Sauerkraut is not just a snack, but a real storehouse of vitamin C, probiotics and ease on the stomach. If you cook it according to this old recipe, it will turn out juicy, crispy, slightly sour and without bitterness. And the most important thing is that it is ready in three days, not in a week.
For fermentation you will need the following products:
white cabbage – 2 kg
carrots – 2 medium
coarse salt – 2 tbsp. l.
water – 500 ml
cumin or bay leaf – optional
First, remove the top leaves from the head of cabbage and chop the cabbage not too finely, it should retain its crunch. Grate the carrots on a coarse grater. Combine cabbage and carrots in a large bowl, gradually adding salt. Mash with your hands for 5-7 minutes until the cabbage releases juice and becomes softer.
Transfer the mixture into a clean glass jar or enamel pan. Pack the layers tightly so that the juice comes out. If it is not enough, add a little warm water, but only as a last resort.
Cover the cabbage with a clean top sheet and place pressure on top, for example, a glass of water. Leave at room temperature for 3 days. Every day, pierce the cabbage with a wooden stick to the very bottom 2-3 times to release gases.
After 72 hours, the cabbage will be ready: juicy, crispy, with pleasant sourness and a slight aroma of carrots. Transfer to jars, fill with your own brine and put in the refrigerator, where it will be stored until spring.
This appetizer is the perfect accompaniment to fatty foods, chops, or just potatoes with butter.
Question and answer:
Why is cabbage soft and not crunchy?
Most likely, they used iodized salt or did not compact it enough.
What to do if foam appears?
This is fine. Just take it off every day and keep fermenting.
