Sauerkraut
Sauerkraut is one of the oldest dishes, prepared not only because it tastes good, but also as a cheap and easy way to preserve food for a long time. The production of pickled vegetables, including sauerkraut, was known and widely used thousands of years ago in both China and ancient Rome. Sauerkraut, as it is known today, is not originally of German origin at all. This food is known primarily in Central and Eastern Europe, the Netherlands, but also in England and, of course, in Germany. Estonians probably consider sauerkraut to be one of their national dishes.
In a simplified manner, the grated and salted cabbage mass undergoes a fermentation process, in particular by the Lactobacillus family, but also by other bacteria, in which the sugars in the cabbage are converted into lactate, which gives the cabbage a pleasantly sour taste.
Homemade sauerkraut is very tasty and is definitely suitable to prepare before Christmas. I have acidified a small amount of cabbage myself for a couple of years and so far they have been quite successful, with good salinity, crunchy, and pleasant medium acidity.
Preparation time: 1-hour preparation, 4-5 days fermentation
Level: easy
Quantity: 5-6 kg of sauerkraut
Ingredients:
3 cabbage heads weighing about 2 kg each
About 100 g of sea salt
Preparation:
1. Cut the cabbage into four sectors, remove the cabbage root, grate the cabbage into thin strips. Cabbage can also be cut into strips, but it takes a lot of time and effort
2. Place in a pot or large bowl a layer of cabbage and a little salt. In total, use about 100 g of sea salt for this amount. Divide the salt evenly between each layer of cabbage.
3. Tighten each cabbage layer. Tighten the last layer until liquid forms on the cabbage. If not enough liquid is formed (cabbage is a dry variety), add boiled and cooled water to the cabbage.
4. Place a plate on the surface of the cabbage and put on top the weigh 1-2 kg
5. Let the cabbage ferment for 4-5 days at about +20 to +22 degrees. Every day, make deep holes using the stick or stem of the spoon of fermenting cabbage and let out the gases. The gas, remaining inside the cabbage, gives the cabbage a bitter taste.
6. From 4 days of fermentation, taste the cabbage. If the acidity seems to be in place (the cabbage is delicious), place the cabbage pot in the refrigerator (+4 degrees C), where it can stand for about 1 month. If you plan to store the cabbage for a longer time, it is worth heating the cabbage lightly, storing it in a jar, and closing air-tight.
7. Immediately after fermentation, any interesting dish can be prepared from cabbage.
Done!
