Making Sauerkraut is a traditional way of preserving cabbage without refrigeration, it is also very healthy as it introduces beneficial bacteria into the gut. It tastes far better than the shop-bought sauerkraut. It relies on fermentation of the sugar in the cabbage whilst it is submerged in a 2-3% salt solution, using natural yeasts and bacteria. The sugar ferments out of the cabbage, and this is what causes the tangy taste. There is no vinegar used. It is very slightly alcoholic but youd need to eat an entire bucketful of the stuff to feel any effect. Youd turn green and queasy long before you ever got tipsy.
Equipment:
Clip-top wide-mouth jar (such as Le Parfait or Kilner) , 1 * 750ml jar per 900g of cabbage
2 large bowls
Food processor
Chopping board and long sharp knife
Glass tea light holder (not lead crystal, and must be able to fit through the mouth of the jar)
Ingredients:
Salt (not iodised, this can inhibit the reaction), 25g salt per 900g of cabbage
Cabbage, red or white
Method:
Cut the cabbage into a few large chunks, small enough to get into the food processor. Discard the heart and any wilted outer leaves.
Shred the cabbage, the finer the shred the better it will juice
Put the shreds into a bowl, mix the shreds with the salt, wait a few minutes. The salt draws the juice out of the cabbage.
Pack the shreds into the jar, press them down using the glass tea-light holder
The cabbage will sink beneath the juice (do not pour the juice away or let it overflow)
Pack more cabbage into the jar if it will fit, but leave around 2cm gap at the top to allow for swelling / fermentation.
Press down again.
Leave the tea light holder in place, as it will keep the cabbage submerged (it must be kept underwater to prevent spoilage and for the necessary reactions to take place). You can also use a cabbage leaf to help keep the mixture underwater.
Leave the jar at room temperature for around a week, unlatch the lid to release gas pressure twice daily for the first few days, until the fermentation has subsided.
Then move the jars to a cooler room to mature.
The sauerkraut will be edible around 3-4 weeks later but the flavour will mature with time. It will keep for many months at ambient temperature.
The same technique of brine pickling works with many other vegetables, for instance carrots, small cucumbers, peppers, cauliflower etc. Many of the East European food shops sell ready made brine pickles, but for shelf life and consistency these are pasteurised which removes some of the goodness.
It is best to make several jars at a time, since there will be some cleaning up to do afterwards and its the same amount of washing up however many jars you make.
You can eat it cold as a salad, or serve it with a bean stew, or with sausages and potatoes. It goes well with cured meat, like chunks of corned beef, or with salami in a rye bread sandwich.
Equipment:
Clip-top wide-mouth jar (such as Le Parfait or Kilner) , 1 * 750ml jar per 900g of cabbage
2 large bowls
Food processor
Chopping board and long sharp knife
Glass tea light holder (not lead crystal, and must be able to fit through the mouth of the jar)
Ingredients:
Salt (not iodised, this can inhibit the reaction), 25g salt per 900g of cabbage
Cabbage, red or white
Method:
Cut the cabbage into a few large chunks, small enough to get into the food processor. Discard the heart and any wilted outer leaves.
Shred the cabbage, the finer the shred the better it will juice
Put the shreds into a bowl, mix the shreds with the salt, wait a few minutes. The salt draws the juice out of the cabbage.
Pack the shreds into the jar, press them down using the glass tea-light holder
The cabbage will sink beneath the juice (do not pour the juice away or let it overflow)
Pack more cabbage into the jar if it will fit, but leave around 2cm gap at the top to allow for swelling / fermentation.
Press down again.
Leave the tea light holder in place, as it will keep the cabbage submerged (it must be kept underwater to prevent spoilage and for the necessary reactions to take place). You can also use a cabbage leaf to help keep the mixture underwater.
Leave the jar at room temperature for around a week, unlatch the lid to release gas pressure twice daily for the first few days, until the fermentation has subsided.
Then move the jars to a cooler room to mature.
The sauerkraut will be edible around 3-4 weeks later but the flavour will mature with time. It will keep for many months at ambient temperature.
The same technique of brine pickling works with many other vegetables, for instance carrots, small cucumbers, peppers, cauliflower etc. Many of the East European food shops sell ready made brine pickles, but for shelf life and consistency these are pasteurised which removes some of the goodness.
It is best to make several jars at a time, since there will be some cleaning up to do afterwards and its the same amount of washing up however many jars you make.
You can eat it cold as a salad, or serve it with a bean stew, or with sausages and potatoes. It goes well with cured meat, like chunks of corned beef, or with salami in a rye bread sandwich.
the only time I tried to make my own the side effects were so bad that I almost divorced myself
