Autumn time is the season when everyone prepares sauerkraut for the future. Since ancient times, cabbage has been fermented for the winter in barrels. Today, the volume of preparations is not so large, but without sauerkraut it is impossible to imagine a single family. We bring to your attention classic recipe sauerkraut.
Cooking products for making classic sauerkraut
For classic sauerkraut, you need to choose large, juicy heads of a late ripening period. Since a crispy billet will come out of it, which can stand until spring. So, we prepare products:
- Two large heads of cabbage.
- Three medium carrots.
- Salt (25 g of salt per 1 kg of cabbage).
- three bay leaves
- 5-8 black peppercorns
How to cook classic sauerkraut?
The process of making sauerkraut in the classic version is quite simple:
- Shred the cabbage into long strips. To do this, use a special grater or cut by hand.
- Grate the carrots, add it to the total mass.
- Mix without pressing. Add salt, bay leaf, black peppercorns and knead again.
- Put the cabbage in clean jars (they are prepared in advance) or other containers for fermentation. Punch down so that juice forms on top.
- If sour in a wide container, a load should be placed on top of the cabbage and left for fermentation. When fermenting in a jar, it should be put in a bowl, as the juice will pour out of it during fermentation.
- Since gas is released during fermentation, the vegetable mass must be pierced with a wooden stick 2-3 times a day. For cabbage folded into a jar, this procedure can be carried out with a knife.
- After 3-5 days (depending on the temperature in the room), if it is in a jar, close nylon cover, and if in a different container, tightly cork and send to the cold.
- Sauerkraut is ready. Now it remains only to pull out a part of the sauerkraut on a plate, cut the onion there and pour over vegetable oil. Help yourself classic cabbage like grandmothers in the villages.
About the benefits of sauerkraut
Nutritionists chorus "sing" praises about the benefits of sauerkraut. It is not surprising, since in its composition you can find vitamins PP (nicotinic acid), H, A (carotene), C (ascorbic acid), B. It is also rich in elements and microminerals, which have a beneficial effect on strengthening immune system, enhance resistance to stress and activate metabolism. Back to useful qualities sauerkraut should include:
- stimulation of the production of red cells in the blood, which contributes to the rejuvenation (regeneration) of cells;
- lowering cholesterol levels;
- strengthening the heart muscle;
- potency improvement;
- normalization of the gastrointestinal tract.
Recent studies by scientists have proven that the regular presence of sauerkraut in the diet slows down the regeneration of cancer cells. Therefore, eat it not only for gastronomic pleasure, but also for the prevention of various diseases. Sauerkraut according to the classic recipe and be healthy.
In Russia, cabbage was called the second bread. And no wonder, because she all year round was on the table - fresh or pickled. And the second more often! We also should not forget the good old traditions. Sauerkraut recipe - let's look at a few of how you can quickly ferment it yourself, at home.
Souring is natural process fermentation. The acid produced by it serves as a preservative that inhibits the growth and development of pathogenic bacteria, including E. coli. Perhaps this The best way harvesting vegetables: less salt is used than in salting, and vinegar is not added, as in pickling.
Now remember what culinary masterpieces can be cooked using sauerkraut. These are excellent first courses; cabbage soup (at least rinse your finger ...), (I call him "mother-in-law"). And what kind of cabbage? Consolidation.
Move on. If you put out sauerkraut, with a tomato, an onion (I will write this recipe soon ...), and with a couple of good sausages, how do you like that? You can even add such cabbage to, it certainly will not be spoiled by the presence of a salty-sour product. On the contrary, it will give the roll a refined and peculiar taste.
In this article you will find:
Yes, you can probably remember a lot, or even come up with a dish yourself, where such an ingredient as sauerkraut. So. let's start simmering!
Sauerkraut - a classic instant recipe
A classic of the genre, a simple recipe for sauerkraut is the cabbage itself, carrots, salt and a little granulated sugar. Can add Bay leaf, dill seeds, cumin, potted or allspice black pepper, cranberries. This is optional.
Choose mid-season and late-ripening varieties of white cabbage, large and tight, without green leaves. The cabbage should be sweet and crispy, creamy white when cut. Better to add rock salt coarse grinding, but not iodized: the product will be bitter and smell unpleasant.
Dishes need enameled or glass.
So let's get started
1. Prepare workplace, we will need to occupy almost the entire table. Remove the top leaves from the cabbage head.
2. Shred the cabbage in strips of about 5 mm, removing the stalk.
3. Add chopped carrots, seasoning if desired. Salt, for 1 kg of cabbage - 30 g of carrots and 20 g of salt.
4. Now, the most difficult thing is to mix and mash the cabbage tightly with your hands. If you have a lot of chopped, divide this process into portions. I must say right away that this process is not easy. Cabbage must be crushed until the juice stands out.
5. Lay the mixture in the dishes, tamping heavily. It can be a pusher, I prefer to just press with a hand gathered into a fist.
It is necessary to ensure that the juice squeezed from the cabbage covers it. Cover with a cloth and place a plate on top. Press down with a yoke so that the juice comes out. Leave to wander room temperature.
4. Prick the contents daily with a wooden stick to the bottom of the container to release fermentation gases, otherwise the product will turn out bitter. Take off the foam.
5. After 3-5 days (depending on the temperature at which the process takes place), fermentation is completed. The readiness of cabbage can be determined by taste.
Next, you need to remove the cabbage from the heat, put it in the refrigerator or on the balcony, but keep in mind: in the cold, as well as at a warm storage temperature, the cabbage can become soft. The most comfortable storage temperature for sauerkraut; Zero is minus five degrees.
As you can see, the recipe for sauerkraut is quite simple and it is quite simple to cook it at home quickly. There is another way to leaven.
sauerkraut recipe with brine
This way of sourdough will not require much physical effort, like the previous one.
Take two medium cabbages - chop.
Carrots will follow, it can be chopped on a shredder, for Korean carrots.
Now, you need to mix everything and squeeze a little.
We immediately place the cabbage in a container where it will ferment, we tamp it quite tightly.
Cooking pickle
The proportions are; I take at the rate of two liters of water, four tablespoons of salt and two of the same spoons of sugar. That's all wisdom. We mix everything well.
Take cold water and preferably not from the tap. Pour the brine into the cabbage so that it completely covers it. We put a plate on top and put a load on it.
We are waiting for our harvest for three to four days. We remove the oppression and transfer the cabbage to another container, where it should stand for ten to twelve hours. What will it give? Excess bitterness will come out of the product.
All! You can lay out the cabbage on the banks. Yes, right here! Before laying, you need to squeeze the cabbage a little. When tamping into a jar, there will be enough liquid.
It has been noticed that from two medium cabbages it turns out to fill one three-liter jar.
This recipe has been tested, if everything is done according to it, there will be no disappointments. Store such sauerkraut, according to the same principle as written in the first recipe.
An old, simple recipe for sourdough cabbage (video)
This recipe is really simple and the final product is very worthy. The output will be juicy, crispy sauerkraut. So our ancestors fermented (in the correct sense of the word ...).
A little about sauerkraut
When sauerkraut is not subjected to heat treatment, therefore, the substances included in its composition are not destroyed and do not lose their properties. beneficial features. And such a product can be stored for up to ten months.
According to all the rules, cabbage is fermented for at least 3-7 days. Unscrupulous manufacturers, in order to speed up the process, use acetic acid: the product is ready in two days, but there is no benefit from it. And the taste is not the same.
Many housewives add sugar to cabbage, which also speeds up fermentation, and it should pass naturally. You can sweeten the appetizer when serving.
Quality sauerkraut, whether industrial or home production, should be juicy and crispy, light straw, slightly yellowish in color, taste proper cabbage- slightly salty with sourness.
If seasonings and spices were used in cooking, then they will slightly affect the shade. Cabbage should be chopped into strips of about 5 mm (if thinner, valuable substances are less preserved), without large particles, leaves and stalk. Here is a recipe for sauerkraut.
The benefits and harms of sauerkraut for the human body
- Fiber contributes to the digestion of food, vitamin B6 - the breakdown of proteins, so the snack is good to serve with meat.
- Cabbage juice improves heart function. Normalizes cholesterol levels.
- Thanks to antioxidants and a vitamin-mineral complex, it improves immunity, helps to resist colds and flu.
- Suitable for allergy sufferers, since vitamin U has an antihistamine effect.
- Promotes rejuvenation. Vitamin C, a natural antioxidant, slows down premature aging cells, vitamin A improves skin condition.
- It slows down the division of cancer cells and prevents the development of malignant tumors.
Do not abuse
Sauerkraut due to the abundance of organic acids is contraindicated for people with hyperacidity, as well as those with chronic gastritis or ulcers. In addition, it causes increased gas formation.
Due to the presence of salt, it should be used with caution by hypertensive patients and cores. When cooking cabbage, a lot of salt is often used, and this provokes swelling. Before use, cabbage can be doused with boiling water to make the product less salty.
People who are prone to high blood sugar should also be careful with sauerkraut.
At sauerkraut low calorie content. But call her dietary product still difficult. Here it turns out that any product with sourness increases appetite, and if you are prone to overeating, it is better to exclude it from the diet, otherwise you can provoke yourself. Those who are on a diet should not water the cabbage with oil - this increases its calorie content.
That's all that was ready to voice. I think you will find here a suitable recipe for sauerkraut.
If you write in the comments, maybe someone has their own?
Good luck and all the best!
The preparation of sauerkraut in Russia began on Sergius Day, October 8, and stretched out for 2-3 weeks. They harvested it in barrels so that a large family would have enough until spring. There was work for everyone. The children cut off the stalk, removed the upper green leaves from the elastic heads. They were salted separately, with onions, for sour cabbage soup or rich borscht. Men repaired wooden tubs, tightened them with hoops, sharpened cuts, made special troughs from lime or oak boards. In them, girls and women chopped forks hard from the first frost. And so that crispy, vigorous sauerkraut came out, they sang fervent ditties, poured jokes and jokes, had fun from the heart.
How many options for salting exist, do not count: with carrots, apples, cranberries, dill, cumin. Our people are creative, they like to come up with something new, to improve the process. Therefore, every experienced hostess sauerkraut for the winter (recipes) turns out very tasty, and is good in its own way. Of course, it is now not stored in large quantities, they don’t salt in barrels, there’s just nowhere to get such a container. But in winter menu low-calorie and very healthy sauerkraut, as before, is a welcome guest.
How to ferment cabbage in a jar? 
In aluminum dishes, sauerkraut is oxidized: during fermentation, vitamin C and organic acids are destroyed. It affects her appearance and taste qualities. Cooking sauerkraut ideally takes place in wooden containers, they do a good job with this mission enamel pots, glass jars. They are also easy to use and take up little space in the refrigerator.
Sauerkraut: Recipe "Old" with dill seeds
For salting three-liter jar take a head of cabbage weighing 2.5-3 kg. late-ripening white cabbage chop into strips, narrow or wide (optional). Then grind in a bowl with 2-3 tablespoons of table (not iodized) salt. You should not put a lot of it, an excess of sodium chloride in the body provokes swelling, increased pressure, and badly affects the functioning of the kidneys. But sauerkraut is good for heart patients and hypertensive patients: it cleans and strengthens the walls of blood vessels, reduces the content of harmful cholesterol in the blood, and supports immunity. 
Salted cabbage is left in a basin for a couple of hours to give juice. Then add to it grated on coarse grater carrots (2 pieces) and dill seed (1-2 teaspoons, to taste). Mix again and pack tightly, ram into a 3-liter jar. However, it is filled only “up to the shoulders”, so that the brine does not subsequently flow out. It does not interfere with additional insurance, put on a pallet or plate. The jar is covered with a gauze or cotton napkin, providing air access. It is essential for fermentation.
At room temperature, it lasts 2-3 days. From time to time, press on the cabbage with a fork. And in the morning and in the evening they pierce to the very bottom with a long splinter or a barbecue skewer, releasing the accumulated gas. Otherwise, there is nothing to expect that sauerkraut for the winter (recipes) will cook very tasty. She will be bitter and soft. The finished pickle is removed in the refrigerator. They eat like independent dish, with onion and vegetable oil. Add to soups (hodgepodge, cabbage soup). Good homemade sauerkraut, crispy, sour, with pork ribs, sausages, as a side dish and stuffing for pies.
Delicious sauerkraut "In brine"
For those who don’t really like to cook, they came up with a way to ferment cabbage simply and not time-consuming. The best solution is sauerkraut, recipe "With pickle". It is prepared by dissolving in 1.5 liters warm water 2 tablespoons of salt and sugar, do not boil. Cabbage (2-2.5 kg) and two carrots are chopped manually or using a food processor. You can replace carrots with apples, lingonberries, cranberries, beets. Here wonderful recipes- , . The ingredients are mixed and placed in a jar (3 l), shifting with bay leaves, black and allspice peas. It is not necessary to compact strongly. 
The brine that is poured into the jar should completely cover the cabbage. It will flow out, put a deep plate under the glass container. It remains to cover the jar with gauze, periodically pierce the contents and wait patiently. If the kitchen is hot, sauerkraut in brine will reach in 2 days, at a temperature of 20 degrees - in three.
Sauerkraut for the winter (recipes) goes very well with meat, fish, boiled vegetables. In 100 g of this wonderful snack, there are only 42 calories, but there are a lot of vitamins and trace elements. They will help to resist colds and viral infections, will not let you get better in the winter, will energize, give vigor. It would be nice to cook these.
Many housewives make all kinds of preparations for the winter. And how to do without sauerkraut? After all, it is not only incredibly useful, but also delicious. There are many recipes for its preparation, but still the question arises every time: “How to ferment cabbage?” In our article we will give the best recipes.
Which recipe to choose?
Perhaps one of the universal preparations is sauerkraut. Recipes for a 3-liter jar are the most popular, since it is most convenient to ferment in such dishes.
Currently, there are a lot of recipes, but among them you need to choose the one you like the most. After all, every housewife dreams that as a result of her labors, the most delicious cabbage pickled. Recipes for a 3-liter jar allow you to cook such a quantity of the workpiece that it is enough for a small family. Now it is no longer customary to make sour barrels or buckets, as our grandmothers did. Modern housewives prefer to make another portion of fresh cabbage than to store it in the pantry. Moreover, there are no conditions for this in the apartment.
Of course, the 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 cook sauerkraut properly? Recipes for a 3-liter jar allow you to accurately maintain all proportions. So for cooking 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 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 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. Plain sauerkraut takes two to three days to cook. During this time, it is advisable to open the jar several times and try to mix its contents. This will allow the formed gases to escape. If this is not done in time, the cabbage may simply turn rotten. When using this recipe, the workpiece is soft with a slight sourness.
Traditional option
When thinking about how to make sauerkraut, it is worth remembering that it can be cooked without using brine. At the same time, the result obtained is no worse than when using the first recipe. However taste qualities will be different. Which option you prefer depends on your preferences.
Ingredients:
- Two kilograms of cabbage.
- Five tablespoons (tablespoons) of salt.
- Several carrots.
Finely chop the cabbage, and peel and grate the carrots. The crushed components are thoroughly mixed and transferred to the basin. After adding salt, we begin to knead the products with our hands or with a mortar. As soon as the first juice appears, it is necessary to shift the vegetables into a three-liter jar. Due to the fact that we thoroughly crushed the cabbage and carrots, we will get far from a full jar. To make the cabbage tasty and fragrant, you can add your favorite spices. We cover the jar with gauze and wait a couple of days. For several days, it is necessary to mix the ingredients, relieving 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 maintain proportions for the best result. Cabbage cooked in this way is crispy and does not give off sourness.
Sauerkraut with sugar and salt
How to cook sauerkraut with sugar and salt. The recipe is quite simple. For cooking we need:
- Big head of cabbage.
- Salt and spices to taste.
- Tablespoon of sugar.
- Several medium carrots.
For cooking, we need a large bowl. Cabbage should be shredded into very thin strips. Then add sugar, salt and knead it thoroughly with your hands. We rub the carrots and send it to the bowl. Mix the ingredients and add dry dill, cumin. Then we shift the products into a three-liter jar and tamp strongly.
Then we close the container with a nylon lid and send it to a warm place for three days. 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, the jar can be removed to a cool place for storage, for example, in the basement.
Cabbage with honey
When wondering how to make sauerkraut, do not neglect original recipes. Very tasty and yet useful blank obtained by using honey. The resulting brine can even be drunk by people suffering from gastritis.
For cooking, take:
- Two kilograms of cabbage.
- Liter of water.
- One carrot.
- Honey - 2.5 tablespoons (tablespoons).
- Bay leaf - 2 pcs.
- Fragrant pepper.
Finely chop the cabbage, and chop the carrots into Korean grater. Mix vegetables and lightly crush with your hands. Now you can transfer them to a three-liter jar and carefully tamp. 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 put the jar in a deep plate, because during the fermentation process, excess liquid will overflow over the edges of the vessel. We leave the jar for several days warm in the kitchen, not forgetting to pierce the cabbage daily sharp knife(for removal of gases). After a day, the workpiece can be removed in the refrigerator.
Spicy cabbage with honey
Delicious sauerkraut is obtained by using additional spices or products. If you like spices, you can cook spicy preparation with the addition of honey. Before sauerkraut, you need to prepare the brine. For this in a liter hot water add one and a half tablespoons of salt and the same amount of honey. In addition, we fall asleep ½ teaspoon of dill seeds, cumin and anise. Stir the ingredients until completely dissolved and let the solution cool slightly. In the meantime, let's prepare the vegetables. We chop cabbage (two-kilogram head) and a few medium carrots. We crush the chopped vegetables with our hands and transfer them to a jar.
After that, you can pour the cabbage with marinade. We leave the jar for one day in the kitchen. After 24 hours, the workpiece is ready. A quick sauerkraut recipe allows you to get finished product in a day. Now the snack can be put in the refrigerator and used as needed. This recipe allows you to add mountain ash, grapes or green apples, cranberries for a variety of flavors.
Country style sauerkraut
Delicious sauerkraut is obtained using an old village recipe.
Ingredients:
- Large cabbage for two or three kilograms.
- Cold water - 700 ml.
- One carrot.
- Tablespoon of honey.
- Salt to taste.
- Fragrant pepper.
- Bay leaf.
We chop the cabbage, and chop the carrots on a grater (you can use a grater for Korean carrots). We put the prepared vegetables in a saucepan or bowl, add salt, bay leaf, pepper and mix the ingredients with our hands. Next, we shift the cabbage into a three-liter jar, carefully tamp and pour cold water. It must be left to ferment for two days in a warm place. After the specified time, the entire brine is drained.
The cabbage is transferred to a bowl and allowed to drain, you can squeeze it out a little before that to remove the liquid. We put 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 that, pour the cabbage with the marinade and leave it warm for another day. After 24 hours, the jar can be put in the refrigerator or other cool place. After three days, the dish can be served on the table.
Express recipe
If you are planning a holiday or a feast, then crispy cabbage can be the perfect snack. Yes, but that's the trouble, get ready meal won't work quickly. It will take several days to ferment.
In such cases, a quick sauerkraut recipe helps a lot. 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:
- 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, crush the workpiece with the addition of salt until the juice appears. In a small saucepan, prepare the marinade. To do this, mix all these ingredients and bring them to a boil. Pour hot mixture over vegetables and let cool slightly.
After that, we carefully tamp the cabbage, cover it with a plate on top, placing oppression on it (it can be a half-liter jar of water). We send the jar to the refrigerator, in a day your snack is ready. Cabbage cooked according to this recipe is incredibly tasty. But it is not recommended to use it for people who are contraindicated in acetic acid.
Cabbage with beets: ingredients
Bright and tasty sauerkraut with beetroot claims to be a table decoration. amazing quick recipe help busy housewives cook good snack, spending minimal amount time.
Ingredients:
- Cabbage - 5 kg.
- Beets - 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
Cut the peeled pepper and garlic. Cut raw beets into thin strips. Cut the cabbage into squares (for example, 3 by 3 centimeters in size). We put all the ingredients in layers in any dish: cabbage, pepper with garlic, beets and repeat the layers. Next, prepare the brine.
Add sugar and salt to boiling water, let the solution cool, and only then pour in acetic acid. Pour the solution over the vegetables so that it completely covers the workpiece. We put oppression 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 the full aroma and taste on the fourth day.
cooking secrets
Crispy sauerkraut is the dream of every housewife. Despite the fact that everyone uses the same recipes, in some incomprehensible way the result is different. What is the reason? Probably, every housewife has her own little secrets that she does not reveal to anyone.
As you know, sauerkraut is a traditional Russian dish. Previously, cabbage was harvested in huge quantities to be enough for a large family until spring. At present, we do not need so many blanks. Modern housewives are not enough a large number. After all, you can always cook a fresh portion. For this reason, all recipes are designed to use three-liter jars. Such 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 up the preparation, then you need to start the business only on the "men's" day.
Crispy sauerkraut is obtained if you buy white heads, without dry leaves. Well, when the stump cracked a little. This speaks of the juiciness of the cabbage.
The workpiece is considered ready when the brine becomes transparent. After that, sauerkraut must be removed in a cool place. For cooking, you can use oppression, 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 workpiece.
How much salt should be 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 cooking are designed for a three-liter jar, which holds from 2 to 2.5 kilograms of cabbage. This means that there is less than a tablespoon of salt per kilogram of vegetables. Experienced experts recommend not to get involved in it. Over time, you will determine your taste preferences empirically.
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 observing the exact proportions will allow you to get a good result.
