Many people like to feast on sauerkraut. The process of preparing it is associated with many subtleties and secrets. But what should be done if there is not enough brine in the container with cabbage? I will give you some tips on how you can keep the pickled product from drying out and get rid of this situation in the future.
What will the lack of brine lead to
The cabbage should be completely covered with brine. Otherwise, the product will turn out to be dry or completely deteriorate, and it will not be possible to eat it.
Reasons for the lack of liquid in sauerkraut
During fermentation, juice did not form in the cabbage, which means there will be little brine. There are several reasons for this.
The variety is not suitable for fermentation
When choosing cabbage, you chose the wrong variety. Best for fermentation:
- Glory;
- Amager;
- Moscow late;
- Gingerbread man;
- Snezhinskaya.
I use heads of cabbage for pickling, ripe in October-November. Since during this period natural sugar appears in the product, which is necessary for the formation of lactic acid.
The whiter the cabbage leaves, the more sugar content in the head of cabbage. When you cut a vegetable in half, the inside should be snow-white, and the leaves should be crispy with a sweet taste.
Erroneous actions during fermentation
There is no need to give up salt during fermentation - it is necessary for the extraction of juice. But excess salt can also interfere with lactic acid fermentation. I put at least 20-25 g per kilogram of cabbage.
After a day, a brine forms on the product.
When fermenting, use regular coarse salt.
In what ways can the volume of the brine be increased
If there is not enough brine in the jar, and it does not stand out, do not rush to get rid of the cabbage.
Actions in case the cabbage does not let the juice
If there is little liquid, most likely the reason lies in the fact that the load is small enough. Weight should be added to extract more juice. If that doesn't work, prepare the brine yourself.
Preparation of brine in case of its shortage
Sequencing:
- Boil one liter of water in a saucepan.
- Add salt to boiling water (1 tbsp. l.).
- Once the water is warm, add sugar (1 tbsp. l.).
- Then pour the brine into the jar of cabbage.
Such a product can be stored for no more than 20 days at temperatures up to +4 ° C.
Correct sourdough of cabbage
During fermentation, the correct technology must be followed:
- Before shredding, do not wash the heads of cabbage, but only cut off the greenish and damaged leaves.
- Cut the head of cabbage and chop it.
- Use regular salt in a ratio of 20-25 g / 1 kg.
- Place 2 kale leaves (sprinkled with salt) in the bottom of the bowl.
- Remember the chopped cabbage on the tabletop with your hands, put it in a jar and press it in with your fist to release the juice.
- When fermenting in a saucepan, put a clean piece of plastic on the raw material, then a plate with oppression. You can use a scalded stone or a plastic can of water.
- During fermentation, foam will be released from the cabbage, which must be removed. As soon as the discharge stops, the cabbage is ready.
- Pierce the food to the very bottom with a stick to release gases.
- On average, it takes a week to ferment cabbage.
Features when pickling non-juicy cabbage
Cabbage freezes and dries up at late harvest. When fermenting, such heads of cabbage will not release a sufficient amount of juice and you will have to prepare additional brine.
In addition, to help the product start fermentation, you can put apples (Antonovka), cranberries or carrots in the cabbage.
Read also: Top dressing of apple trees in the fall: what fertilizers are best to apply to get a good harvest next year
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