Do you know how to make delicious sauerkraut? You need to prepare in advance for sauerkraut season. Therefore, I will show you a recipe for very tasty homemade sauerkraut. I got it from my grandmother, so there is no doubt about its correctness.

Homemade sauerkraut turns out very tasty, you'll just lick your fingers! The recipe has been tested for so many years!

Today you can find many different options for its preparation. My method can be considered classic - it turns out tasty and crispy. A portion of sunflower oil and chopped onions will turn it into a divine dish.

Sauerkraut for the winter at home - how much salt

The main question that interests all housewives. This is really important. If you add salt, the dish will not be tasty. If you don’t report it, then everything will turn sour. The classic norm is 1 level tablespoon per 1 kilogram.

What you need to make sauerkraut

1. Winter cabbage . Summer varieties are not suitable for pickling. I choose flat, flattened “specimens” that look like cabbage rolls. They are exactly what you need for fermentation, they won’t let you down.
2. Salt. Regular stone, but not sea or iodized. There is no need for unpleasant surprises in this matter.
3. Carrot. Grated on a Korean grater, it will give the finished dish an appetizing appearance and pleasant taste.
4. Black and allspice peppercorns . I definitely add it for taste and piquancy.
5. Hot pepper in pods. Ingredient optional, for those who like it “spicier”.
6. Bay leaf. A small amount of it will add its own touch of taste.
7. Dill seeds. At will for an amateur. Some people can't imagine the taste without it.

When is the best time to salt cabbage in October 2017

The best time for pickling is when the Moon is waxing. You should not neglect this rule, so as not to look for the reason for the failure later. Therefore, we arm ourselves with the lunar calendar and select dates. In October these days are October 1-3 and October 23-31.

Number of products

• Shredded cabbage mass – 1 kg
• Carrots – 2 pcs.
• Rock salt – 1 tbsp. without top
• A few peas of black and allspice
• Bay leaf – 1-2 pcs.
• Dill seeds and hot pepper (optional)

Grandma's way of pickling crispy cabbage

Tip: At this stage, if desired, you can add cranberries, thinly sliced ​​apples or bell peppers.

• Add pepper, bay leaf and dill seeds.
• Transfer to a glass or enamel bowl. This could be a glass jar, an enamel pan. Aluminum cookware is not suitable for these purposes.
• Now the main thing is to compact the vegetable mixture very tightly into the bowl. Help yourself with your fist or a pusher, as you wish. Place the mixture as tightly as possible; when pressed, juice should appear.

Advice: hands and work utensils must be clean, otherwise bacteria and microorganisms may enter.

• Cover the top with a saucer or plate and cover with gauze to prevent debris or midges from getting in. Place something heavy on top as a weight. This could be a jar of water, cereal, or a special clean stone for such purposes (oppression).
• Leave in a warm place for two to three days. The dishes need to be placed in a bowl, because the fermentation process will begin and the juice may overflow. If foam appears, it means you did everything right. It should be removed with a clean spoon, and the contents of the dish should be pierced with a thin stick twice a day. Don't let the unpleasant smell of fermentation scare you, that's how it should be.

Advice: be sure to pierce, otherwise everything will be ruined.

As you can see, nothing complicated. You just need to know some of the subtleties that I talked about. It makes an excellent dish; it can be added to vinaigrette, cabbage soup, cabbage soup, and salads. Try, cook with us, and you will succeed in the best possible way! See you soon, I look forward to your visit!

Discussion: 5 comments

Sauerkraut is very healthy; I always prepare a couple of three-liter jars for the winter. This year I bought a wooden tub of 10 liters, I will experiment, they say it tastes better in wood.

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1. Post your results, Alevtina. Let everything work out perfectly!

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Your recipe turned out wonderful cabbage! That’s how I felt that the waxing moon and it was time to ferment the cabbage)))) But it was like this: I was standing, so I was chopping cabbage “to stew,” and then I really felt the taste of sauerkraut, and seasoned with homemade aromatic sunflower oil... mmm .. So wanted! I remembered that I saw your recipe, and went to look at it) And at the same time I stewed the chopped cabbage for new cabbage) And I bought some fresh butter at the market. And today, after three days, our crispy cabbage is ready! Cheers cheers! I went with boiled potatoes, no, I just flew away) But there was also something left to hide in the refrigerator)))) Thank you for the details and subtleties, it doesn’t seem to be anything complicated, but you gave useful advice. And everything turned out as it should) And last season I only got the right sauerkraut a couple of times, and the rest of the times it was either too soft or over-salted. And this one is just right! I hope it will always work out now ;)

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1. It's always nice when a recipe turns out well. Come visit :)

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The most important thing in salting cabbage is absolutely not to salt it during the full moon.

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Sauerkraut is very healthy. Almost everyone loves her. But not everyone ferments it themselves. Some people buy it at the market, others pass it on to others from their relatives. Today I will write a recipe for delicious homemade sauerkraut. There is no difficulty in preparation; you don’t need a lot of ingredients either.

I sauerkraut in a three-liter jar. When it runs out, I do more. You can ferment in any glass container, wooden or enamel. If it is an enamel pan, then there should be no chips in it. You cannot ferment cabbage in a plastic bucket or stainless steel.

Salt for sauerkraut should be coarse, NOT iodized. Iodized salt will make the cabbage soft and not crunchy.

If desired, you can add various spices to the cabbage: black pepper, cumin, cloves, dill seeds. You can also add sour berries: cranberries, lingonberries and even sour fruits: apples, plums. But this is a matter of taste for every housewife. The classic sauerkraut recipe contains only cabbage, carrots, salt, and sugar.

Recipe for sauerkraut without brine.

For a three-liter jar you need to take about 3.2 kg of cabbage. And one large carrot. Salt - 3 tbsp, sugar - 2 tbsp.

As for salt, the classic proportion is 20 grams. salt per 1 kg of cabbage. If you do not plan to store cabbage for a long time, then you can add less salt.

The cabbage should be firm, not loose, so that there is no bitterness in it.

The cabbage needs to be chopped.

Peel one carrot and grate on a coarse grater.

Place carrots in cabbage, add salt and sugar. Mix with your hands, while mashing the cabbage so that it releases the juice. But don't overdo it to keep the cabbage crispy. If you have a large basin, then you can mix all the cabbage and carrots in it, you can mix and knead in a bowl or right on the table.

Place all the prepared cabbage in a jar (or other container of your choice). When laying cabbage, it must be compacted tightly either by hand or with a wooden masher. No brine or water is needed, the cabbage will release its juice, which will be plenty.

Cover the filled jar with a dust cover or gauze. Place the jar in any container, because during fermentation the cabbage will release a lot of juice, which will flow out of the jar.

Leave the cabbage to ferment at room temperature for 3 days. After three days, close the jar with a lid and place it in the refrigerator or other cold place.

Twice a day during fermentation, the cabbage needs to be pierced with a stick until the very day (you can use a peeled birch twig) to release carbon dioxide. In this case, the juice level will drop.

Sauerkraut salad is delicious made with onions and seaweed. They make pies with it, vinaigrette, cabbage soup It is also stewed and fried. Bon appetit!

Recipe for delicious sauerkraut with brine.

Ingredients:

• water - 1.5 l
• salt - 2 tbsp. l.
• sugar - 2 tbsp. l.
• bay leaf - 2 pcs.
• black peppercorns - 5 pcs.

• cabbage - 2.5 kg
• carrots - 1 pc. large

Preparation.

This recipe for sauerkraut with brine. Due to the fact that the cabbage will be filled with brine, there is no need to mash it, as in the previous version.

First we prepare the brine. To do this, take one and a half liters of water, boil it, put 2 tbsp in the water. l. salt and 2 tbsp. l. Sahara. Stir the brine until the sugar and salt dissolve. You need to put spices in hot water: bay leaf, black peppercorns (5-6 pcs.).

That's it, the brine is ready. Let it cool down.

Chop the cabbage, peel and grate the carrots. You can even use a Korean carrot grater, in which case the carrots will look beautiful. Mix the vegetables, but do not mash them. Place the vegetable mixture in a jar. There is no need to compact it strongly, as in the case of sourdough without brine. You need to leave room for the brine. Therefore, less cabbage is used for this option.

Cabbage is poured with cooled brine.

Important: do not fill with hot water. Otherwise, the bacteria that ferment the cabbage will die. And cabbage can become moldy.

Next, place the jar in a bowl, because the brine will spill out during fermentation. You need to keep the cabbage warm for three days, piercing it with a wooden stick in the morning and evening to the very bottom to release carbon dioxide.

After three days, close the jar with a lid and refrigerate.

Bon appetit!

If you want to cook delicious pickled cabbage with beets, read.

Write in the comments how you make sauerkraut and share these recipes with your friends on social media. networks.

Preface

Sauerkraut for the winter is one of the most delicious, healthy and popular pickles. They love it as a separate dish and without it it is impossible to prepare some others (vinaigrette, cabbage soup, etc.) that are truly tasty. Sauerkraut is healthier than fresh cabbage - not only does it retain all the vitamins and microelements present in the vegetable cut from the garden, but it also adds active healing substances formed during the fermentation of the product.

Of course, you can ferment absolutely any cabbage. However, to prepare a truly tasty dish, you should follow some recommendations for choosing this vegetable. First of all, it should be noted that it is best. Moreover, not every variety is suitable, and when purchasing or selecting a head of cabbage cut from the garden, you need to pay attention to its appearance.

You should use mid-late, or better yet, late varieties of white cabbage. The early ones are worse in that their heads are loose and contain much less sugar, which is necessary not only for the good taste of the product, but also for fermentation during pickling. Therefore, the best period for fermenting cabbage is mid-to-late autumn, when the forks of late varieties of this vegetable ripen and acquire the required density.

You should only choose really well-ripened forks - they will contain sufficient sugar. It is best to take larger heads of cabbage, slightly flattened and almost pure white. Their impressive size will indicate sufficient maturity. However, the head of cabbage should not be too large either. Firstly, it will not be very convenient to cut it, and secondly, it is possible that such a vegetable was “fed” with fertilizers that accelerated its growth.

When choosing forks, you need to pay attention to the upper outer leaves covering them. They should be light green. If they are almost white, then most likely the heads of cabbage were frozen, and the seller, wanting to hide this, removed the top leaves.

The stalk should be without damage or signs of rot, dense and white. The leaves should be free of any inclusions, spots or holes. The smell of the head of cabbage should be vegetable and fresh. If it smells rotten, you need to choose another fork.

Selection of utensils for fermentation

The best utensils for fermenting any vegetables are wooden. Previously, oak barrels or tubs were used. If cabbage is fermented in such a container, it will additionally acquire a pleasant aroma and taste.

A worthy replacement for oak dishes is enameled. An important condition for its use is that the enamel on the entire inner surface of the container should not have any chips or cracks. You can use enamel tanks, pots and even buckets. Clay containers are also suitable.

If you have a basement or cellar, you must definitely take dishes of impressive size. Only in large quantities can cabbage be fermented truly well.

Steel, aluminum and plastic containers are completely unsuitable.

The lactic acid released from cabbage during pickling and the brine itself will react with metal or plastic. Because of this, the workpiece will have an unpleasant aftertaste, and the formation of harmful and even dangerous substances may occur.

When there is no basement or cellar and you have to ferment cabbage in the apartment, it is best to use glass jars. Their volume must be at least 3 liters.

Ingredients and their ratio

The main ones are cabbage, carrots and salt. We take as much cabbage as we are going to ferment. Carrots - at your own discretion. It gives sauerkraut a sweetish, pleasant taste and makes it more aromatic, juicy and crispy, and the appearance of the dish served on the table is more attractive. In the classic recipe, you take 1 kg of carrots per 10 kg of cabbage and that’s enough. But you can do more, as is offered in various other cooking options. If you use too many carrots, they will overwhelm the taste of the cabbage.

Salt is a separate conversation. The main thing is that it should not exceed 25 g per 1 kg of vegetables. Otherwise, the result will not be fermentation, but pickling. The second requirement for salt is that it must be non-iodized. It is better to use coarse, but fine grinding is also possible. Iodized salt will make the cabbage not very tasty, not as crispy, and may become unpleasant to eat - slippery.

You can ferment cabbage with the addition of various spices and seasonings: dill seeds, bay leaves, black pepper, cloves, horseradish and others. They will give the preparation a pleasant aroma and piquant taste. However, you need to be careful when adding them. If you overdo it, the spices will overwhelm the natural flavor of the cabbage.

Sugar is often added, especially if the cabbage is unripe or of early varieties. It is usually taken in the same proportions as salt - up to 25 g per 1 kg of vegetables. Firstly, sugar improves fermentation, and secondly, cabbage sauerkraut with it turns out to be more pleasant and delicate in taste, sometimes even sweetish, and also less sour.

Some people sauerkraut with the addition of fruits and/or berries, for example, plums, apples, lingonberries, cranberries. These ingredients give the product a pleasant sour taste. You can add beets. The cabbage will acquire a ruby ​​color and an unusual taste.

How to properly cut vegetables

You can ferment cabbage whole by dividing the head of cabbage in half or into several parts, cutting the leaves into large or small squares, triangles or rectangles, and also chopping it into narrow strips. The last option is most often used. This way the vegetable ferments faster and more evenly. Moreover, you need to chop it quite finely, but you shouldn’t chop it too much either. Otherwise, the chopped pieces will soften during fermentation and the cabbage will turn into porridge and will not be crispy.

You can shred with a sharp knife. Even better - a special shredder designed for chopping cabbage. With its help, this vegetable will be cut correctly and quickly.

Using a grater to chop heads of cabbage is strictly not recommended. The pieces of leaves will turn out too small and crushed, they will no longer be crispy and juice will be released from them prematurely.

Regardless of the recipe, carrots can be grated on a regular grater with large or medium meshes. Korean-style carrots are often used for cooking.

If the recipe requires adding other products, then the berries are left whole, the plums too, or they are cut in half, but in any case the seeds are removed. and the beets are cut at your discretion: in half, into several parts or into slices, plates. Small and small ones are best left whole.

Methods and temperature conditions for fermentation

There are two main methods, conventionally called wet and dry. In the first case, 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 utensil to allow the gases released to escape. If you don’t do all this, then you can forget about a tasty, and even more so, crispy snack. The preparation will turn out bitter and soggy.

When the foam stops forming and the brine becomes lighter in color, the cabbage can already be eaten, although it is still under-fermented. The container with it should be placed in a cool, dark place. It’s better to go to the cellar, but in the absence of one, you can go to the refrigerator. To ferment completely, the cabbage must stand there for about another month. And then it is stored there for up to 9 months. The optimal temperature for further fermentation and subsequent storage is 0–+2 o C.