Piercing the cabbage during fermentation is a must. Without it, the finished product will have a bitter taste. However, it is not necessary to carry out this work from the first day of fermentation.
So, why is it necessary to pierce the cabbage when pickling? Of course for the release of generated gases in the product. Indeed, during fermentation, the vegetables in the jar / pan / barrel are tamped quite hard, without additional help the gases simply cannot escape. Yes, you can, of course, not pierce the cabbage at all, it will ferment rather quickly, but only the product will most likely taste bitter. Therefore, if you want to end up with tasty and crispy cabbage, then do not neglect this procedure.
As for the questions when it is necessary to pierce the cabbage, what is the best way to do it and how often to carry out the procedure, that is, certain rules. A wooden pointed stick made of birch, aspen or other non-resinous wood is best for piercing cabbage (it is better not to use metal objects such as a knife, as they negatively affect the fermentation process). The first piercing should be done in the evening of the second day or in the morning of the third, it all depends on the condition of the cabbage - if there is foam on the surface of the product by the end of the second day, then it is unnecessary to delay piercing.
The procedure itself is best done once a day, and the number of punctures depends on the volume of cabbage, but usually five to seven is enough. It is worth noting that some housewives carry out the piercing of cabbage when pickling it two or more times a day, but here it is worth noting that the more often these actions are performed, the longer the product is fermented, and in some cases, excessive release of gases from the cabbage can generally lead to souring the product.
