When traditional sauerkraut gets bored, I cook it in cabbage and halves - write down the recipes

Today we'll talk about one of the most popular winter snacks - sauerkraut. However, the standard methods with finely chopped vegetables are not surprising. I want to share the recipes and nuances of cooking sauerkraut as a whole. This will take a minimum of time, and there are quite a few options for using the finished product.

Sauerkraut. Illustration for this article is used under a standard license © ofazende.com

Pros and cons of whole pickling

So that you can be sure that such a recipe suits you, I will tell you about the disadvantages of the method, and then about the advantages.

So, the main disadvantages include:

• having more free space. We used to store sauerkraut in the usual form in the refrigerator or on the balcony; an alternative will be needed to store the forks;
• for fermentation in this way, a special container of large volume will be required. Most often these are barrels.

Some may be intimidated by these cons. However, before abandoning this method, you should pay attention to its advantages:

• the cooking technology is much simpler than in the version with chopped cabbage;
• there are many interesting recipes with additional ingredients for every taste;
• a cabbage fork retains a maximum of vitamins and nutrients.

Sour cabbage with heads of cabbage

So, if you have made a choice in favor of such a fermentation option, let's take a look at the details. Sour cabbage with forks begins in the autumn after the main harvest.

From the products we need:

• 10 kg of selected cabbage;
• 300 g carrots;
• 250 g of salt (it is better to take fine salt);
• as an additional ingredient - apple, lingonberry or cranberry. Everyone can choose what they like best.

Cooking technology:

1. First, let's decide on the container. I use wooden barrels, although plastic ones are also available. For those who cannot find barrels, you can alternatively use large containers made of hard plastic or large metal pots. If the container is not used for the first time, pay attention to the products that were stored in it in the past so that the cabbage does not pull unwanted odors and tastes.
2. Now let's prepare the heads of cabbage. To do this, we will get rid of dirty and rotten leaves, cut the stumps.
3. Thoroughly wash the carrots, peel and finely chop. The form can be arbitrary.
4. Sprinkle the cabbage well with salt.
5. At the bottom of the container, lay out the white cabbage leaves.
6. On top of all the cabbage, arrange a layer of green leaves, put a plastic napkin and lay a depressing circle.
7. We put the container under oppression.
8. A day later, brine should appear on the surface of the undercutting circle.
9. We will remove all signs of fermentation, including foam.
10. Every day or every other day, in several places, we pierce the mass to the very bottom using a sharpened stick. We repeat the action until gas with a strong odor ceases to come out of the holes.
11. As soon as the vegetable settles by about 25 centimeters, the oppression, the bending circle, a napkin, leaves and brown heads can be removed.
12. Do not forget to wash the undercut circle well. I do this with a hot baking soda solution.
13. The napkin also needs to be rinsed under water and then in saline solution.
14. Fill the edges of the napkin inside the barrel.
15. Cover with a circle again, but with less pressure.
16. The brine should protrude to the edge of the undercutting circle, if this does not happen, it must be refilled.
17. The degree of readiness of the product is determined at the end of lactic acid fermentation. The cabbage should acquire an amber hue and a characteristic pleasant aroma. The color of the brine should be yellow, the brine itself must be cloudy and have a salty-sour taste.

On average, it takes two to three weeks until such a snack is fully cooked.

Sauerkraut halves recipe

For those who are not ready to ferment cabbage with whole forks, but also want to move away from the traditional method, you can choose the option where the vegetable is divided into halves. For this option, it is better to choose dense forks of the late varieties.

To prepare a snack, we need:

• 10 kg of cabbage;
• 8 liters of clean water;
• 320 g of common salt.

Cooking:

• Carefully clean the heads of cabbage, get rid of spoiled and green leaves, remove the stalk.
• At the bottom of the container for the preparation, lay out the green leaves, and then send the vegetables there.
• As soon as the cabbage fills the container, we cover it with green leaves, a napkin, a depressing circle and put the entire structure under oppression.
• Fill the contents with brine prepared at the rate of 400 grams of salt in a bucket of clean water.
• Every day or every other day, we perform punctures with a stick to release gas.

After about twenty days, the snack is completely ready to eat.

Read also: We eat fresh pumpkin until spring. Revealing the secrets of proper storage

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