13 best homemade sauerkraut recipes

For many centuries, Russian cuisine cannot be imagined without cabbage dishes. After all, this vegetable is available all year round. There is a good old tradition - in the fall to cook sauerkraut according to different recipes. This preparation method is probably the best. Indeed, when fermented, acid appears in the product. It serves as the best natural preservative that inhibits the growth of bacteria, prevents the vegetable from spoiling.

Features of cooking sauerkraut for the winter

To make the finished product tasty and stored for a long time, you need to know the following recommendations:

1. They take only rock salt, iodized leads to softening of the cabbage.
2. For 1 kilogram of vegetables, 1 level tablespoon of salt is enough.
3. After all the products are put into the container, you need to put a plate or lid on them that is suitable in diameter to the container. Place a load weighing 3-4 kilograms on top.
4. The workpiece is placed in a warm place for fermentation. Its completion time depends on the temperature in the room where the container is. If it is warm, the product will ferment in 3 days, if it is cool - in 5-6 days.
5. The next day after cooking, you need to remove the oppression, make punctures in the cabbage to the very bottom with a wooden narrow spatula. Gas will start escaping through the holes. You need to release it every laziness. If you do not perform such actions, then the product will turn sour. After the procedure, the oppression is placed in place.

The absence of bubbles and brine clarification indicate the readiness of the snack. In this case, it's time to cork it and put it in the cold.

Selection and preparation of main ingredients

There are also certain requirements for vegetables:

• take white cabbage of late varieties;
• choose dense heads of cabbage without damage;
• the top green leaves must be removed;
• shred cabbage with a sharp knife or with a special grater;
• carrots are thoroughly washed, peeled and grated with large holes.

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If the dish contains other vegetables, herbs, fruits, then they are also washed and cut.

How to prepare containers correctly?

The best containers for storing the finished product are glass jars, wooden barrels, enameled dishes (no chips). Containers, lids, oppression are thoroughly washed and dried.

Before cooking, the bottom of the container is covered with whole cabbage leaves.

Blank recipes

At home, you can prepare a vegetable dish according to different recipes, with the addition of various ingredients.

The classic way with carrots

You can ferment using the classic recipe. Put the cabbage, carrots in a deep bowl and rub them with your hands for a few minutes until the juice begins to stand out. Add salt, mix thoroughly. Put it in a container, tamping it with a wooden crush. This process works best if applied in small portions. After filling the entire container, put it in a warm place.

With caraway seeds in a saucepan

Or you can make a vegetable dish with wine vinegar. Put chopped cabbage and caraway seeds with salt in layers in a saucepan. And on top, pour water with vinegar and a small amount of granulated sugar. Close with a lid and put on medium heat. When the mass boils, the pan is simply shaken.

These steps are performed for about 1 hour. After this time, a delicious dish with caraway seeds is obtained. The resulting product is placed in a container and sealed.

With sugar-free beets

There is a recipe for cooking spicy vegetables. Beets, hot peppers, garlic, cabbage are placed in a container in layers. Spread the vegetables very tightly so that there is no free space. Pour in hot saline.

With cranberries in a bucket

Salt, white sugar are added to the shredded cabbage, rub everything with your hands so that the juice goes. Season with your favorite spices, fresh or frozen cranberries. The mass is mixed and placed in a bucket.

With apples and lingonberries

The vegetable turns out to be sweet if it is fermented with apples and lingonberries. Whole fruits are mixed with cabbage, grated with salt, fresh berries are added. The mass is laid out in a container for fermentation.

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With honey

With natural honey, the harvest is very tasty. Cabbage, carrots are placed in a basin and rubbed with hands. The mixture is placed in a container, tamped and poured with brine - a mixture of water, salt and honey. After fermentation, vegetables acquire a sweetish taste.

Fast way in a 3 liter can

There is a quick way to make sauerkraut. Put cabbage and carrots tightly into a 3-liter jar and pour in saline solution (2.5 flat tablespoons per 1 liter of water).

With apples and peppers

It turns out a delicious preparation if, instead of carrots, apples and bell peppers are added to cabbage.

With bell pepper and horseradish

You can prepare a snack that will delight the eye with its appearance. Mix together cabbage, sweet bell peppers of different colors, allspice peas, carrots, celery. Pour in water and salt.

With apples, cranberries and mountain ash

Grind cabbage with salt, add carrots. Bay leaves, black peppercorns, coriander and caraway are placed on the bottom of the container. Layers are laid vegetables, pieces of winter apples, rowan, cranberries. Pour in a decoction of oak bark. Experienced housewives recommend doing it in this ratio - 1 teaspoon of bark per 100 milliliters of water.

With apples and pears

You can also ferment the vegetable with fruit. Layers of cabbage, apples, pears are placed in a container, poured with sugar syrup (200 grams of white sugar per liter of water). You don't need to add salt.

With horseradish, beets and garlic

Mix cabbage, horseradish, garlic, beets, put it tightly in a container and pour brine (1/2 cup granulated sugar, 200 grams of salt per 1.5 liters of water).

Crispy sauerkraut in a barrel

To make the vegetable crispy, it must be cooked in a barrel. Natural wood reacts with the fermented product, giving it an amazing taste.

How to store workpieces correctly?

Store the finished product in a cellar or refrigerator. Do not allow it to heat or freeze.

The vegetable dish cooks quickly enough and is ideal with boiled or fried potatoes.