Sauerkraut - general principles and methods of preparation
How attractive and useful in winter is sauerkraut, sour, crunchy, slightly pinkish from carrots or beets, and most importantly - insanely tasty. Our grandmothers believed that cabbage should be fermented on the growing moon, and even on days that have the letter "p" in their name - Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and in no case do it on Sunday. By the way, in December 2012 the moon will grow from the 14th, so there is time to prepare and stock up on the product. When fermenting in cabbage, almost all useful qualities are preserved. Juicy and crisp cabbage can be obtained with the addition of apples, cranberries, lingonberries, bay leaves, caraway seeds, sweet pepper and beets. Of course, do not mix it all at once, consider several different recipes.
Useful properties of sauerkraut
Each vegetable has in its arsenal such a vitamin, which is its real business card. In the case of white cabbage, it is methylmethionine - vitamin U. It is able to treat stomach ulcers or duodenal ulcers, gastritis and many other intestinal diseases.
Sauerkraut is a leader in the content of vitamin C. It is interesting that this vitamin is stored in the same concentration for more than six months. No other vegetable has this property. The fact is that in vitamin C it is stored in white cabbage not only in its pure form, but also bound in its form (ascorbigen). In this case, even heat treatment does not harm him, he simply turns into ascorbic acid.
Sauerkraut helps with stress and intoxication, overcomes infections and boosts immunity. In addition, the presence of B, K, and PP vitamins, potassium, enzymes, amino acids, and minerals can be noted. These are not all the useful substances that sauerkraut offer us. Interesting information for those who want to lose weight - in 100 grams of the product contains only 25 kilocalories, and a large amount of fiber removes toxins from the body.
Sauerkraut - food preparation
The main preservative in the preparation of cabbage is lactic acid. On heads of cabbage are natural lactic acid bacteria that convert the sugar contained in it into lactic acid. With alcoholic fermentation, alcohol and carbon dioxide are formed. But this is not enough to completely prevent decay, therefore, table salt is used as an additional preservative.
For starter culture, dense heads of cabbage of late white varieties, at least 0.8 kg, are selected. Defects of heads are allowed no more than 5%. Among the countless varieties, mid-season is best suited - kashirka, saburovka, Ladoga, Belarusian, mushroom glory, Mozhara, Altai glory. Late-ripening - egg-capsule, Moscow late, lyuric, Zavadovskaya, Slav, etc.
Sauerkraut - the best recipes
Recipe 1: Sauerkraut with Carrots
The most classic recipe that does not require much effort. Just - chop the cabbage and carrots, wait a few days - and enjoy a healthy crispy salad until spring.
Ingredients: cabbage (3 kg), carrot (100 g), sugar (5 tablespoons), salt (70 grams).
Cooking method
We clean the cabbage from the upper leaves, shred the straw using a special shredder or knife. Grate the carrots with large holes. Salt and rub with your hands until you get the juice, carefully ram it into a container, you can in large cans. Cover with gauze and put oppression on top. The container should be left in a warm place until foam appears on the surface. Remove the foam and make a few deep punctures with a needle. Mix. Cabbage should roam for 7 days, then it must be removed in a dark cool place.
Recipe 2: Sauerkraut with Pumpkin and Herbs
For that recipe we use mint and tarragon. Pumpkin will give the dish a characteristic sweet taste. Choose ripe fruits with orange flesh.
Ingredients: Cabbage (4 kg), sugar (3 tbsp. Tablespoons), salt 130 grams, mint and tarragon.
Cooking method
Cut the peeled pumpkin into large slices. Pour it with sugar and leave it to separate the juice. Shred the cabbage, salt and grind. Finely chop the herbs and mix with cabbage. In a prepared container, spread the cabbage, on top slices of pumpkin. We cover everything with a clean cloth and oppression, then leave it at room temperature. After a few days you can try. We put it in storage in the refrigerator or cellar.
Recipe 3: sauerkraut with pepper, tomatoes and zucchini
The principle of preparation is practically no different from pickling simple cabbage, but first scald vegetables with boiling water and lay in layers. Fill with brine and leave for some time at room temperature. The result is a wonderful salad of pickled vegetables. It must be stored in a refrigerator or cellar.
Ingredients: cabbage (10 kg), sweet pepper (1 kg), tomatoes (1 kg), zucchini, carrots (5 pcs), garlic, parsley, cilantro, hot pepper.
Cooking method
Cut the cabbage into 4 parts and dip in boiling water. We will do the same with pepper. Tomatoes and carrots are cut into circles. Peel the garlic, chop the greens. In an enameled pan, lay the cabbage, zucchini, tomatoes, pepper in layers. Pour each layer with cloves of garlic and herbs, lay with a layer of carrots. Pour brine at the rate of 2 tablespoons of salt per liter of water. Cover the vegetables with gauze and put oppression. Cabbage will be ready in 3 days.
Recipe 4: Sauerkraut with Onions
This is a recipe for those housewives who love to thoroughly stock up on winter. About 5 large heads of white cabbage (20 kg) can even be placed in a small barrel, as in the good old days. But you can use ordinary banks, it all depends on that. in what place are you planning to store.
Ingredients: cabbage (20 kg), onions (1 kg), carrots (600 g) salt (500 grams), sugar (30 grams).
Cooking method
Chop cabbage in a classic way. Grate with salt and mix with chopped carrots (can be in the form of straws) and finely chopped onions. Sprinkle with ground black pepper and add sugar and bay leaf. Mix, place in a deep container and cover with plates with cargo. Three days later, we free the mixture from excess gases - we pierce it with a wooden needle and squeeze it. We put it tightly for storage, put it in a cool place.
Recipe 5: Sauerkraut with Grapes and Honey
This cabbage is cooked very quickly, just a day. Honey and grapes give it an original sweet taste. You can try to cook a small portion of such cabbage - all this will fit in a small three-liter enameled saucepan.
Ingredients: cabbage (2 kg), 1 kg of grapes (1 kg), carrots (200 g), basil (100 grams), honey (100 gr.), salt (15 gr).
Cooking method
Carrots and cabbage and shred on a shredder, grind with salt and put in a prepared container. Lay out grapes and basil in layers. Pour boiling brine: 15 grams of salt per 1 liter of water, stir and add 100 grams of honey). Cover and leave for a day.
Recipe 6: Sauerkraut with Apples
Choose ripe sour apples of late varieties, preferably green.
Ingredients: cabbage (10 kg), 500 g apples (500 gr.) dill and caraway seeds, salt (250-300 grams).
Cooking method
Peel apples from skin and core. Cut into slices and mix with shredded and grated cabbage. Put in a container, laying apples in layers and adding dill and caraway seeds. Leave under oppression for several days for fermentation. Do not forget, you need to help the cabbage to release gases - periodically pierce it in the depth to the very bottom.
Sauerkraut - tips from experienced chefs
This is just a small part of the existing sauerkraut recipes. The principle of preparation is almost the same - chop the cabbage and make sure that it starts the juice. The taste is more dependent on additives. Here are some more options:
- Viburnum: for 10 kg of savoy cabbage you need to take 1 kg of viburnum and 200 grams of dill. Salt is enough 200 grams.
- Horseradish: here everything can be tasted to the eye (for 1 head of cabbage add a head of garlic, carrot, salt and a little sugar).
- Beetroot marinade: 2 kg of cabbage head of garlic, 1 bell pepper. Marinade - ½ cup vegetable oil per 1 liter of water, 1 teaspoon of vinegar, 3 tablespoons of sugar, 2 tablespoons of salt. Cabbage is poured with hot marinade and acquires a characteristic beetroot color. Such cabbage wanders without foam, due to the small content of vinegar, its readiness is determined by taste.
Enjoy your meal!
Comments
