Fermented Cabbage Recipes: Classic and Salt-Free

There is an opinion that fermented food is a kind of cure for all diseases. In Russian cuisine, the most popular is sauerkraut (fermented) cabbage, the recipe of which you will find below. Increasingly, it is prepared without salt in order to get maximum health benefits. This cabbage is rich in probiotics, vitamins of group B, C, K, potassium, calcium. Fermentation allows you to enhance the beneficial properties of the product, improve the taste and extend the shelf life of up to 8 months.

How to ferment cabbage?

Fermentation is a fairly simple chemical process involving protein catalysts - enzymes. With its help, not only sauerkraut is obtained, but also many other products and dishes: beer, wine, cheese, vinegar, tea, kefir, yogurt, kimchi, miso. Enzymes break down organic substances to simpler forms, after which they are better absorbed and have a beneficial effect on digestion. Fermented products are also valued for their taste, which becomes more vibrant and pronounced.

Fermented cabbage is a product of lactic acid fermentation. Lactobacilli living on its surface, under certain conditions, begin to multiply and contribute to the fermentation of the product. To start the process, you need heat, a lack of oxygen and food for bacteria (for example, plant juice). Cut a head of cabbage, crease and leave it under oppression for several days at room temperature.

You can ferment cabbage in many ways:

• With salt. It makes the taste of the dish pleasant and balanced, inhibits the development of pathogenic microorganisms. Sauerkraut with salt turns out to be crispy, therefore it is recommended to add it at least a little, during fermentation.
• Without salt. You can ferment vegetables without adding salt. Contrary to popular belief, fermented foods are tasted not by salt, but by lactic acid. Moreover, if salt is not used, fermentation is accelerated significantly.

For the first time, the term “fermentation” was used in 1901 to describe the method of preparing tea. As a result of enzymatic oxidation, the leaves darken, acquire the characteristic aroma of black tea. From tea leaves of the same species, you can prepare green, white, yellow, black tea, oolong tea, puer, stopping the fermentation process at different stages.

7 rules of fermentation

To cook a tasty and healthy cabbage, you need to know the basic rules for its preparation:

1. For fermentation, choose the freshest, if possible, home-made vegetables devoid of chemical additives. The cabbage head should be clean from stains, have a uniform color, crunch and smell good.
2. Wash vegetables thoroughly before fermentation. There should be no land left on them, otherwise they may begin to rot. Also, the soil may be contaminated with botulinum toxin. In the absence of oxygen, the bacillus actively multiplies and causes botulism.
3. Choose the right container - glass or ceramic. Cabbage will be stored in it for weeks, or even months, and it is important that it does not absorb harmful substances. For fermentation, it is undesirable to use metal and plastic utensils.
4. Prepare oppression - a heavy object that will squeeze vegetables, preventing them from floating. They must be immersed in the brine all the time, otherwise mold will form at the top.
5. Think about insect protection. Usually the vessel is covered with a lid or gauze.
6. Squeeze out the juice. For fermentation, it is necessary to destroy the cellular structure of vegetables.To do this, they are beaten with a hammer for meat, a wooden crush, or simply wrinkled with hands.
7. When the cabbage reaches the desired taste, rearrange it in a cool place to slow down the fermentation process and save for a long time. As it ferments, the taste becomes sharper.

Classic recipe

For the preparation of classic sauerkraut, you will need the following ingredients:

• 3 kg of white cabbage;
• 75 g of table salt;
• 300 g of carrots.

It is necessary to finely chop the cabbage, and grate the carrots on a coarse grater. Then the mass is sprinkled with salt, crumpled and tightly packed in jars. You need to put oppression on top so that the vegetables are completely immersed in the secreted juice. If it is still not enough in 8-12 hours, you can add boiled water. Done!

Further cabbage will be fermented by itself. It is enough to leave it warm (20-22 degrees). To avoid bitterness, it is recommended from time to time to pierce it with a wooden stick, releasing carbon dioxide. Usually it comes to readiness on the 3-5th day.

Fermenting cabbage can be in large pieces or chopped. The smaller it is, the sooner the process will end.

Salt-free recipe

As mentioned earlier, salt is not needed for fermentation. It in the recipe serves as a preservative and flavoring.

Ingredients for the preparation of salt-free fermented cabbage:

• 3 kg of white cabbage;
• 300 g carrots;
• 200 ml of brine with previously fermented cabbage (if any);
• 300 g Antonov apples (optional);
• 100 g cranberries or lingonberries (optional);
• dill seeds, bay leaves, peppercorns or other spices (optional).

The preparation is identical: the cabbage is chopped, the carrots are rubbed on a coarse grater, and then the mass is crushed by hands and rammed into a jar. The problem with this recipe is to get juice. In the absence of salt, it is allocated poorly. To get it, you need to prepare severe oppression. If after 8-12 hours the liquid still does not cover the vegetables, pour boiled water.

Some people prefer to use brine. It is best to take it with earlier fermented cabbage. But you can cook it separately. To do this, finely chop 200 g of cabbage leaves, mash, pour cold boiled water and leave to roam for 2-3 days in the heat. After the specified time, the brine is filtered and used in the recipe for fermented cabbage without salt.

Fermented cabbage is served with fatty and smoked meat, sausages, sausages. It is also used to prepare various dishes: Russian cabbage soup, German cabbage, Polish bigos and others.

Product benefits

Fermentation allows you to enrich the product with B, K, C vitamins, probiotics, omega-3 fatty acids. Fermented cabbage does not deteriorate for a long time and can be stored for months. It retains beneficial substances better than with freezing.

What are the health benefits?

• Cabbage leaves contain a lot of ascorbic acid, which increases immunity and protects against colds.
• In the process of lactic acid fermentation, the contents of the can are saturated with probiotics that improve digestion and restore the microflora in the intestines after antibiotic treatment.
• Fermented cabbage is rich in dietary fiber and is easily digested. It helps to cleanse the intestines, helps in the fight against chronic constipation, overweight and fluid retention in the body.
• Thanks to antioxidants, regular use of the product cleanses the skin. It is believed that sauerkraut prolongs youth.
• It helps suppress the activity of Helicobacter pylori, a bacterium that supposedly causes peptic ulcer disease.
• When fermented cabbage is consumed, blood cells are better produced in the body, harmful cholesterol is excreted, and the heart muscle and blood vessels strengthen.

According to legend, cabbage can not be fermented in the full moon.

Fermented Cabbage Harm

Many are wary of eating sauerkraut, calling it rotten. In the case of fermentation, the line between the delicacy and the spoiled product is really very thin. It is important to prevent harmful microorganisms from entering the bank. But if everything is done correctly, soon lactic acid will begin to form, which suppresses the pathogenic flora and is a kind of preservative.

Otherwise, the harm of fermented cabbage refers to contraindications from health. It is not recommended to eat too much, as well as on an empty stomach in order to avoid increasing the acidity of gastric juice. Otherwise, unpleasant consequences are possible:

• heartburn;
• flatulence;
• diarrhea.

You should also abandon the product or limit its consumption to a minimum for people with the following diseases:

• gastritis;
• peptic ulcer;
• pancreatitis
• renal failure;
• urolithiasis disease.

You can ferment almost any vegetables. Try experimenting with different types of cabbage - cauliflower, broccoli, Peking.

Fermentation of vegetables will allow you to enjoy summer gifts all year round. You can harvest cabbage without salt, with salt, with different berries, spices, carrots, apples and other additives. To get started, try the classic recipe. Having prepared the dish at least once, you will understand the principle itself and you can add or remove ingredients to your taste.