Once in Russia, sauerkraut, which was harvested in every family for the winter, was the only possible way to preserve the maximum amount of vitamins and other useful substances contained in this vegetable. The fermentation method allows you to preserve these substances and maintain their high activity for 6-8 months, so there were enough vitamins in sauerkraut just before summer.
Useful properties of sauerkraut
Since the fermentation technology does not imply heat treatment, vitamins, trace elements and other useful substances in such cabbage remain in full volume when properly stored. In addition, during the fermentation of sugars and juice secreted by cabbage, another useful preservative substance is formed - lactic acid.
Vitamin B6, which is especially rich in sauerkraut, promotes better assimilation of proteins in the body, therefore such cabbage is an excellent side dish for meat dishes. And the vitamin C contained in it is essential for the prevention of colds and flu. Of the trace elements in cabbage, there is a lot of potassium, magnesium, calcium, iron, zinc, iodine and phosphorus, so it has a tonic effect.
Cabbage, pickled in large pieces - quarters and halves of heads of cabbage, retains 1.5-2 times more vitamins than the one that is chopped into strips.
Sauerkraut is also useful for digestion. It contains a lot of fiber, which cleanses the stomach and intestines, promotes the removal of cholesterol, toxins and toxins. The lactic acid contained in sauerkraut and its brine prevents the development of bacterial putrefaction in the stomach. Cabbage brine in folk medicine was used to treat liver diseases, constipation and hemorrhoids, to increase appetite and as a remedy for a hangover.
Cabbage also contains niacin, which is essential for healthy hair and nails. If you ferment it with carrots and apples, you get a low-calorie product that helps you lose weight and at the same time has the most positive effect on immunity, which is especially important in the winter-spring period, when the body suffers from vitamin deficiency.
You cannot use metal containers for pickling cabbage - when zinc or brass comes into contact with lactic acid, poisonous compounds are formed.
How to ferment cabbage correctly
For pickling, white cabbage with dense, well-ripened heads of cabbage is selected. It is usually fermented in late October - early November. Heads of cabbage are chopped into thin strips, carrots grated on a coarse grater and coarsely ground table salt are added. In order for the cabbage to give juice, it is well crumpled together with salt. For flavor, you can add a little caraway seeds and dill seed.
After that, the cabbage is placed in a wooden barrel or enamel pot and left, pressing with oppression, so that it ferments at room temperature. Within 3 days, the cabbage is periodically pierced with a long knife to release gases. Then the cabbage can be transferred to glass jars, filled with brine and stored in a cool place, it is ready and you can eat it all winter.
