Homemade Sauerkraut in a Jar: Crunchy Cabbage Recipe
Oh, what a snack sauerkraut is! As the saying goes: it's not a shame to put on the table, and no pity if it all gets eaten!
Sauerkraut is literally packed with all kinds of vitamins and minerals. On top of that, it's very tasty and very good for you! There are many varieties of cabbage around the world: head cabbage, leafy greens, cauliflower and more.
Here, we use heads of white garden cabbage. Every home cook has their own recipe. For the winter, people ferment both whole heads and shredded cabbage. Sauerkraut is the product of sugars fermenting in the cabbage juice. Tart berries are often added: cranberries, lingonberries or even apples. Vegetables are common too: beetroot, carrots, peppers. The cabbage must be salted, otherwise it won't keep long after fermenting and will go moldy.
From Wikipedia: sauerkraut is considered a national dish of Germany. English and French even use a name borrowed from German, “Sauerkraut” (“choucroute” in French), which literally means sour cabbage.
For us, cabbage is food number one. You can eat it as is or with a dressing, and cook all sorts of dishes with it, such as braised sauerkraut. And how delicious bigos with pork is when the cabbage is made right!
A healthy snack that's always on hand. A 3-liter jar lasts a family about a month.
Our sauerkraut is made without apples, garlic, berries or other extras. Just cabbage, carrots and salt.
The most important thing: the cabbage must crunch. If it has sat too long and gone soft, better throw it out and don't spoil the experience – it's just not the same.
Ingredients
2 servings
- White cabbage, firm 3 heads
- Carrots 3
- Non-iodized table salt to taste
Step-by-step recipe
- This snack is made from shredded heads of white cabbage. Shred it right onto the table. The cores can be peeled and eaten. I remember as kids my brothers and I would first fight over them, and then feel sick from eating too many. Everyone has their own way of shredding cabbage. You can do it with a knife, but it's awkward and takes skill. There are special manual and electric shredders – they're convenient and give an even cut.
- Peel the carrots with a knife and grate them on the coarse side of a grater.
- Mix the shredded cabbage and carrots right on the kitchen table.
- Pack the cabbage very tightly into a 3-liter glass jar. Very tightly! Use a rolling pin to help. Fill it up to where the neck begins, i.e. a few centimeters below the rim. By the way, I have never once guessed how much raw cabbage is needed for a given number of 3-liter jars – it's different every time. We usually ferment 3–4 jars at once, enough for everyone.
- Add a scant (level) tablespoon of salt to the jar. By tablespoon I don't mean a new spoon from a trendy modern cutlery set, but that old spoon from childhood – use the photo as a guide.
- Carefully pour in cold filtered water in several goes. Wait until the water fills all the gaps in the jar, then top up again. The water should rise above the surface of the cabbage.
- Place the jar in a deep plate or bowl – this matters, because during fermentation the liquid can overflow. Put the jar of cabbage on the table or a windowsill. Not in direct sunlight! As it ferments, pour the liquid that overflows into a small jar.
- The cabbage needs to start fermenting, and 3 days – 72 hours – is enough for that. Anyone remember “Kapustis-72” from the film DMB? Then cover the jar with a plastic lid and put it in the fridge or cellar for one week. The liquid level in the jar gradually drops and needs topping up – with that same liquid you collected in the small jar.
- After a week, a week and a half at most, the snack is ready to eat. Take the finished cabbage straight out of the jar with a fork – it's packed quite tightly. Feel free to put it in a bowl, add sliced onion and dress it with sunflower oil. If the onion is sharp, chop it finely; if it's sweet, like Yalta onion, cut it coarsely. And treat yourself to everything!
| Yield: | 2 servings |
| Calories: | 19 |
| Prep: | 30 mins |
| Cooking: | 60 mins |
| Ready in: | 1–1.5 weeks to ferment |
| Category: | Snacks and Sauces |
| Cuisine: | Ukrainian cuisine |
| Rating: |
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4.3
(10)
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