Sauerkraut with apples and cranberries is my favorite recipe. I cook it often, from autumn to late spring in small portions. As soon as everything is eaten, I start a new batch.
Vegetables are available and you can buy them in any season, but I use frozen cranberries.
The recipe is incredibly simple, and the result is licking your fingers.
Prepare vegetables and fruits. Late-ripening white cabbage varieties are well suited for sourdough.
For a head of cabbage 3 kg, one apple and medium-sized carrots are enough.
Rinse the head of cabbage under running water, dry it and remove the top leaves from it. We do not throw away the leaves, they will be useful to him.
Put the shredded cabbage on the work surface, sprinkle with salt and shake well until the juice appears. Leave the cabbage for 15 minutes on the table and do other things.
I do not waste time in vain, I cook carrots, apples and cranberries. If you have frozen cranberries, as for example mine, take it out and defrost when room temperature.
Grate the carrots coarse grater and add to cabbage.
Mix everything well, taste for salt, if you think you need to add, add. The amount of salt in the recipe is approximate.
Cut the apples into small pieces and add to the cabbage along with the cranberries.
Mix everything well and transfer to a barrel or deep pan. I have a 3.5 liter pot, all the cabbage fit in it.
We cover the cabbage with leaves and put it under oppression.
The fermentation process can take 3-4 days, I leave the pan right on the table in the kitchen.
Cabbage should ferment naturally without adding vinegar. But once a day it is recommended to pierce the cabbage with a long stick, reaching the pots until the day, in 3-4 places. This is necessary in order for the accumulated gases to come out.
Arrange the prepared cabbage in jars and store in the refrigerator.
Cabbage can be seasoned with onions and vegetable oil and bring to the table.
I also add this cabbage to other salads, cook borscht and carcass.
PS It will take you 30 minutes to prepare cabbage, not counting the fermentation time.
Cooking time: PT00H30M 30 min.
For pickling, it is best to use white cabbage late varieties: Belarusian. Moscow late, Amager, Ladoga, Slava. Heads of cabbage should be chosen large (at least 800 g), which give less waste during processing.
Ingredients:
- 10 kg cabbage
- 1 kg Antonovka apples
- 750 g carrots
- 200-250 g salt
- cranberries, lingonberries to taste
Cooking:
Before pickling, free the cabbage from green and defective leaves (if caterpillars are found, the cabbage can be kept for 30 minutes in salt water, then washed and dried). Then chop or chop.
Cut carrots and apples into slices or shavings. Large apples can be cut into slices, removing the core. Mix prepared cabbage, carrots and apples with cranberries and lingonberries, sprinkle with salt and put in a well-washed and scalded tub, tamp everything tightly. Put a wooden circle on the cabbage, place a load on top, cover the tub with a canvas napkin or a bedspread.
In the initial stage of sauerkraut, juice is released, foam is formed, and gas is released. During this period, it should be pierced with a clean stick to evenly remove gases, otherwise bitterness may appear. Foam contributes to the development of foreign unwanted microflora, so it must also be removed.
At the same time, lactic acid is formed, which is a preservative; it inhibits the development of foreign microelements. The most favorable temperature for this stage is +20°. Fermentation lasts 3-4 days. After that, the tub is taken out to a dry, cool room. In 2-3 weeks the cabbage will be ready.
Shall we cook together?
And let the quality of the photos of the cooking process be "so-so". But I promise the taste is excellent. Because the recipe is old. Proven for years.
Sure to buy sauerkraut the store is easier. BUT ... So, suddenly, I really wanted to!
This is a childhood memory. Usually on the NOVEMBER HOLIDAYS (there were some) with the whole family, we chopped and salted cabbage. Lot. For the whole winter. Now you don't need that much. Let's do a little. Just to refresh memories.
Want to join?
The time before the November holidays is still in bulk. Have time to buy the ingredients.))))
So. What we need:
Saucepan or enameled bucket. (I have a 10 liter pot).
- Actually white cabbage. (This pot took 3 heads out of 5 in the photo).
- Carrot. (It took 3 times more, but you can’t spoil cabbage with carrots).
- Antonovsky apples. (I put exactly that much, but I wanted to make a whole row of apples. They turn out painfully delicious. The thing is that we bought five kilograms of apples on Sunday. But I decided to soak some. Separately. And I succeeded.))) By the way did the same today. But there is nothing to brag about. Let them get ready. And if you like it, I'll tell you how I did it. Because I EXPERIMENTED. In general, what was left - put in cabbage).
- Cranberry. It's for color ita and.. just... Cranberries. You may or may not put it in at all. But I like. And if someone does not like cranberries, then for colors you can grate a small, apple-sized beetroot.
- Croutons from black bread. Maybe just a slice of fresh bread. I like Borodinsky. Since it was not at hand, but were:
- Coriander seeds, and poured a little of them.
Bread is needed in order to start the fermentation process of cabbage faster. She is not just salty, but pickled!
Coarse salt (rock). I had too much salt in the bowl. You can use three or four less spoons for this pan. In general, be careful with salt!(Read the comments on this post. They give advice - how much you need and how to determine the amount of salt)
Process:
We line the bottom of the pan, removed from the cabbage, with whole upper (as for cabbage rolls) leaves. We put a piece of bread (crackers) on them and pour the coriander seeds. Cover with another cabbage leaf.
cabbage we cut SHINKU (the word is what !!!) thinly, with a long straw. Well, or how it goes.
Mix with carrots and cranberries grated on a coarse grater and add. Mix (you can directly on the cutting board - where the cabbage was cut). Slightly "squeezing" mix. To feel the moisture in your hands.
We shift it into a saucepan and carefully crush it with our fists.
We cut-three-add-mix-mix-zhmak eat the next portion and again into the pan. Pound with fists.
It's time to put a layer of apples. And again we cut the cabbage, three carrots, put the cranberries, add salt, mix, squeeze ...
Until the pot is filled to the top. Moreover, we are now crushing and tamping with our fists with high quality. "To juice." So that he squishes under his arms already. In the end, this is what happened: 
We cover with the same whole (as at the bottom), cabbage leaves.
.
And we put oppression on top. In my case, a smaller saucepan with water, for gravity. 
Important: Pack the cabbage tightly. Leaving no voids for air. Especially between apples if you put them in a pan. You can apples, by the way, and not put at all. Couldn't be worse than cabbage. Just be left without AMAZING soaked apples at the end!
Now we need endurance. We leave the pan in the kitchen for 3-4 days. Let it start wandering. Of course, the smell will appear on an amateur ... But for the sake of the result, we will endure ...
After 3 days, you need to pierce the cabbage to the very bottom with a wooden (or plastic) stick. Release spirit air that will still accumulate inside the pan. The worse they compacted, the more this air must be released))).
And then a couple more days, while the cabbage is sour in the kitchen, you need to pierce it. Be patient. And WAIT!!!
On the fifth day (I'm cooking with you - so I'll remind you) it will be possible to take the cabbage to a cool place. Let's say on the glazed balcony. And a day later...
I can already imagine her taste!
crispy, cool, juicy, sour-salty .... Yes, under (God forbid!) a glass .... Eh ...
Bon Appetit!
Z.Y.
(Day one) Already place some kind of tray, baking sheet or container of a larger diameter under the pot with cabbage. There is a lot of juice and it can and should flow out)))
(Day two) The juice secreted by the cabbage began to foam. White such foam appeared. Hats. This is fine. Don't be scared. We have sauerkraut. This word is probably related to the word Kvass. Such a drink.))) Remember - we put black crackers on the bottom? They then initiated the process of fermentation. So you can safely scoop up our juice with a tablespoon and try it. At the same time and "check for salt." Just keep in mind that this brine will be noticeably saltier than the resulting cabbage. Let the pan stand still and warm (about 20-23 degrees is optimal) for another day. Tomorrow, we will probably call the "spirits".))) That is, we will pierce it. And release the accumulated gas inside. Otherwise, our cabbage will turn out with unnecessary bitterness. And "with a smell" I'll take a picture and show it. We wait.
(Day three) First, let's skim off the foam that has formed on the surface of the cabbage juice. Skimmer. This is such a spoon with holes (Yes?!) Without removing the load. Otherwise, if the load is removed immediately, the juice, together with the foam, will go home to the cabbage. And we don't need foam there.
Removed? Now we remove the weight-oppression and the plate. Carefully lift the cabbage leaf and pierce our potential snack with a wooden or plastic stick.
I have a plastic spoon with a long handle that matches the color of the cabbage. I use her. We make punctures to the very bottom. In several places. 
Then carefully return the cabbage leaves, plate and oppression to their place.
Try something, I hope you guessed it!?))) It's delicious ... ALREADY!))))))
But we're still waiting...
(Fourth day. Important!) Remember how in a movie about pilots: "The speed is such and such. Commander! Time to make a decision."
Here we have such a time. Removed the foam again. Then the oppression was removed. Removed a whole cabbage leaf. Pierced in several places .. Tried.
DECISION TIME, COMMANDER!
We make a smart face and decide: Enough cabbage fermented or not.
If the taste suits you - Hurray. We return the sheet, plate, oppression to its place and put the pan on the balcony (in the refrigerator). Now it is MANDATORY necessary that the fermentation process stops. That is, so that the temperature around the saucepan is at least +2 - +7 degrees for at least a day, approximately.
If you think that is not enough for your taste "strong". Let it stay warm for another half day or a day. Be patient. You do it for yourself.
But for anyone, this cabbage is served at the table early TODAY! She's not ready. STUNNING still!
_________________________________
In my case, FOR MY taste, EVERYTHING is already COMPLETELY GOOD. So I'm taking it to the balcony...
And, apparently, it's time to go to the store. To buy drinks for the tasting table tomorrow and also put them to cool ...
(Day five. Last) Here the cabbage is ready. I got her like this. It’s not a shame to show you the result, and admire it yourself, and treat your guests!
Oh, it's a pity that the photograph of the aroma and taste is not able to convey ... You'll have to turn on your imagination ....
... Or make your own something similar.
P.S.P.S Why don't you ask me about apples? So impressed with the result? Well, I'll tell you myself then. You remember that our apples were almost at the very bottom in a saucepan. So I haven't gotten to them yet. Let them serve as a bonus for the hard work and patience with which we waited for the result!)))
BON APPETIT!
I did not wait for the autumn frosts and cooked very tasty sauerkraut with apples (fresh, straight from the tree, antonovka), cranberries and red currants (I collected all the leftovers from the bush). Recipe from a small culinary magazine "Culinary School" for September 2011.
It took me 1.5 kg for a two-liter glass jar. cabbage (already chopped - weighed on the scales), 1 carrot, 2 small apples, 3 tablespoons cranberries and 3 tablespoons redcurrant, 1 heaping tablespoon salt.
1. I thawed the cranberries, sorted out the currants. I removed all the top withered and damaged leaves from the head of cabbage, set aside two good leaves. The head of cabbage should be cut into 4 parts, cut out the stalk and thinly chop the cabbage (put the cabbage cut down and chop across the stalk). We clean the carrots and rub on a coarse grater. My apples, peel, cut into 4 parts, remove the seeds and cut lengthwise into thin slices. Mix berries in a bowl.
2. In a large bowl (I have a small bowl), combine the carrots with chopped cabbage, salt and mix well with your hands.
3. At the bottom of a cleanly washed jar, put a whole or cut cabbage leaf, put 1/4 of the cabbage with carrots on it and immediately tamp (I did this with a metal potato crusher)
4. Put half of the berries on the cabbage and again a layer of cabbage (another quarter of the total amount). We crush and spread the apple slices in an even layer. They have a layer of cabbage, the second half of the berries and the remaining cabbage. We put a whole cabbage leaf on top, a load on it (I took a jar of canned beans, put it in a plastic bag), covered the jar with gauze, put it in a bowl and left it on the table in the kitchen for three days.
5. The cabbage gave juice, after three days foam appeared, I took it off and made several deep punctures in the thickness of the cabbage with a knitting needle (very carefully so as not to damage the jar!). For another day, the cabbage stood on the table under the load, then I removed the load, poured juice into the cabbage, which poured out of the jar into a bowl, closed the jar with a lid and put it in the refrigerator. All of it can be eaten!
white cabbage - 1 kg
carrots - 100 g
apples - 100 g
cranberry
salt - 30 g
How to cook sauerkraut with cranberries and apples:
1. Rinse a strong head of cabbage under running water. Remove top leaves. Throw out the spoiled leaves, as they are not suitable for eating, and leave a few good leaves for further preparation of the workpiece.
2. Cut the head of cabbage into halves or quarters, remove the stalk. Chop the cabbage into long thin strips.
3. Peel, wash and dry the carrots. Grate the root crop on a special grater designed for cooking carrots in Korean.
4. Wash the apples, peel the stalks and seed pods, grate on a coarse grater.
5. Place cabbage, carrots and apples in a large bowl, salt and mix well.
6. Big bottom enamel pan(you can use an enameled bucket) line with half of the cabbage leaves.
7. Put part of the prepared mass on cabbage leaves, add pre-washed cranberries (the amount of this product is up to you), then again a layer of chopped cabbage with additives.
8. Cover the vegetable mass with the remaining cabbage leaves, put under oppression and leave for 1 day.
9. After a day, foam will appear on the surface of the cabbage, which should be collected with a slotted spoon or an ordinary spoon. In order to remove the gases formed in the workpiece during the fermentation process, you should pierce the cabbage in several places with a long wooden stick.
10. At room temperature, sauerkraut with apples and cranberries can be stored for a week. After this period, the cabbage should be decomposed into glass jars, cover with plastic lids and place in the refrigerator.
In order to make sauerkraut more fragrant, during the cooking process, you can add peas of allspice, cumin, anise, coriander to the vegetable mass. Before serving, sauerkraut can be sprinkled with a small amount lemon juice and fill with sunflower oil.
Cook with pleasure and bon appetit!
