool place until the juice is allocated. Chop cabbage, tarragon herbs finely

Eating tasty and healthy - this means preserving the taste of life and the strength of one’s health. Sauerkraut is one of those dishes that can help in this difficult task. A huge number of types and recipes that make this dish traditional in many countries allow you to choose exactly what you like. Well, and when sauerkraut is relevant, for a holiday or for every day, we will discuss a little lower.

The history of sauerkraut

Any traditional dish has its own, although sometimes very small, but history, so sauerkraut can tell something about how it appeared on the tables of countries such as Germany, Russia, Bulgaria, Ukraine, Belarus, the Czech Republic and even China. By the way, in the last this dish was used for catering for the workers involved in the construction of the Great Wall of China, and this was back in the 3rd century BC. From Chinese traditional cuisine, in which Beijing cabbage was used to prepare this dish, it migrated to Korea, and after not so much time became the property of Romanian, Bulgarian and Czech cuisine. But, of course, many people loved sauerkraut in Russia, as well as in the states of the former USSR, such as Belarus and Ukraine. Indeed, it is simply impossible to imagine a Russian feast without this spicy, seasoned with seasonings and cranberry berries dishes, it has become so familiar for several centuries. In this regard, in Russia there were even special days when it was supposed to harvest sauerkraut. This day was called Sergiev or Sergey Kapustnik.

The composition of sauerkraut

Sauerkraut is extremely rich in vitamins and minerals. The standard composition A, B, C is supplemented with vitamins H, E and PP, and the lactic and acetic acids produced during the fermentation process are excellent natural antiseptics and fighters against pathogenic bacteria. The level of minerals such as potassium, calcium, phosphorus, sulfur, sodium and chlorine also occupies not the last place in the composition of sauerkraut. Thanks to the development of natural preservatives in the form of organic acids and vitamin C, this product has a sufficiently long shelf life, which allows it to be harvested for the winter.

The benefits and harms of sauerkraut

In addition to good taste, this dish has a number of useful properties that contribute to the overall strengthening of the body, increase immunity and tone muscle tissue. A huge number of trace elements and vitamins in sauerkraut help fight diseases such as gastritis and stomach ulcers, with the exception of these diseases with high acidity. In this dish, the content of vitamin U contributes to it, which is valued for its antiulcer properties.

The use of sauerkraut is also useful for normalizing the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract. Due to this, the growth of beneficial microflora in the intestine is stabilized, as well as the process of removing harmful cholesterol from the body. Some sources also indicate such an effect of sauerkraut, as the normalization of the work of the genital area, both in men and in women.

For those who are on a diet and want to lose weight, this dish can become a real savior, because it is low-calorie (no more than 25 kcal per 100 grams) and activates all the cleansing processes in the body.

However, due to the large amount of salt in sauerkraut, it should not be consumed by people with metabolic disorders, thrombophlebitis and a tendency to swelling. The use of this product provokes a strong increase in appetite, activates the fermentation process in the stomach and intestines, which can provoke severe gas formation and cause many inconveniences associated with this. In addition to all this, sauerkraut increases acidity, pressure, due to the narrowing of the walls of blood vessels and with excessive use, it can negatively affect sexual function and urinary system. A large amount of salt also affects the strong deterioration of blood vessels and negatively affects the functioning of the cardiovascular system as a whole.

Homemade Cabbage Recipe

The preparation of sauerkraut is carried out according to one principle - the prepared vegetable and other ingredients are kneaded, mashed with added salt and placed in a suitable dish, after which a load is placed on top of it, which contributes to the delivery of the juice and its movement up. The resulting liquid contains a lot of lactic acid, which helps to fight against mold and keep the product fresh for longer. Within two to seven days, the cabbage should be infused, and the juice should begin to ferment, after which the harvesting should be removed in a cold room (refrigerator), where sauerkraut will reach, acquiring its own unique taste.

During preparation for the main vegetable, it is quite appropriate to add such ingredients as caraway seeds, dill, allspice, carrots, bay leaves or cranberries. Following the methods of their ancestors, sauerkraut can be made from whole heads of cabbage, their halves or quarters, and also using shredded or finely chopped vegetables.

How to choose and how to store sauerkraut

If you do not want to spend time preparing homemade cabbage, then buying it in a store, you need to consider several key points. First of all, refuse to purchase a product packed in a plastic dish or bag, and even more so in an aluminum container, as this can be potentially dangerous. When choosing, pay particular attention to the color of the cabbage, it should be white and golden, display fresher, and in no case should it be gray or dark. A too white sweet-tasting vegetable should also be suspicious.

To store sauerkraut, it is necessary to maintain the optimum temperature to zero degrees. Very low will contribute to the loss of taste and a large number of vitamins, and high - to excessive fermentation and oxidation of the product. It is necessary to ensure that the cabbage is immersed in its juice, otherwise it will wind up and take on an aesthetic appearance.

The best cabbage should be prepared and stored in wooden tubs in a dark and cool place, then it will have a unique attractive taste and will retain all its positive qualities. In addition, the tree, from which special barrels are made, contains many antioxidants that are transmitted to cabbage during its pickling. By the way, the larger the vegetable is cut, the more vitamins and minerals will be stored in it.

This original Russian product, in fact, according to one version, came to us from Ancient China. According to one, since it is no longer possible to establish the true place of its origin for certain. It is believed that the Mongols exported it from 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 minerals. Back in ancient times, sailors used it for the prevention of scurvy (scurvy - a disease caused by an acute deficiency of vitamin C (ascorbic acid), which leads to a loss in the strength of connective tissues). Since the diet of sailors on long sea expeditions was very poor in vitamin content, it served as a worthy substitute for many fruits and vegetables and was almost the only source of vitamin C.

Sauerkraut is a storehouse of vitamins and minerals!

Not every vegetable can boast of it. 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, a wound healing agent), U - methylmethianine (anti-ulcer 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, volatile, enzymes, lactic and acetic acids, tartronic acid - slows down the processing of carbohydrates into subcutaneous fat.

Besides, sauerkraut  low-calorie total 25 kcal per 100 g of product. Protein 1.6 g, fat 0.1 g, carbohydrates 5.2 g. For those who want to lose a couple of pounds, you must include it in the diet.

Sauerkraut  rightfully can be considered the queen of the table. Using it, how many mouth-watering, tasty and satisfying dishes can be prepared. This is not only everyday cabbage soup, vinaigrette, fried potatoes with sauerkraut, but also holiday cakes. Very well she approaches baked potatoes in the oven with bacon.And of course you can’t imagine it better in its pure form, seasoned with onions and vegetable oil. I don’t know how to make a shish kebab under cognac, but sauerkraut under the “little white” one, and at the festive table - it never gets better!

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

Choose the right cabbage for pickling.

Very well, we sorted out the history, made sure of the presence of vitamins and even almost laid the festive table. Where is the hero of the occasion? And now we will choose it. Yes, such that then you lick your fingers!

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

But, I think, it is unlikely that any of the sellers in the market will tell you what grade he is trading. To see such information on the price tag in the store is generally not realistic. Therefore, we will be realistic and we 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 is soft, deformed, it is better not to buy one. He is not ripe.

- There should be no cracks or putrid spots.

- The smell is only fresh cabbage.

- The length of the head of the head is at least 2 centimeters and its slice is white. If brown - the vegetable has already lay down. This is also better not to take.

- If you take cabbage in the market, it is desirable to have green leaves. If they are not there, it is possible that it was frostbitten and they were simply cut off.

- The weight of the fork is not less than 1 kg., But it is better to choose 3-5 kilograms so that there is less waste and more product yield.

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

Tips and secrets of sauerkraut.

Here I want to briefly outline the tips that I met related to the process of pickling this vegetable:

1. In no case use aluminum or iron containers for these purposes. Only glass, wooden, clay, food-grade plastic or enameled without chips.
2. The process of fermentation takes place with a certain sour-milk bacterium, in order to avoid the ingress of other bacteria, due to which the vegetable ferments incorrectly, 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 upper leaves.
5. Salt take coarse or medium grinding, fine should not be used.
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 to a new moon or a rising moon. At the full moon and waning phases, it turns out tasteless and "snotty."
8. It is not necessary to knead it very strongly with salt. It is enough to make a few crushing movements in order to mix all the ingredients. But it should be rammed into the container tightly so that the juice covers the entire surface.
9. If you want to keep maximum vitamins, do not chop too finely. The larger, the more useful.
10. Do not store cabbage in the cold. Freezing, it will become soft and lose a crunch.
11. Daily pierce with a wooden stick to the bottom. So accumulated gases are released. Neglecting this seemingly trifle, you risk getting a bitter taste.
12. Take off the foam that forms on the surface daily.
13. Do not keep the cabbage warm after the fermentation process is over, usually 3-5 days. Otherwise, it will become soft and lose a crunch.
14. The optimum temperature for storage is from -1 to +2 0С.

Sauerkraut recipe with step by step photo.

Sauerkraut recipe is rather classic, because nothing is used except cabbage, carrots, salt and sugar. Although, of course, there are a lot of options for pickling: with pepper and bay leaf, apples, cranberries, brown bread crusts, honey, and I'm not talking about using herbs.

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

Step 1. Preparatory.

We will need:

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

- a fork weighing 3.5 to 4 kilograms, having previously removed 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 several dumplings (from the Ukrainian “petal”) of a rectangular or triangular shape, which we then ferment with cabbage. Shred all the ingredients on a vegetable cutter or knife. We shred the cabbage so that the stump remains untouched. Previously, you can cut it.

Here we have such a beautiful slide. Slices of whole cabbage are the same dumplings.

Step 3. Mix the ingredients.

Mix shredded cabbage and carrots and mash hands with sugar and salt. On the volume of cabbage 4 kg. salt - 4 tbsp. spoons, sugar - 4 tbsp. spoon, all without a slide. Those. obtained from the calculation of 1 kg. cabbage 1 tablespoon of salt and 1 tablespoon of sugar, without a hill. We knead everything well so that juice appears. It should be slightly salted on the palate.

Step 4. We stuff into the jar.

We put a little shredded mixture on the bottom of the jar, press it well with a fist (if the hand is climbing) or a rolling pin. We put the duster, fill it with the mixture and ram it again. We do this until we fill the jar.

  At the end of the process, the juice should cover the entire cabbage on top. It is advisable to fill the jar to the shoulders or slightly higher, but not to the very top. Since during the fermentation our mixture rises, and if you put a full can, it will begin to overfill the can, and the juice will spill out. This method of fermentation is convenient in that no oppression is required. Due to the tight compaction and rather narrow containers (all this is not a barrel or a basin), the cabbage keeps itself.

In this form, put the jar on a plate, suddenly do not keep track of 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 the gases generated during the fermentation process to escape. If this is not done, cabbage can become bitter. Remove excess foam daily.

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

Bon Appetit! Be healthy and take care of yourself.

This original Russian product, in fact, according to one version, came to us from Ancient China. According to one, since it is no longer possible to establish the true place of its origin for certain. It is believed that the Mongols exported it from 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 minerals. Back in ancient times, sailors used it to prevent scurvy (scurvy, a disease caused by an acute deficiency of vitamin C (ascorbic acid), which leads to a loss of strength in connective tissues). Since the diet of sailors on long sea expeditions was very poor in vitamin content, it served as a worthy substitute for many fruits and vegetables and was almost the only source of vitamin

Sauerkraut is a storehouse of vitamins and minerals! Not every vegetable can boast of it. 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, a wound healing agent), U - methylmethianine (anti-ulcer 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, volatile, enzymes, lactic and acetic acids, tartronic acid - slows down the processing of carbohydrates into subcutaneous fat. In addition, sauerkraut low-calorie only 25 kcal per 100 g of product. Protein 1.6 g, fat 0.1 g, carbohydrates 5.2 g. For those who want to lose a couple of pounds, you must 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. This is not only everyday cabbage soup, vinaigrette, fried potatoes with sauerkraut, but also holiday cakes. Very well, it goes well with baked potatoes in the oven with bacon. And of course you can’t imagine it better in its pure form, seasoned with onions and vegetable oil. I don’t know how to make a shish kebab under cognac, but sauerkraut under the “little white” one, and at the festive table - it never gets better! Yes, 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 to people with diseases of the kidneys, liver, thyroid gland, with high acidity, with peptic ulcer and hypertension. Be careful and know your measure.