In the old days, sauerkraut was harvested in whole tubs in the fall, then they ate all winter long, crunching a fragrant vitamin preparation for potatoes in a uniform made of smoked cast iron. The recipes from grandmother passed to mom and so on in a circle, supplemented with various ingredients - carrots, cranberries, honey, sugar, vinegar. However, the classic recipe without unnecessary additives was considered the most delicious. Following his recommendations, you can easily stock up on delicious sauerkraut for the winter, useful for the whole family.
It is necessary
- - 3 kg of winter cabbage, suitable for harvesting for future use;
- - 300 g of fresh carrots;
- - 2 liters of water (better not from the tap, but filtered);
- - 2 tablespoons of sugar;
- - 2 tablespoons of salt;
- - bay leaf and ground black pepper - optional.
Instructions
Step 1
Clean the cabbage from dirty upper leaves, inspect the head of cabbage for slugs and rot. Cut into 2 halves, remove the stump. Chop on a cutting board with an ordinary or special knife, so that you get not very long and not thick straws.
Step 2
Wash carrots from dirt, peel. Using a coarse grater, grate into a basin, then mix with the prepared cabbage with your hands. You should "shake" better so that the juice is squeezed out.
Step 3
Add bay leaf to the mass, optionally - ground pepper or peas. In barrels, no one now sours cabbage, so put it not in a tub, but in three-liter jars, tamping it hard with your hands.
Step 4
Prepare the brine for pouring in a two-liter jar by mixing water, salt and sugar, waiting for them to dissolve. Pour the cabbage to the brim with this liquid. The jars should be placed in plates or square containers, as some brine will flow out as fermentation progresses.
Step 5
Leave for three days in the room (on the floor or on the table), without closing the lids. In the morning and in the evening, "pierce" the cabbage with a knife, lowering the blade into the jar to the very bottom in 5-6 places. This will make the workpiece crispy, as excess gas will escape from the can thanks to the punctures.
Step 6
After 3 days, the liquid will stop flowing, and small bubbles will appear on the surface, and the mass itself will become a little cloudy. This means that the fermentation process is complete and the sauerkraut is ready. It remains to close it with clean and dense nylon covers, move it underground or in the basement.
