Classic Sauerkraut Recipe
Description
A preservation recipe without unnecessary complications. To prepare classic sauerkraut, you will need salt suitable for pickling—coarse rock salt or medium-grind table salt, without iodine. Use mid-season or late cabbage varieties that are dense, firm, and undamaged. Sugar is optional; you can leave it out. The sauerkraut can be eaten as is as a snack, added to salads and soups, or used as filling for pies. Store in a cool, dark place.
Instructions
- 1
Step 1
Prepare all ingredients.
- 2
Step 2
Finely shred the cabbage.
- 3
Step 3
Peel the carrots and grate them. You can use a Korean-style carrot grater.
- 4
Step 4
Add salt and a couple of pinches of sugar. Mix the cabbage with the carrots, kneading the vegetables well with your hands until they release their juice.
- 5
Step 5
Begin placing the cabbage into a clean sterilized jar in portions. Pack each layer firmly so the cabbage is covered with its own juice.
- 6
Step 6
Fill the jar so that a little free space remains at the top. Place the jar on a rimmed plate so that during fermentation any liquid that overflows will collect there. You can press the cabbage down from above with a small weight or cover the neck with cheesecloth. Leave the cabbage at room temperature for 3–4 days. Every morning and evening, pierce the cabbage with a wooden stick so that gases can escape and it does not turn bitter.
- 7
Step 7
When the cabbage tastes right to you, seal the jar and refrigerate it for storage. Classic sauerkraut is ready.