We reveal the secrets of how to properly ferment cabbage for the winter

How to ferment cabbage for the winter? Last year I did, and even a lot, but it turned out to be tasteless, soft, just like it was completely sour there. True, I tried a new recipe, maybe that's why nothing good came out. Now, soon again to make preparations for the winter, I would not want to spoil it. Moreover, there is no cabbage of our own, and vegetables are expensive this year, we have a poor harvest, everything has burned out.

Who among us does not like crispy sour cabbage, yes with potatoes, yes with fresh bread ... Trying to prepare as much as possible a traditional Russian “delicacy”, it is doubly insulting if it does not work out. To make the harvest really tasty, it is important to know how to properly ferment cabbage for the winter. At the exit, you should get moderately sour, with a light sweet note and absolutely no bitterness, cabbage. And the most important thing is that it should preserve its juiciness as much as possible and be crispy, and not turn into a "dough" with mucus. To prevent this from happening, you must choose the right sort of vegetable trash and follow the recipe and cooking technology.

Variety matters

Cabbage for fermentation for the winter should be taken only late varieties... Medium types are also suitable, but it is better to ferment them for the nearest consumption. And so that the cabbage is stored for a long time and at the same time does not lose its taste, it is worth buying a winter variety. It has large forks, hard and heavy, with thick leaves. They contain more sucrose, which is responsible for high-quality fermentation and sweet taste.

How to ferment cabbage for the winter

There are many cooking recipes. Someone loves cabbage with cranberries, other housewives ferment it with apples. But it is based on two methods: fermentation in natural juice and in brine.

Of the additional ingredients they contain only carrots, which, thanks to their own sugars, will speed up fermentation and add sweetness, while removing the bitter note characteristic of cabbage. And the spices are mostly salt, sometimes a little sugar. And water, if the preparation involves pouring with brine.

Sauerkraut in its own juice

The recipe is ideal for varieties with juicy leaves. It's easy to prepare such a snack:

1. Chop the cabbage (one fork weighing up to 3.5 kg), but not too finely, otherwise it will quickly oxidize and become soft. But also not large, so that the vegetable is well fermented.
2. Grate one large carrot. You don't need much, it is enough to keep the proportion of 100 g of carrots per 1 kg of cabbage.
3. Stir the chopped vegetables, add 3 tbsp. l. rock salt (one spoonful for each kilogram, as is the case with carrots).
4. Well, rub the workpiece with your hands so that the cabbage starts up the juice.
5. Place in a bucket or pot, tamp well and cover with a large plate. Put oppression on top (you can collect water in a 3 liter bottle).
6. Leave the cabbage warm for 3 days to ferment. During this time, it is imperative to remove the load and pierce the vegetable mass. This is necessary to release accumulated gases and remove bitterness.
7. When fermentation is over, the cabbage will decrease in volume. The juice will become light, gases will no longer be released. Now you can put the cabbage in the jars, keep it for a couple of days in the cellar, and eat.

It is imperative to store sauerkraut in a cool place - a cellar or refrigerator. If you leave it warm, it will oxidize.

Sauerkraut in brine

The brine speeds up the fermentation process, and it will be possible to eat ready-made cabbage in a couple of days. The cooking technology is the same as in the case of fermentation in its own juice. The only thing is that the cabbage is ground without salt, because it is added to the brine. And to start fermentation faster, you need a little more sugar.

As a result, it is enough for such cabbage to stand in the warmth for just a day and it can already be laid out in jars. As for the ingredients themselves, one carrot is needed for 3 kg of cabbage. And for brine for this amount of vegetables - 1 liter of water and 1 tbsp. l. sugar and salt. They are dissolved directly in cold water and poured over cabbage.

Sauerkraut with cranberries