Sauerkraut for the winter at home. Sauerkraut: classic recipes for crispy and juicy cabbage in a jar for the winter
Hello, dear friends! Today I offer you recipes for instant sauerkraut to make it crispy and juicy. I have already described the options in a previous article. But you don’t always have the time or desire to wait long. I want to try it now.
For such impatient people, quick methods of sourdough have been invented. There is even one that can be put on the table in just a couple of hours. It’s very convenient when unexpected guests are almost on the doorstep. How convenient it would be as a snack, along with cucumbers, or with strong drinks.
For an everyday table, I like to serve it with fresh herbs and new potatoes. And for taste, I also like to add a little bit of unrefined sunflower oil. This is just some kind of delicacy.
Advice - for our purposes, choose mid-late or late white-headed varieties so that the head of cabbage is dense and, preferably, large. It is better that the leaves are whole and not cracked.
Crispy and juicy instant sauerkraut in a jar overnight without vinegar
According to this recipe, I do not put carrots in the cabbage, but add them to the finished product when I serve it. I like it better this way. Try this option too. But, if you want, you can immediately add one carrot and ferment it all together. Grate it on a coarse grater and carefully mix the vegetables.
Ingredients for a 3 liter jar:
- Cabbage - 2.5 kg
- Sugar - 1 tablespoon
- Salt - 1 tablespoon
- Allspice peas - 2 pcs.
- Black peppercorns - 6 pcs.
- Bay leaf - 2 pcs.
- Water - 1 liter
Preparation:
1. Pour water into a ladle or saucepan and place on fire. As soon as it boils, add bay leaf, allspice and black peppercorns. Add salt, sugar and stir. Cook for 2 minutes, turn off the heat and leave to cool completely.
2. Chop the cabbage into thin strips. Then place it tightly in the jar up to the “shoulders”, that is, to the point where the jar narrows, leaving room for the brine. Place a bay leaf somewhere in the middle.
3. Now pour the cooled brine into the jar to the very top. Place the peppercorns from the brine on top too. Place a deep bowl and leave for a day at room temperature.
4. After 6 hours, pierce in several places with a long stick (you can use a knife or a knitting needle) to the very bottom so that gases and bitterness come out. The foam that appears on top will need to be removed. In a day, the sauerkraut will be ready and can be served immediately. And for decoration you can add grated carrots and herbs.
Quick recipe for cabbage in brine for a 3 liter jar
A very simple and versatile option for quick sourdough. For this recipe, it doesn’t matter what type of cabbage it is - early or late. But it will taste amazing. Quite crispy and very tasty.
Ingredients:
- Cabbage - 2-2.3 kg
- Carrots - 2 pcs.
- Salt - 2 tablespoons
- Sugar - 4 tablespoons
- Water - 2 liters
Preparation:
1. First, pour water into a saucepan, add salt and sugar. Place on the fire and boil the brine, and then let it cool.
2. While the brine is cooling, chop the cabbage and grate the carrots. Place in a deep bowl. Mix well.
3. Transfer the vegetables into a 3-liter jar, leaving space on top for the brine. Place approximately up to the hangers, that is, to the point where the can narrows. Then pour in the cooled brine. Place the jar in a deep bowl where the brine will flow out. Cover the top loosely with a lid. Leave it like this for a day.
The next day you need to pierce it in several places with a long stick to release bitterness and gas. Repeat this procedure several times throughout the fermentation period.
5. In total, such a jar should stand for two days. Then close the lid and store in a cool place. Or use it right away.
Delicious sauerkraut in large pieces in a pan
And here is a version of quick sourdough cabbage, laid in large pieces. Some people think (my husband, for example) that this is how it will be tastier and more appetizing. For a quick method it will be quite optimal.
Ingredients:
- White cabbage – 1.5 kg
- Carrots – 200-300 gr
- Garlic – 2-4 cloves
- Salt – 4 tablespoons
- Sugar – 5 tablespoons
- Apple cider vinegar – 1.5 tablespoons
- Water – 1.5 liters
Preparation:
1. Cut about half of the head of cabbage and cut it into slices 2.5-3 cm thick. Grate the carrots on a coarse grater. Peel the garlic and cut into halves.
2. Then place the pieces in a saucepan, sprinkle with carrots and garlic. Layer in layers.
3. Now let's make the brine. Pour water into the pan. Add salt and sugar there. Wait until it boils and pour in vinegar, then turn off. Pour hot brine into the pan with vegetables until everything is completely covered.
4. Place an inverted plate on top of the pan and place a filled 3-liter jar of water on it. Thus we established oppression.
5. After a day, remove the oppression. Our white cabbage is ready. For storage, you can transfer it to a more convenient container and put it in the refrigerator. You can use it immediately.
Quick sauerkraut in 2-3 hours with vinegar and sugar
Very tasty and juicy cabbage is obtained in literally 2-3 hours. I wrote exactly about this recipe in the introduction. Imagine a situation where you were simply presented with the fact that in a couple of hours unexpected, albeit respected, guests would come to you. For such cases, this recipe will come in handy. Such a snack is simply eaten instantly. And the guests will be pleased.
Ingredients:
- Cabbage - 3 kg
- Carrots - 3-4 pcs.
- Garlic - 4 cloves
- Water - 1.5 liters
- Sugar - 200 gr
- Salt - 3 tablespoons
- Vegetable oil - 200 gr
- Vinegar 9% – 200 g
Preparation:
1. Shred the cabbage in any way convenient for you. Grate carrots and garlic. Place all vegetables in a deep bowl.
2. Now let's make the marinade. Pour water into the pan. Add salt and sugar, as well as vegetable oil. Put it on fire. Wait until it boils and add vinegar. After this, boil for another 2 minutes and remove from heat.
3. Pour the hot marinade into a dish with chopped vegetables and stir. Cover with a lid and leave at room temperature for 2-3 hours.
4. After this time, you can already eat it. If you get a lot, just put it in a convenient container and store it in the refrigerator. Usually we don't have it for more than a week.
Video recipe for crispy, instant sauerkraut for the winter
I want to add one more good recipe to your piggy bank. Very good for salads. When it is ready, you can transfer it to jars, close the lid and store it in a cool place until winter. Or use it right away.
Ingredients:
- White cabbage – 1 kg
- Water - 1 l
- Apple cider vinegar – 100 ml
- Vegetable oil - 100 ml
- Salt - 40 g
- Sugar - 35 gr
- Carrots – 120 gr
- Onions - 1 pc.
- Garlic – 20 gr
You will see the cooking method in a very detailed video.
That's all for today. I shared with you the simplest and my favorite variations of quick cabbage starter. I don’t have much space at home for long-term storage, so this is exactly what I use for recipes. It's over, I'm doing it again. It doesn't take that long.
Good luck with your preparations!
Many housewives make all kinds of preparations for the winter. And how can you do without sauerkraut? After all, it is not only incredibly healthy, but also delicious. There are many recipes for its preparation, but every time the question arises: “How to make sauerkraut?” In our article we will present the best recipes.
Which recipe should I choose?
Perhaps one of the most universal preparations is sauerkraut. Recipes for a 3-liter jar are the most popular, since it is most convenient to ferment in such a container.
Currently, there are a lot of recipes, but among them you need to choose the option you like best. After all, every housewife dreams that as a result of her labors she will get the most delicious sauerkraut. Recipes for a 3-liter jar allow you to prepare enough for a small family. Nowadays it is no longer customary to ferment in barrels or buckets, as our grandmothers did. Modern housewives prefer to make another batch of fresh cabbage rather than store it in the pantry. Moreover, there are no conditions for this in the apartment.
Of course, classic sauerkraut is the most common, but there are many other options for its preparation. Let's take a closer look at some of them.
Classic recipe in brine
How to prepare sauerkraut correctly? Recipes for a 3-liter jar allow you to accurately maintain all proportions. So, to prepare the classic version we will need:
- Two kilograms of cabbage.
- Several medium-sized carrots.
- Water - 1.5 liters.
- Two spoons of salt.
- Black pepper (peas).
- Sugar - 1.5 tablespoons.
The cabbage is finely chopped, and the carrots are peeled and grated. Mix the chopped vegetables and transfer them to a three-liter jar. Now you need to prepare the brine. To do this, mix sugar and salt, add black pepper. If you wish, you can add some more spices. Pour the resulting mixture with warm water and stir until the components are completely dissolved. Pour the finished brine into a three-liter jar. We tie the neck with a piece of gauze folded several times. Simple sauerkraut takes two to three days to prepare. During this time, it is advisable to open the jar several times and try to mix its contents. This will allow the resulting gases to escape. If this is not done in time, the cabbage may simply go rotten. When using this recipe, the product turns out soft with a slight sourness.
Traditional option
When thinking about how to make sauerkraut, it is worth remembering that it can be prepared without using brine. Moreover, the result obtained is no worse than when using the first recipe. However, the taste will be different. Which option you prefer depends on your preferences.
Ingredients:
- Two kilograms of cabbage.
- Five spoons (tablespoons) of salt.
- A few carrots.
Finely chop the cabbage, peel and grate the carrots. Mix the crushed ingredients thoroughly and transfer to a bowl. After adding salt, we begin to knead the products with our hands or using a mortar. As soon as the first juice appears, you need to transfer the vegetables into a three-liter jar. Due to the fact that we have thoroughly mashed the cabbage and carrots, we will end up with a far from full jar. To make the cabbage tasty and aromatic, you can add your favorite spices. Cover the jar with gauze and wait a couple of days. For several days, it is necessary to mix the ingredients, ridding them of gases. Only in this case will you get delicious sauerkraut. The recipes for a 3-liter jar given in our article allow you to accurately follow the proportions to obtain the best result. Cabbage prepared in this way turns out crispy and does not give off sourness.
Sauerkraut with sugar and salt
How to prepare sauerkraut with sugar and salt. The recipe is quite simple. To prepare we will need:
- A large head of cabbage.
- Salt and spices to taste.
- A tablespoon of sugar.
- Several medium carrots.
For cooking we need a large bowl. The cabbage should be chopped into very thin strips. Then add sugar, salt and knead it thoroughly with your hands. Grate the carrots and place them in a bowl. Mix the ingredients and add dry dill and cumin. Then we transfer the products into a three-liter jar and compact it firmly.
Then we close the container with a nylon lid and send it to a warm place for three days. You need to place a plate under the jar. For three days, it is necessary to pierce the cabbage with a wooden splinter, freeing it from gases. After the specified time has passed, the jar can be stored in a cool place, for example, in a basement.
Cabbage with honey
When wondering how to make sauerkraut, do not neglect original recipes. A very tasty and at the same time healthy preparation is obtained by using honey. The resulting brine can even be drunk by people suffering from gastritis.
To prepare, take:
- Two kilograms of cabbage.
- Liter of water.
- One carrot.
- Honey - 2.5 tablespoons (tablespoons).
- Bay leaf - 2 pcs.
- Allspice.
Finely chop the cabbage and chop the carrots on a Korean grater. Mix the vegetables and lightly crush with your hands. Now you can transfer them to a three-liter jar and compact them thoroughly. Next, prepare the marinade. Add salt and honey to hot water, let the solution cool slightly and pour it into a bowl with cabbage. We place the jar in a deep plate, since during the fermentation process excess liquid will overflow the edges of the vessel. We leave the jar in a warm place in the kitchen for several days, not forgetting to pierce the cabbage daily with a sharp knife (to remove gases). After a day, the workpiece can be put in the refrigerator.
Spicy cabbage with honey
Delicious sauerkraut is obtained by using additional spices or products. If you like spices, you can prepare a spicy preparation with the addition of honey. Before fermenting cabbage, you need to prepare the brine. To do this, add one and a half tablespoons of salt and the same amount of honey to a liter of hot water. In addition, add ½ teaspoon each of dill, caraway and anise seeds. Stir the ingredients until completely dissolved and let the solution cool slightly. Meanwhile, let's prepare the vegetables. Shred cabbage (a two-kilogram head) and several medium carrots. We crush the chopped vegetables with our hands and transfer them to a jar.
After this, you can pour the marinade over the cabbage. We leave the jar in the kitchen for one day. After 24 hours the workpiece is ready. A quick sauerkraut recipe allows you to get the finished product in a day. Now the snack can be put in the refrigerator and used as needed. This recipe allows you to add rowan berries, grapes or green apples, cranberries to get a variety of flavors.
Country-style sauerkraut
Delicious sauerkraut is obtained using an old village recipe.
Ingredients:
- Large cabbage for two to three kilograms.
- Cold water - 700 ml.
- One carrot.
- A tablespoon of honey.
- Salt to taste.
- Allspice.
- Bay leaf.
Shred the cabbage and grate the carrots (you can use a grater for Korean carrots). Place the prepared vegetables in a saucepan or bowl, add salt, bay leaf, pepper and knead the ingredients with your hands. Next, transfer the cabbage into a three-liter jar, compact it thoroughly and fill it with cold water. It must be left to ferment for two days in a warm place. After the specified time, all the brine is drained.
Place the cabbage in a bowl and allow it to drain; before doing this, you can squeeze it lightly to remove the liquid. Place the workpiece in a three-liter jar, and add honey to the brine. The mixture must be stirred until the honey is completely dissolved. After this, pour the marinade over the cabbage and leave it warm for another day. After 24 hours, the jar can be placed in the refrigerator or other cool place. After three days, the dish can be served.
Express recipe
If you are planning a holiday or a feast, then crispy cabbage can be an ideal snack. But the only problem is that you won’t be able to get a ready-made dish quickly. It will take several days for the leaven to ferment.
In such cases, a recipe for quick sauerkraut is very helpful. It is very simple, and the result will certainly please you.
Ingredients:
- Large head of cabbage (2.5-3 kg).
- Two carrots.
- Two tablespoons of salt.
To prepare the marinade:
- A glass of water.
- Sugar - 100 g.
- Sunflower oil - ½ cup.
- Vinegar - ½ cup.
- 10 black peppercorns.
- Bay leaf - 10 pcs.
Shred the cabbage and chop the carrots. Then, in a deep bowl, mash the workpiece with the addition of salt until the juice appears. Prepare the marinade in a small saucepan. To do this, mix all the above ingredients and bring them to a boil. Pour the hot solution over the vegetables and let cool slightly.
After this, carefully compact the cabbage, cover it with a plate on top, placing pressure on it (this can be a half-liter jar of water). We put the jar in the refrigerator, and within a day your snack is ready. Cabbage prepared according to this recipe is incredibly tasty. But it is not recommended for use by people for whom acetic acid is contraindicated.
Cabbage with beets: ingredients
Bright and tasty sauerkraut with beets claims to be a table decoration. This amazingly quick recipe will help busy housewives prepare a good snack in a minimal amount of time.
Ingredients:
- Cabbage - 5 kg.
- Beetroot - 2 pcs.
- Garlic - 2 heads.
- Hot pepper - 2 pcs.
For brine (based on three liters of water):
- Sugar - 110 g.
- Salt - 2 tbsp. l.
- Bay leaf - 5 pcs.
- Allspice - 10 pcs.
- 1/3 cup vinegar.
Recipe for sauerkraut with beets
Chop the peeled pepper and garlic. Cut the raw beets into thin strips. Cut the cabbage into squares (for example, 3 by 3 centimeters in size). Place all ingredients in layers in any bowl: cabbage, peppers with garlic, beets and repeat layers. Next, prepare the brine.
Add sugar and salt to boiling water, let the solution cool and only then add acetic acid. Fill the vegetables with the solution so that it completely covers the workpiece. We put pressure on top, otherwise the cabbage will start to float. After four days, the snack is ready. The beautiful color attracts housewives the very next day, but it is believed that the dish will acquire its full aroma and taste on the fourth day.
Cooking secrets
Crispy sauerkraut is every housewife's dream. Despite the fact that everyone uses the same recipes, in some unknown way the result is different. What is the reason? Probably every housewife has her own little secrets that she doesn’t reveal to anyone.
As you know, sauerkraut is a traditional Russian dish. Previously, cabbage was harvested in huge quantities so that it would last a large family until spring. At present, we do not need such a quantity of blanks. For modern housewives, a small amount is enough. After all, you can always prepare a fresh portion. For this reason, all recipes are designed for using three-liter jars. These dishes are very convenient and do not take up much space in the refrigerator.
Despite the changed realities, you can still use old grandmother's tricks when cooking. It has long been believed that housewives should ferment cabbage only on “women’s” days - Saturday and Wednesday (Wednesday was considered the best day). If a man takes charge of the preparation, then the business should only be started on a “men’s” day.
Crispy sauerkraut is obtained if you buy white heads of cabbage, without dry leaves. It's good when the stalk is a little cracked. This indicates the juiciness of the cabbage.
The workpiece is considered ready when the brine becomes transparent. After this, the sauerkraut must be put in a cool place. For cooking, you can use pressure, but it should not be metal. Also, pay attention to the liquid level in the jar. If the top layer of cabbage is not covered with brine, it can disappear and ruin the entire preparation.
How much salt should you put in?
Very often, novice housewives have a number of questions regarding how sauerkraut is prepared. How much salt per kg of cabbage should be put, for example? It all depends on the recipe. As a rule, the proportions for preparation are calculated for a three-liter jar, which can hold from 2 to 2.5 kilograms of cabbage. This means there is less than a tablespoon of salt per kilogram of vegetables. Experienced experts recommend not to get carried away with it. Over time, you will decide on your taste preferences through experience.
Instead of an afterword
In general, it is worth noting that sauerkraut is a dish that even the most inexperienced housewives can take on. To prepare it you do not need colossal knowledge and skills. And maintaining exact proportions will allow you to get a good result.
Sauerkraut in the classical sense is just 3 ingredients: white cabbage itself, carrots and salt. You can also find recipes that add berries (cranberries, lingonberries, viburnum), spices (cumin, dill seeds, bay leaves, allspice), as well as vegetables and fruits - apples, celery, horseradish, garlic. Sometimes a little sugar is added to the cabbage to balance the taste, but you should remember that the insidious white crystals soften the cabbage, so you can add a little sugar to the finished cabbage, immediately before eating. So, I will make sauerkraut according to the classic recipe, but I will tell you when to add additives!
To make the cabbage crispy, you need to choose medium or late varieties of fruit and not add a lot of carrots! To prevent cabbage from becoming bitter, you must release gases from it during fermentation!
You can ferment 10-15 kg, just strictly follow the proportions and sequence of actions!
The larger the head, the tastier the sauerkraut turns out. It’s better to take half a huge head of cabbage than to chop two miniature ones!
I fermented cabbage in a large saucepan, under a weight. Also suitable for this are wooden utensils, stainless steel or glass containers, or a large enamel pan (basin). The main thing is that the dishes do not oxidize. The dishes must be dry, clean (washed with soda) and sterilized (just pour boiling water over them).
And finally, advice from grandmothers: we make sauerkraut on men’s days - Monday, Tuesday, Thursday!
So let's get to the carrots! Cut the washed and peeled carrots into thin strips.
We remove the top leaves from the cabbage, remove damaged ones, wash the cabbage and dry it. For ease of slicing, cut the cabbage into several large pieces. It is very convenient to shred cabbage with a special shredder with two blades, or with a sharp knife, bypassing the stalk. The cabbage strips should be long, about 5 centimeters each. There is a lot of cabbage, so for convenience I put it in a bowl.
Next, take some shredded cabbage, sprinkle it with a pinch of salt, mix lightly from bottom to top so that the salt is evenly distributed and begin to rub the cabbage and salt between your palms. Don’t be too zealous, don’t break the stripes and don’t rub for too long, just a few movements with your palms. The cabbage instantly becomes wet - that's cabbage juice! If you delay this process, you will get too much juice and the cabbage will become soft.
Now add some of the chopped carrots and, if you add, a little cumin or dill seed (1 tbsp is enough for the entire serving). Mix everything carefully.
If you add bay leaves, allspice or garlic, place the additives on the bottom of the prepared container.
Place the cabbage in a container, pressing it tightly with your hands to release the juice.
Grind all the cabbage with salt, add carrots and put everything in a container for fermentation!
We cover it with something flat (I have a plate) and put a weight on top (I have a 3-liter jar of water). Leave at room temperature for 3-4 days.
After about a day, lactic fermentation will begin, the juice will become cloudy, and the cabbage will begin to ferment.
During the fermentation process, gas will be released, which must be disposed of. To do this, 2-3 times a day we remove the oppression and the plate and quite often pierce the cabbage until the very day with a wooden stick or knife (I use a meat fork). In this case, bubbles will actively appear - this is gas escaping. This is a mandatory procedure, otherwise the finished sauerkraut will taste bitter. When all the gas comes out, compact the cabbage with your hand and press it again.
On the fourth day, the brine will lighten and fermentation will stop. The cabbage has fermented! You need to loosen it with your hands so that it becomes fluffy and leave for 30 minutes - this will remove the pungent smell.
Now take a clean (washed with baking soda), dry jar and put the cabbage into it for further storage in the refrigerator! If you want, add some cranberries or lingonberries. It is necessary to compact the cabbage so that it is all covered with brine, otherwise during storage the top layer without liquid may darken! We close the jar with a nylon or screw lid and put it in the refrigerator. This way cabbage can be stored for a long time, but I couldn’t keep it for more than a month because I was running out! Oh, by the way, leave a plate of cabbage for testing!
It's time to get out the cutting boards, shredders, and sharp kitchen knives. We need to prepare cabbage for future use, so that in winter cabbage dishes will diversify our table and delight our family.
Sauerkraut is an original Russian appetizer. And it can be used either as a completely independent dish or as a component of other delicious dishes. For example, fillings for pies and pies, salads or hot borscht. Unlike other pickles, cabbage, when fermented for a longer period of time, does not need to prepare brine, since cabbage is sauerkraut in its own juice with a certain amount a lot of salt. At the same time, quite a lot of juice is released, and the sugar contained in the cabbage promotes an absolutely natural fermentation reaction.
However, if you need quick-cooking sauerkraut, then the fermentation process can be accelerated. Using pre-prepared marinade: add sugar solution to the chopped cabbage. Cabbage fermented according to this recipe will be ready in just 2-3 days, and it will taste delicious and crispy.
Instant sauerkraut. Cabbage recipe for 2 days in a 3 liter jar
A very quick way to make sauerkraut. There is no need for a barrel, or oppression, or infusion of the product for a long time. The maximum time for fermenting cabbage according to this recipe is 2 days. But by and large, you can eat cabbage the very next day.
Compound:
Water - 1 l
Table salt - 2 tbsp. l.
White cabbage – 2 kg
Carrots – 200 gr
Preparation:
Boil water, add salt to it, cool to room temperature. Salt/water ratio - 2 tbsp. l./ 1 liter.
Shred cabbage and carrots. For every kilogram of cabbage we take 100 grams of carrots. That is, for an average fork of cabbage - 2 carrots.
Once we have chopped it, we begin to put the cabbage in the jar. We lay it down and press it with a long masher, compact it. The more cabbage in the jar, the more you will have to crush and push it. It is advisable that there is no space between the layers.
When the jar is filled to the very neck, pour the brine solution, prepared in advance and cooled, into it.
Pour gradually, allowing air to escape from the cabbage mass in the jar.
We poured it and crushed the contents a little. You will see it bubble at the neck. This is fine.
In this form we put it somewhere in the kitchen. The room should be warm, but not hot. It is better to place some kind of bowl under the jar, because the cabbage will ferment and the juice may leak out over the edge.
Periodically, the cabbage must be pierced with something like a long knife or knitting needle so that fermentation products are removed from the cabbage throughout the entire volume of the jar. We also periodically knead the top, trying to push through the cabbage; this will also cause gases to escape.
Within a day, the cabbage will look as if it has been fermenting for three days already (if you do it using the usual method, with pressure). And after 2 days you can eat it as fermented, put it in jars and put it in the refrigerator.
A very quick way to ferment cabbage.
Pitfalls: do not overdo it with salt, otherwise the cabbage will not ferment, but will simply sour and spoil. Too little salt is also bad, the taste will not be the same. The best proportion is 2 heaped tablespoons per 1 liter of water.
Obvious advantages: no need to bother with tubs and oppressive stones, you can cook this cabbage as it runs out. They ate it and did it again. Bon appetit!
Instant sauerkraut in a jar per day
Most housewives choose this method of sourdough only for its speed and ease of preparation.
Compound:
White cabbage – 2 kg
Carrots – 2 pcs.
Coarse salt – 2 tbsp. l.
Bay leaf
Peppercorns
Water – 1 glass
Vegetable oil – 0.5 l
Vinegar – 250 gr
Sugar – 100 gr
Preparation:
Cut the cabbage and grate the carrots on a coarse grater. Mix them together and rub with salt - this procedure will release cabbage juice.
For the brine: dissolve sugar, spices, oil and vinegar in water. Boil the mixture.
Pour the resulting mixture over the cabbage and try to compress it and cover it with something heavy. A day later, delicious sauerkraut is ready. After the snack is ready, transfer it to a more convenient container – a jar, which you then put in the refrigerator for storage.
Eat for your health! Bon appetit!
Note
Not only is there a lot of valuable and useful substances in sauerkraut, but also in its brine. For many abnormalities or diseases, doctors recommend using sauerkraut brine.
Instant sauerkraut. 3-day sauerkraut recipe
Compound:
Cabbage - 1 head
Carrots - 1 pc.
Water - 1 l
Salt - 1 tbsp. spoon
Sugar - 1 tbsp. spoon
How to cook three-day cabbage:
Chop or shred the cabbage.
Peel the carrots, wash them, grate them on a coarse grater.
Add carrots to cabbage.
Mash a little, mixing with coarsely grated carrots, without salt.
Place tightly in a three-liter jar.
Prepare the brine. To do this, boil water and add salt.
Add sugar. Mix.
Pour hot brine over cabbage. Cover the jar and place it in a bowl, as the brine will leak out during fermentation. Periodically pierce the cabbage with a pointed stick to remove gas.
After 3 days, the three-day cabbage will be ready. Store cabbage for three days in a cool place.
Bon appetit!
How to make instant sauerkraut with carrots and apples for the winter
Compound:
Cabbage (preferably white) – 2 kg
Carrots (preferably sweet varieties) – 200 g
Apples (any variety) – 200 gr
Salt – 2 tsp.
Sugar – 2 tbsp. l.
How to salt instant cabbage in a jar without vinegar:
First, we need to wash all the vegetables under running water.
Then, from the cabbage, we remove the top green leaves and cut the head of cabbage in half (a large head of cabbage into 4 parts). Now it needs to be chopped using a special shredder or a sharp knife into thin long strips of the same width.
Then, peel the carrots and grate them on a coarse grater.
Apples, too, need to be peeled, cored, and then cut into small slices. What size the components of the recipe should be can be clearly seen in the photo.
Now you need to mix the cabbage with salt and granulated sugar.
Next, we need to press the cabbage with our hands, in the manner of kneading dough, until the cabbage juice is released.
Then, mix grated carrots and apple slices with grated cabbage. And we transfer our preparation into a jar for fermentation.
Please note that the cabbage should not completely fill the dish. This is necessary so that during fermentation the resulting juice does not spill out of the jar.
Leave the cabbage to ferment in a warm place for 48 hours. When the cabbage has fermented, it will need to be put in a cold place.
It is better to serve this delicious, crispy instant cabbage with finely chopped onions and aromatic vegetable oil. Bon appetit!
Instant sauerkraut at home. Recipe for delicious crispy and juicy cabbage for the winter
The perfect sauerkraut for your whole family! Very tasty and quick recipe!
Bon appetit!
A simple recipe for quickly fermenting delicious cabbage with beets for the winter
This dish is easy to prepare and does not require much expense. And what is very important is that it is a healthy dish. Fermentation occurs naturally without adding vinegar.
Compound:
White cabbage-1 kg
Carrot-300 gr
Beetroot-300 gr
Celery-300 gr
Salt - 2 tbsp. l.
Sugar-1 tbsp. l.
Bay leaf
Allspice
How to make sauerkraut with vegetables:
We start preparing the preparation by clearing the head of cabbage from damaged leaves, washing it in running water and shredding it.
Peel the carrots, beets and celery root, rinse and grate on a coarse grater.
Mix all the vegetables.
It is better to prepare the brine in advance. Pour hot water over salt and sugar. Add bay leaf and allspice to taste and bring to a boil. Let cool to a temperature of approximately 18-25 degrees.
Pour over the prepared vegetables so that the brine covers them completely. We keep the vegetables for two days at room temperature. Stir once or twice a day to release accumulated gases.
This sauerkraut with vegetables is best stored in the cold. It can be used as an appetizer, as well as a dressing for borscht, salads, and vinaigrettes. Bon appetit!
This number of products in the recipe does not require strict adherence; you can change the ratio of products. If desired, you can add viburnum, sour apples, cranberries or lingonberries to these products. Experiment and your sauerkraut with vegetables will turn out much tastier.
Instant sauerkraut. A simple recipe for sauerkraut in a jar without vinegar
Compound:
White cabbage - a large fork
Carrots - 2 pcs.
Bay leaf - 3 pcs.
Salt - 1 tbsp. l.
Granulated sugar - 1 tbsp. l.
Preparation:
The recipe is very simple. Take a whole large dense cabbage and 2 carrots.
Chop the cabbage and grate the carrots and mix them. Add bay leaf and peppercorns.
And carefully place it in the jar. Separately, pour warm boiled water into a liter jar, dissolve 1 tablespoon of sugar and salt in it. Pour water into a jar. A liter does not always fit, most often a third of a liter.
We put the jar in a bowl because during fermentation the water runs out of the jar. We pierce it once or twice a day with a knife or stick to release accumulated gases. Cabbage is usually ready in 2 days, but sometimes it takes longer, you need to try.
When serving, garnish with cranberries. Bon appetit!
Sauerkraut with cranberries in an instant jar
Ingredients per barrel:
10 kg cabbage
200 grams of cranberries
a little dill
1 cup fine salt
Preparation:
Previously, cabbage was fermented in barrels. For food, we prepare instant sauerkraut in jars according to the same recipe as for the barrel and take the products in the same proportions. For this recipe, in a jar with a step-by-step photo taken, salt only one head of cabbage, take salt and cranberries in proportion to the weight of the cabbage.
We start preparing sauerkraut with cranberries by removing the dry outer leaves, cutting the head of cabbage in half, removing the stalk and cutting the cabbage into small strips.
Place shredded cabbage in a plastic container, add salt and stir.
Carefully crush the cabbage with your hands so that it releases juice. Then, compact tightly in a bowl and leave for an hour. Then we repeat everything: knead, tamp, leave to stand for another hour.
Add dill to the cabbage that has already given juice. Stir, drain off excess juice. Sometimes there is a lot of juice, but you can’t drain all the juice completely - the cabbage will be dry and not crispy. Leave to salt for a day in a cool place. It is necessary to pierce the vegetable mass with a pointed stick or long knife to the very bottom several times a day, releasing gases.
At the last moment, add clean cranberries and mix gently with your hands or a wooden spatula.
Now you can put the cabbage in jars and store it in the refrigerator. Although, if you are preparing a large amount of cabbage for the winter, then a barrel is preferable.
Delicious sauerkraut with cranberries is served with hot dishes or as a cold appetizer. Bon appetit!
Instant sauerkraut with vinegar
This simple recipe is for those who like to crunch cabbage, and quickly.
Compound:
White cabbage - 1 fork (or 2)
Carrots -2 pcs.
Garlic-5-6 cloves
Hot peppers - to taste and desire
For the marinade:
1 liter of water
3 tbsp. l. salt
1 cup 5% vinegar
2-3 tbsp. l. refiner vegetable oil
2 tbsp. l. honey
Preparation:
Shred the cabbage and coarsely chop the carrots. Garlic slices.
Mix everything well without squeezing the juice. If desired, add peppercorns and, if you want, bay leaves.
To make the marinade, add salt to the water, bring to a boil, then add vegetable oil and vinegar to the boiling brine. And as soon as the water starts to boil again, honey. As you know, it does not tolerate heat treatment, so you need to try to do everything quickly.
As soon as the mixture is mixed and the water has boiled, immediately pour it over the prepared cabbage.
Now we put it under pressure and leave it at room temperature for 12 hours.
After the time has passed, transfer to jars for storage, after squeezing out a little excess liquid. You can store it in the refrigerator or just on the balcony.
The cabbage is completely ready. Before use, you can also season it with aromatic homemade oil and add onion. Help yourself!
Sauerkraut is a real treasure. In winter, it often happens that you crave sour, hearty cabbage that crunches in your mouth. This is a real salvation in winter. Guests suddenly arrived - the appetizer was ready for the table. And just like a salad, especially with fried potatoes - you'll lick your fingers! In addition, sauerkraut is a very healthy product. They say that it cures all ailments. An excellent salad, a sea of vitamins and a wonderful taste, it just flies away, especially in winter.
For those who have a sweet tooth, I would like to advise you to check out my colleague Tatyana’s blog for delicious and quick recipes for apple jam for the winter. Be healthy, see you again on my blog.
We will never know how many recipes for sauerkraut actually exist. Every family has its own favorite recipe, which is passed down from grandmother to mother, and from mother to daughter. Recipes are shared at work and just as neighbors. They are found in numerous magazines and cookbooks, as well as on the Internet.
And it would seem that everyone already has their favorite recipes that have been established for years. But all the same, every time you come across another new cooking option, you get acquainted with it with interest, buy a head of cabbage, and try to cook your favorite and tasty snack using it.
And there is no end to these options: this vegetable is fermented simply with salt, or with the addition of salt and sugar; prepared with or without brine; with vinegar and without vinegar; finely cut into strips, or put quarters in a container for pickling; vary the amount of carrots; add additional components in the form of apples, berries, all kinds of peppers; use a variety of spices, seeds and leaves. And finally, they ferment in jars, pans, tubs and barrels.
There are recipes, thanks to which the finished product can be consumed 2 hours after preparation, these are the so-called quick methods.
They ferment for three days and up to a week, these are the so-called natural fermentation methods. And we have already discussed some of them in previous articles. I will try to place links to these articles in the appropriate sections.
But despite the fact that we already have enough recipes in our collection, “behind the scenes” there are still very interesting options that we would also like to offer you.
Sauerkraut according to the classic recipe - basic principles
Despite all of the above methods and salting methods, there is a classic method by which we all basically ferment our preparations for the winter. According to it, the product must be peeled and cut into strips. Or you can chop it with chops, if there is an appropriate trough. Even 30 years ago in the Urals, probably every family had such a wooden trough with a chop.
Our family also had this device, but it never took root. Both my mother and father are from Central Asia, and there they always only cut it for pickling. Apparently we got so used to it that chopped vegetables never took root in our house. However, among my friends, many use only this method of grinding.
After chopping the main product, sprinkle it with salt and mash thoroughly. And to get a crispier snack, you can simply mix it with salt (and sometimes sugar). Carrots are added in accordance with taste preferences and the region of salting; some add more, some add just a little.
Then the chopped and mixed vegetables are placed in a pan, tub or jar, pressure is set and the container with the contents is left for a certain time, first at room temperature, then in a cool room. The snack is stored in the cold.
An important stage of preparation is the formation of juice; it is this that will contribute to the ongoing processes of fermentation and pickling.
Gases will form during the fermentation process, so the contents of the pan must be pierced with a wooden stick several times a day.
Crispy sauerkraut prepared for the winter in the classic way
This recipe gives classic proportions for pickling. And the way we will cook is also universal.
We will need:
- cabbage - 10 kg
- carrots - 200 gr
- salt - 200 gr
- sugar - 50 gr
If you do not need such a quantity of the finished product, then simply reduce the amount of ingredients proportionally.
Preparation:
1. Chop the heads of cabbage, either with a knife or a shredder. It is more convenient for you, but it is necessary that the resulting straw be the same in thickness and long in appearance.
Place the chopped vegetable in a bowl. For ease of preparation, you can divide the components into equal parts. Because it will be difficult to cut and place 10 kilograms of vegetables at once.
2. Grate the carrots on a coarse grater.
3. Then you need to lightly rub the slices with salt and sugar. But this procedure need not be carried out if ours is already very juicy. This is done at will, depending on who you like.
If you don't grind it, it turns out crispier.
4. Then combine the vegetables and mix again.
5. Prepare a large saucepan or tub or barrel and place leaves on the bottom, then mixed vegetables in layers. Each layer should be compacted very tightly. This can be done using fists or a wooden masher.
6. When all the vegetable mass is finished, cover the top with clean gauze. Place a wooden circle of the appropriate size or a large flat plate on top. Then apply pressure.
This can be a clean cobblestone or a 3 liter jar of water.
7. Leave the container with the workpiece at room temperature for 2 - 3 days, piercing the contents with a wooden stick to the very bottom two or three times every day. This way we will release the gases and cabbage spirit accumulated inside.
Each time, to do this, we remove the oppression and gauze. Rinse the gauze in warm water every other day.
8. After 3 days, the fermentation process should stop and this will be a signal that it is time to take the workpiece to a colder room. According to the rules, the sauerkraut needs to be kept for another two to three weeks at a temperature of 16 to 18 degrees, and only after that put it in the cold. During this period, pierce the contents with a stick once or twice a day.
But, sometimes, this rule is broken, and she is taken out into the cold earlier.
There are many recipes, and therefore the degree of leavening is different for everyone.
In general, you should know one rule. If you ferment cabbage by natural fermentation, then it is better not to take a sample in the first 3-4 days. If a vegetable contains nitrates, then during this time they turn into compounds that are more harmful to the body, they are called nitrites.
Then the process of decay begins, and it ends only on the 7th - 8th day. Therefore, there are recommendations, if followed, you can start eating it no earlier than 10 days after fermentation.
According to the same recipe, you can ferment it in quarters.
A very tasty way to ferment cabbage in quarters according to the classic recipe
In principle, you can ferment it with quarters according to any of the recipes proposed today. There is nothing complicated about this. And the recipe remains almost unchanged.
As a rule, part of the vegetable is chopped as usual, and one or two heads of cabbage are cut into fairly large pieces.
For pickling, you can cut them into quarters. Or cut the head of cabbage into 6 - 8 pieces if it is too large.
If we salt in a large saucepan or tub, the pieces may be large. If we use a three-liter jar as a container for pickling, then the size of the pieces can be reduced. This should be done to make them easier to install.
There are only two cutting methods.
- The head of cabbage is cut into pieces, but the stalk is not cut out and remains in its place. Thanks to it, the leaves do not fall apart, and the particles are convenient to take out.
- But there is an opinion that the stalk contains all the unwanted compounds that are deposited there when fertilizers are used. Therefore, it is recommended to cut out the stalk.
I follow this advice, and not even because I am afraid of these connections. Even if they bring me fresh heads of cabbage from the dacha, I still remove the stalk, because I think that this way the pieces are salted better and more evenly.
And so, we have two types of chopped cabbage. We will take the proportions of ingredients and the method of salting from the previous classic recipe. We will salt in a large saucepan.
Line the bottom of the pan with leaves. Then add the salted and mixed vegetable mixture. About half. Tamp it down well using your fists.
Then sprinkle each head of cabbage cut into pieces with a small amount of salt and rub it inside. Place on top of the cut and compacted pieces. Do the same with all the quarters cut into pieces.
Place the remaining chopped mixture on top. Cover with leaves and gauze. Put oppression.
Ferment as usual. For an example, you can see the previous recipe.
Juicy cabbage for the winter, pickled in brine in a 3 liter jar
This recipe was shared with me by a friend of mine who is a big fan of cooking something delicious. The peculiarity of this recipe is that the prepared snack is not very sour. When cooking, there is no need to mash it or grind it with salt. Also, it does not require oppression. All this makes it easier to prepare your favorite dish.
We will need (for a 3 liter jar):
- white cabbage – 3 kg
- carrots - 100 - 150 gr
For the brine:
- water - 1 liter
- salt - 1 tbsp. heaped spoon
- sugar - 1 tbsp. spoon with top
Preparation:
1. Chop the vegetable in any convenient way, most importantly into very thin strips.
2. Grate the carrots on a coarse grater. Its weight is approximate, it all depends on taste preferences. Some people like to add more of it, while others add just a little bit. Therefore, grate one piece first, when you mix it with the slices, see if it is enough or not. If necessary, you can always add more.
3. Mix the ingredients and place in a thoroughly washed and scalded 3-liter jar. Fill it very tightly, literally compacting it. Do not lay it out completely, leave room for the brine. It will be enough to lay out the cans up to the hangers, or even a little lower.
4. Prepare the brine. To do this, take 1 liter of unboiled water. It is best to purchase bottled water at the store for this. You can use your own if you live in your own house and have a well. In this case, of course, you need to be completely confident in its quality. For this purpose, special examinations are carried out.
Pour salt into the water and mix thoroughly until it is completely dissolved.
5. Pour brine into jars. In order for the water to pass inside better, pierce the contents of the jar with a wooden stick or skewer, while adding the missing brine. And so on until it completely covers the entire contents of the container.
6. Place the jar in a deep bowl. During fermentation, a lot of juice will appear and drain into this bowl. There is no need to pour it out, we will still need it.
7. Cover the top of the jar with the back of the nylon lid and leave it in this state for two to three days. The time will depend on what the air temperature is in the room. The hotter it is, the shorter the time will be.
8. During this entire time, the contents of the jar will need to be pierced to the very bottom with a wooden stick or skewer. If you have neither one nor the other, then you can use a regular kebab skewer.
This must be done. During the ongoing fermentation processes, gases will form inside the jar, which will need to be released. If you leave them, the snack will taste bitter.
It is necessary to pierce the contents of the jar at least twice a day, but more often.
9. After two to three days, strain the juice from the jar directly into the bowl in which it was located. Stir the sugar in it until it is completely dissolved. You need to add 1 heaped tablespoon of sugar per liter of brine.
10. Pour the resulting brine back into the jar. Leave for another day. All this time, the brine must cover the entire cabbage. To do this, you can lightly melt it with a spoon.
During these 24 hours, pierce the contents of the jar to the very bottom 2 - 3 times.
11. Store in the refrigerator, or in the basement, or on the loggia - in general, in the cold.
Use in any form - in salads, vinaigrettes, in preparing soups and main courses.
Crispy cabbage pickled with cold water in a wooden tub or bucket
We will need:
- white cabbage – 3 kg
- carrots - 2 pcs.
For the brine:
- water - 1 liter
- salt - 2 tbsp. heaped spoons
- sugar - 1 tbsp. spoon without slide
Preparation:
1. Chop the vegetable. If there is a shredder for this, then that’s just great. Thanks to it, the vegetable is cut into long thin strips, and the preparation turns out not only tasty, but also beautiful.
Do not cut the entire head of cabbage at once. Half will be enough to start with.
2. Place the chopped vegetable in a bowl or tray and add half the salt and sugar. Grind lightly until the contents are slightly moistened. But not much.
3. Grate the carrots on a coarse grater. Add half to the bowl and mix, preferably with your hands. This way everything will mix more evenly.
4. Place the prepared vegetables in a bucket or pan and press them tightly with a fist.
5. Do the same with the remaining half. And also place the vegetable mass tightly in a bucket.
6. Prepare the brine. To do this, boil a liter of water and add salt and sugar to it, according to the recipe. Then let it cool completely, and then pour the vegetable mixture into the bucket.
7. Place a clean gauze on top. Place a flat plate and apply pressure. Leave in this position for 3 - 4 days. Every day the contents should be stirred or pierced with a wooden stick.
After a while, foam will appear and can be removed.
Also, every day you need to rinse the gauze and a flat plate in warm water, then cover our workpiece with them again.
8. After 3 - 4 days, it should be taken out into the cold, and let it stand there for another week. Then the appetizer can be served to the table. It turns out very tasty with butter and chopped onions.
Crispy and juicy instant cabbage - preparation methods
Nowadays we all live at a very fast pace. Therefore, so-called “quick recipes” are gaining more and more popularity, no matter what area of food preparation this concerns. Preparations for the winter are not deprived of attention either - “five-minute” jam, salads for the winter “in a hurry”, and, of course, various other instant preparations. Including sauerkraut.
For quick fermentation, methods such as pouring hot brine and using vinegar are mainly used. There are simply a huge number of cooking options and variations. For example, instead of regular vinegar, softer apple cider vinegar or citric acid can be used. Although there are recipes where vinegar is not used at all.
If you ferment in the traditional way, then even for quick preparation you still need at least two to three days. And I have already suggested it on the pages of my blog.
But there are still a lot of interesting and tasty recipes. I propose to consider some of them in this section.
Sauerkraut cooked 12 hours in brine with vinegar
This recipe is interesting because in addition to carrots, we will also use prunes and garlic. But if you don’t want to add such components, then don’t add them, or add just one thing. Although, if you prepare such a preparation with all the proposed ingredients, you can get an unusual and very interesting taste.
And instead of prunes, you can add raisins. It will also turn out delicious.
As you will see, in the composition of the products, it is proposed to add carrots, prunes and garlic in fairly large quantities. And this is exactly the highlight of this recipe.
We will need:
- cabbage - 2 kg
- carrots - 500 gr
- prunes - 300 g (pitted)
For the brine:
- water - 800 ml
- sugar - 1 glass
- vegetable oil - 1 cup
- vinegar 6% - 1 glass
- salt - 2 tbsp. spoons
Preparation:
1. Cut the head of cabbage into pieces with a side of 2.5 - 3 cm. This is if you want the snack to be ready in 12 hours. If you have time, you can cut it a little larger.
2. Grate the carrots on a coarse grater. Cut the prunes into small strips. Grind the garlic, the method does not play a special role. You can grind it very finely, or you can cut it into thin slices.
3. Prepare a pan of appropriate volume. Place cabbage in the first layer. Sprinkle it with some carrots, prunes and garlic. Then repeat the layers in the same sequence until all the prepared components are finished.
4. Prepare brine, also known as marinade. To do this, boil water and add all the ingredients to it. Give them the opportunity to completely go their separate ways. Then pour boiling marinade over the contents of the pan.
5. Press down the contents with a flat plate and leave in this position for at least 12 hours. After the allotted time, the snack should be put in the refrigerator and stored there.
It becomes most delicious on the third or fourth day, although after 12 hours it is quite ready to eat.
Delicious cabbage in a quick way in a day
Although this recipe is also prepared with the presence of vinegar, it is still worth talking about. It is interesting because the fermentation process can be stopped when necessary, just with the help of vinegar. Therefore, you will not have to wait 3-4 days until all fermentation processes are completed.
Having stopped them yourself, the snack can be eaten within a day. And if the house is very hot, then after 12 hours.
We will need (for a three-liter jar):
- cabbage - 2 kg
- carrots - 300 gr
- vinegar essence 70% - 1 teaspoon
- bay leaf - 3 pcs
- black peppercorns - 9 pcs
- aspirin - 3 tablets
For garlic lovers, you can also add it. One or two cloves will be enough.
For the brine:
- water - 1 liter
- salt - 2 tbsp. heaped spoons
- sugar - 2 tbsp. spoons without a slide
Preparation:
1. Chop the vegetable as usual. Since we will have prepared quite a lot of brine, we may need a little less than 2 kg of vegetables. But that’s okay, the remaining cuttings can be used to make a salad.
2. Grate the carrots, as usual.
3. Place the chopped and grated vegetables in a bowl, mix and lightly press down with your palms. The movement is similar to how we knead dough. But you don’t need to press hard, and you don’t need to mash the vegetables.
4. Prepare the brine. To do this, boil water and add salt and sugar to it.
6. Immediately put an aspirin tablet, a bay leaf and three peppercorns into it.
7. Add the vegetable mixture, filling half the jar with it. If you use garlic, add it right in the middle. It can be pre-chopped or cut into thin slices.
8. Place the aspirin tablet, bay leaf and three black peppercorns again.
9. Place the remaining vegetable mixture up to the shoulders of the jar. Place another aspirin tablet, bay leaf and pepper on top. If the brine does not reach the very neck, but completely covers the contents, then leave it that way. During fermentation processes, the juice will bubble and flow down. Therefore, the jar needs to be placed in a bowl.
If there is not enough brine, you can simply add a little boiling water.
10. The jar should stand at room temperature for 12 - 14 hours. Then pierce its contents to the very bottom with a wooden stick. During the day, pierce three more times to release gas bubbles.
If the house is warm enough, the cabbage will be ready in 24 hours. If it’s cool, it will take another 12 hours. During this entire time, do not forget to release gas bubbles.
11. Well, the last stage is to stop the fermentation process. To do this, pour vinegar essence on top. Prick the vegetable mixture with a stick again to distribute the vinegar evenly. Then put it in the refrigerator for storage.
You can serve with butter and onions, or add the necessary vegetables and prepare a vinaigrette. You can also cook cabbage soup and vegetable stew. In any form it will be delicious.
Video on how to make a quick snack in a simple way without adding vinegar
This is the simplest recipe, using only cabbage, carrots and salt. For quick fermentation, water is also used. The author claims that the finished product can be eaten within 24 hours.
Also in this video you can see how to cut a head of cabbage if you don’t have a shredder. How to mix it and lightly knead it with carrots. And also how to fill the jars.
After all, all recipes are essentially similar to one another. There are only a few nuances that distinguish them from each other. And thanks to these small nuances, the taste of the finished dish turns out different.
Juicy sauerkraut for the winter in jars
Currently, many people prepare sauerkraut in jars for the winter. This is undoubtedly very convenient, especially when you live in a small apartment.
This vegetable crop is now sold almost all year round. Therefore, at any time, you can buy a head of cabbage in the store and ferment it using one of the known methods. At the same time, it is very convenient to store the workpiece in a jar in the refrigerator. You can choose the size of the jar at your discretion; it can be either half-liter or three-liter.
And if it is difficult to store it in the refrigerator - there is no space, or the refrigerator itself, then the jars can be closed with iron lids. And then such a snack will be stored all winter somewhere in the apartment in a cool place. For example, my friends store blanks under their beds.
A very tasty recipe for the winter in liter jars with carrots and apples
When I want to add some zest to an already familiar dish, I use this recipe. I cook a little, 1 liter jar at a time. Just for variety.
It turns out very tasty. The taste of apples is especially interesting. Because of them, in general, I cook.
We will need (for a liter jar):
- cabbage - 1 kg
- apples - 1 - 2 pcs
- carrots - 1 pc.
- salt - 1 tbsp. spoon without slide
- sugar - 1 teaspoon
You can add a pinch of cumin for taste and aroma. But this is optional.
Preparation:
1. Chop the head of cabbage into thin strips.
2. Add salt and sugar, and rub lightly with your hands until it is slightly moistened.
3. Grate the peeled and washed carrots on a coarse grater. Add to the resulting mass and mix. In this case, you no longer need to press. Under the influence of salt and juice formed in the container, the carrots themselves will give the required amount of additional juice.
4. Peel the apples, remove the core and cut into slices. If the apple is large, then it will be enough to take just one, but if it is small, then two. Add the slices to the vegetable mass and mix carefully so as not to damage their integrity.
If you have prepared cumin, add that too. However, don't get too carried away. Cumin belongs to the category of spices with which it is better not to overdo it.
5. Place the mixture in a clean jar and compact it tightly, pressing down with your fist.
To prevent it from floating, place a cabbage leaf on top. Then cover with the back of the nylon lid, but so that the juice can drain freely.
6. Place the jar in a bowl. When the fermentation process begins, a lot of juice is formed, which will flow into it. Leave it in this position for salting for 3 days. During this time it must be kept at room temperature.
Also, two to three times a day, the contents will need to be pierced with a wooden stick or skewer in order to release the gas accumulated inside.
It is better to skim off the resulting foam, and if there is not enough juice, you can add the juice that has leaked into the bowl.
7. After three days, seal the contents tightly with a nylon lid and put them in the refrigerator for storage.
Eat seasoned with oil, you can chop onions into the salad. After removing the apples and eating them separately, you can use the preparation to prepare a vinaigrette.
Sauerkraut in 3 liter jars with apples and lemon juice (tastes amazing)
This is a very interesting recipe, according to which apples added to the appetizer taste like pineapples. Also, the fermented appetizer acquires a light, slightly perceptible lemon aroma due to the added lemon juice.
Overall, a recipe that deserves our attention.
We will ferment in three-liter jars. Although if you decide to prepare in larger quantities, you can use both a saucepan and a tub for salting.
We will need (for a 3 liter jar):
- cabbage - 2.5 kg
- apples - 2 pcs (medium)
- carrots - 2 pcs (small)
- lemon juice
- salt - 60 g (2 - 2.5 heaped tablespoons)
For 1 kg of vegetable, add 1 heaped tablespoon of salt.
Preparation:
1. Cut the head of cabbage into thin strips. Grate the carrots on a coarse grater. Remove the core from the apple and cut it into cubes or small slices. If the apple has a thick skin, you can peel it.
2. Place the cabbage in a bowl and add salt. Rub lightly with your hands until it is slightly moistened.
3. Add carrots and apples. Mix everything, best by hand.
4. Place the mixture in a clean jar, thoroughly pressing each new layer with your fist. Leave some free space on top for the juices that will soon begin to appear.
5. Leave the jar at room temperature, placing it in a bowl. This is necessary so that the juice flows into it. It will ferment at this temperature for 3 days. During this time, 3-4 times a day, pierce the vegetable mass with a skewer or wooden stick to the very bottom, releasing the gas.
6. Then close the lid and store in the refrigerator.
Cabbage according to a delicious recipe, sauerkraut for the winter with beets in brine
This recipe is used to ferment it in the Caucasus. For those who love spicy snacks, this recipe will definitely appeal to you. Men especially like it.
We will need (for a 2 liter jar):
- cabbage - 900 gr -1 kg
- beets - 1 piece
- garlic - 2 small heads
- hot capsicum - 1 piece (to taste)
- salt - 2 tbsp. spoons
- water - 1 liter
Preparation:
1. Cut the stalk from the head of cabbage and cut it into fairly large pieces. So that they can fit in the jar.
2. Peel the beets and cut into slices. Also cut the garlic into slices.
3. Hot peppers are of particular importance in this appetizer. You should choose a variety that is quite bitter, although not chili. The strength and bitterness of the pepper will determine the spiciness of the entire appetizer. It is also necessary to take into account the taste of those who will eat such a snack. Therefore, if you have very hot pepper on hand, then take only half of it, or a little more, or less. In any case, it is at your discretion.
You can add just a little bit of it. In this case, the snack will be less spicy.
Remove seeds from the pepper and cut into thick rings.
4. Place part of the beets as the first layer in a clean jar scalded with boiling water. Then add some hot pepper and garlic.
5. Then add a layer of cabbage. Then continue laying out in the same sequence until we fill the entire container. You need to lay it out quite tightly so that there is as little free space as possible.
To do this, the top layer can be compacted using a wooden masher.
6. Prepare the brine. Boil a liter of water and stir salt in it. Pour it over the vegetables in the jar. In this case, the jar can be immediately placed in a bowl, where the juice will be poured, which will soon begin to ferment.
7. Place a cabbage leaf on top and apply pressure. This can be a smaller jar filled with water.
8. After a day, gas bubbles will begin to appear on the surface, and the juice will pour into the bowl. At the same time, the ingredients will begin to ferment and settle. In this case, the juice from the bowl can be added back.
9. Keep the snack in this position for 5 - 6 days. But it is better that from the third day it stands somewhere on the windowsill, where it is not so warm, but not too cold.
After this time, close the appetizer with a lid and store it in the refrigerator. This is in case you don’t eat everything at once. The appetizer turns out very, very tasty!
Delicious naturally fermented cabbage according to grandma's recipe with cold water
This method was previously often used in villages, and our grandmothers used it to prepare sauerkraut. The preparation turns out crispy, white and very tasty.
And this method of salting came to us from the Volga region.
We will need:
- white cabbage - 2 kg
- medium carrots - 2 pcs.
- water - 800 ml
- salt - 2 tbsp. spoons
- sugar - 3 tbsp. spoons
- black peppercorns - 7 - 8 pcs
- bay leaf - 2 pcs
Preparation:
1. Chop the vegetable into thin long strips. Place in a bowl and rub lightly with your hands. Just a little bit, so that it gets just a little moisturized.
2. Grate the carrots. Add to the bowl and mix everything.
3. Break the bay leaf into several pieces and add to the total mass. If you are not a fan of this component, then you can do without it.
Also add peppercorns and mix everything again.
4. Prepare the brine. For this we will use raw cold water. It is better to buy it in a bottle in a store. Add salt and sugar to the water and stir until they are completely dissolved.
5. Transfer the vegetable mixture into a clean three-liter jar, compacting them tightly. Then fill the contents with brine. Poke several times with a wooden stick or skewer so that the brine goes inside.
If suddenly there is not enough brine, you can simply add water. There is already enough salt and sugar, and everything will go as it should.
6. Place the jar in a bowl to drain the resulting juice. It can later be added back to the jar.
7. Leave to ferment for 2 - 3 days. The time will depend on the room temperature. Fermentation processes will begin around the end of the first day, and this can be noticed by the fact that gas bubbles will begin to appear on the surface.
They need to be released from within. To do this, 2-3 times a day the contents of the jars should be pierced with something sharp to the very bottom. This can be a wooden stick or skewer.
8. As soon as you see that bubbles have stopped forming, this is a signal that it’s time to put the jar in the cold. After the workpiece has stood there for a week, it can already be served.
This preparation with onions and butter is very tasty. Many people add unrefined oil to get a real rustic smell. This is how they once served their favorite snack in the village at my grandmother’s.
Crispy delicious cabbage with vodka
There is also a recipe where, when preparing this fermented snack, a strong alcoholic drink is added to it. That is, it turns out “two in one” - both a drink and a snack. This is the favorite recipe of all men.
But seriously speaking, all the alcohol disappears somewhere. After 3 - 4 hours, not a trace remains of it - neither taste nor smell. And vodka in this recipe serves as a kind of preservative. Thanks to it, the fermentation process ends, and the snack is perfectly stored.
And according to this recipe, it turns out transparent and crispy, and therefore I came across the same recipe in the literature with the name “Crystal Cabbage”.
We will need:
- cabbage - 1 kg
- carrots - 1 piece (small)
- salt - 1 tbsp. spoon (exactly)
- sugar - 1/3 tbsp. spoons
- allspice - 3 pcs
- mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon
- dill seeds - 1 teaspoon
- vodka - 1 tbsp. spoon
Please note that the proportions are given for 1 kg of vegetable. This amount will make approximately one liter jar. If you want to prepare the preparation in larger quantities, then simply increase the amount of all ingredients proportionally. It is the exact proportions that will give a very tasty and desired result.
Preparation:
1. Chop the head of cabbage using any known method. Try to chop in such a way that the slices are thin and long. It is especially good to use a shredder for this.
2. Peel the carrots and grate them on a coarse grater. You can use very small carrots for this recipe to add a little pop of color. The main color of the workpiece should be white.
3. Mix vegetables in a bowl or tray. Sprinkle with salt and sugar. And lightly grind the contents. Please note that the recipe suggests using exactly 1 tablespoon of salt per kilogram of the main vegetable.
To measure this amount, you need to scoop salt into a spoon, and then remove all excess with the cutting surface, or the back of the knife.
4. Add all the spices and stir until they are evenly distributed throughout the mixture.
5. Prepare a jar. To do this, wash it and scald it with boiling water. Place the vegetable mixture tightly into a cooled container, compacting each layer with a fist. Place the jar in a bowl where the fermented juice will drain.
6. Leave for 3 days at room temperature. 3-4 times a day, pierce the contents of the jar with a wooden stick or skewer to release the gas formed inside.
7. After three days, pour in vodka, top up the leaked juice and put it in the refrigerator or on the loggia.
Two days after this, the preparation for the winter is ready. Crispy, translucent, without a single trace of alcohol, and delicious, simply cannot be described in words.
How to make sauerkraut at home
We have fermented cabbage in many different ways. And although they are all different, and come with different flavor combinations and notes, there are general rules for all of them. By following them, you can achieve excellent results in any of the proposed recipes.
Therefore, in order not to run through all the articles, I decided to collect all the rules in one place. I think this will be convenient for everyone. Read about the cooking features, and you can move on to any recipe. After all, if all these important points are described in each of them, then there will be no room left for the recipes themselves.
How to choose a head of cabbage for pickling based on appearance
Sometimes you salt cabbage according to the same recipe, but it always tastes different. Sometimes it turns out very sour, sometimes it cannot start to ferment at all. Sometimes it keeps well, and sometimes it turns sour quickly. Let's figure out why this happens.
In order for our preparations for the winter to always turn out tasty and crispy, and also to be stored well, it is necessary to choose large heads of cabbage with light leaves for pickling. It’s even better if the heads of cabbage are caught by the first frost, and such a fork may even burst slightly.
This is an excellent indicator - it means the head of cabbage is fully ripe and has absorbed a lot of useful juices and nutrients. The leaves of this vegetable are juicy, tasty, and slightly sweet in taste. When you cut it, it crunches under the knife and bursts, and the juice splashes out.
The presence of a sweet taste indicates that the leaves have accumulated the required amount of sugar. It is he who contributes to the onset and progression of fermentation processes. More precisely, these processes are triggered by lactic acid bacteria located in the same leaves, and sugar is food for them.
As a rule, autumn varieties are used for pickling. It happens that when purchasing, it is difficult to find out from the seller what kind of variety he is selling, so you have to rely on your knowledge. In general, there are varieties that are specially grown for pickling. These are autumn varieties such as Slava, Valentina, Amager, Podarok and others.
There are also so-called mid-season varieties, which are also excellent for pickling. These are Moscow, Belarus, Sibiryachka, Slavyanka, Stakhanovka, etc.
Recently, store shelves have been filled with heads of cabbage variety "Kolobok". Its forks are not very large, the leaves are dark green, dense, dry and veiny. This one is like salt, you can’t pickle it. It stores well, but is not suitable for pickling at all. Never buy one - you'll only end up in trouble!
When you buy a vegetable for pickling, be sure to ask the seller. when it is delivered to the store. If it lay there for a long time, then there would be no juice left in it. This means that the fermentation process will not work, which means it will not ferment and will not be stored.
But if it has just been brought from the field, and it is tight and elastic. The upper integumentary leaves on it are light, elastic, without any signs of rot or dryness. It itself is white, juicy, with a fresh cut in the stalk area - this is the kind of cabbage you should take for pickling.
Always be very responsible when choosing your main product. The recipe may be the best, but if you make a mistake with the choice, then the sauerkraut will turn out to be bad...
How to ferment cabbage so that it is tasty and crispy
In this section we will briefly look at all stages of preparation. We could see all of them in each of the recipes. And here we will try to combine them in one place.
1. It is better to chop the vegetable into long thin strips. To do this, you can use a shredder or a knife. And before she was flogged in a wooden trough.
2. Carrots are added in as many quantities as you like. In different regions of our large country, the addition of carrots is also treated differently. In some places, very little is added, so that the finished snack is white, and in other places a lot is added. In general, the standard proportion is 5:1. That is, for 5 kg of cabbage only 100 grams of carrots are added.
3. The amount of salt and sugar also varies. If we again take the standard, then it is again 5:1, that is, for 5 kg of cabbage 100 grams of salt. But since all recipes are different, you can see that salt is always added in different amounts.
Honey is often used instead of sugar. In principle, they can always replace sugar in any recipe.
4. You can ferment it in any container convenient for this - these include jars, pans, tubs, and barrels.
5. In order for fermentation processes to begin, juice must be formed. Therefore, the chopped vegetable is lightly kneaded with your hands. If it is juicy on its own, then it is not worth crushing. It will give juice on its own and remain crispy.
6. Throughout the entire fermentation process, and then storage, the cuttings should be kept in brine. It is a preservative and guarantees its storage. In brine it will not peroxidize and will not spoil.
7. During the fermentation process, bubbles form inside and on the surface. This is a gas that needs to be released. If this is not done, the finished product will taste bitter. It itself, as a product, has a slight bitterness, and the gas will greatly enhance the undesirable taste. Until it is put into the cold, once or twice a day at least, it is necessary to release the gas with something sharp.
8. The ideal temperature for storing the workpiece is 0 + 2 degrees. Therefore, if you store it in the refrigerator, where the temperature is only 4 degrees, do not prepare a lot of it. Otherwise, it may peroxidize there.
And in conclusion, I would like to say that sauerkraut is a healthy product. And all its useful qualities can hardly be overestimated. It activates metabolic processes, improves immunity, promotes rejuvenation of body tissues, the production of red blood cells, reduces cholesterol and strengthens the cardiovascular system.
It is also rich in vitamins, micro- and macroelements, and all sorts of useful substances.
By the way, in heads of cabbage and quarters, all vitamins are preserved much better. There are almost twice as many of them left as in chopped vegetables.
So be sure to salt and ferment it in any way you like. Eat healthy and be healthy!
Bon appetit!