How to prepare cabbage with vodka for the winter at home

In the winter and autumn periods, when there is an acute shortage of vitamins, cabbage preparations help out. Only 200 g of this product contains a daily dose of vitamin C. Recipes for sauerkraut and pickled cabbage in a jar with the addition of vodka are simple and accessible to everyone.

We will talk about how to cook a delicious appetizer in our today's article.

Selection and preparation of cabbage for harvesting

The choice of variety plays an important role in harvesting cabbage for the winter. Mid-season and late-season are suitable. Their fruits contain more amino acids, vitamins and microelements than the early ones. Late ones have a crisper and firmer texture. Wintering, Megaton F1, Aggressor are suitable for starter culture.

For pickling and pickling, choose large (up to 5 kg), dense heads of cabbage, without cracks and rot. The heads are cleaned of debris, the upper leaves are removed and the upper part of the stump is cut off. For the marinade, take large heads of cabbage (if they are chopped) and small ones (if the head of cabbage is cut into 4 parts).

Why vodka in the recipe

During fermentation, lactic acid is released, which makes the cabbage soft and tasteless. The structure of the leaf changes and everyone's favorite crunch disappears from the product, a burning aftertaste appears. To avoid such consequences, vodka is included in the recipe, which does not stop, but slows down the fermentation process.

Important! For the preparation of sauerkraut or pickled cabbage, do not use plastic, tinned or galvanized container.

How to ferment cabbage with vodka for the winter: a classic recipe in a jar

Ingredients:

• white cabbage - 2.3 kg;
• carrots - 2 pcs.;
• dill seeds - to taste;
• allspice peas - 3-4 pcs.;
• bitter peppercorns - 5 pcs.;
• coarse salt - 2 tbsp. l .;
• water - 1.5 l;
• vodka - 50 ml.

Step-by-step instruction:

1. Prepared heads of cabbage are chopped.
2. Carrots are washed, peeled, cut into strips or chopped in a food processor.
3. The prepared ingredients are mixed, spices (pepper and dill seeds) are added, placed in three-liter jars and lightly crushed.
4. For the brine in a saucepan, heat the water to 50 ° C, add salt and stir until completely dissolved.
5. The brine is cooled and poured into a jar of vegetable mixture so that the liquid covers the contents.
6. Cover with a linen cloth or gauze and leave for three days to ferment.
7. During the process, vegetables are pierced with a wooden knitting needle 2-3 times a day to the bottom, giving out carbon dioxide.
8. Make sure that the contents are covered with brine at all times. If necessary, add the spilled liquid back to the jar.
9. When fermentation stops, the brine is drained, vodka is poured into the cabbage, mixed and placed in a cool place.

Sauerkraut with sweet vodka

Ingredients:

• head of cabbage - 1 pc. (4-5 kg);
• carrots - 2 pcs.;
• water - 1 l;
• sugar (honey) - 0.5 tbsp.;
• salt - 2 tbsp. l .;
• vodka - 1 tbsp. l.

Cooking process:

1. Peeled forks are cut or chopped, carrots are chopped, mixed with cabbage and salt.
2. Placed in a sterilized jar. They do not crumple or tamp. The vegetable mixture should be loose.
3. Pour the jar with chilled boiled water 3-4 cm above the mixture.
4. Cover with clean gauze and leave for three days at a temperature of + 18 ... + 22 ° C until the end of fermentation.
5. Within three days, the mixture is pierced with a wooden stick 6-8 times. The escaped juice is poured back into the container.
6. After 3 days, the brine is filtered through cheesecloth.Sugar or honey is dissolved in it.
7. Vodka is poured into a container with vegetables, poured sweet solution and put in the refrigerator. Pickles are ready in 8-10 hours.

During fermentation, the jar is placed in an enamel bowl or deep plate so that the pouring brine does not spread over the surface of the table.

Pickled cabbage with crystal vodka

Ingredients:

• cabbage - 2 kg;
• coarse salt - 2 tbsp. l .;
• sugar - 2 tbsp. l .;
• vinegar 70% - 3 tsp;
• water - 1.5 l;
• garlic - 4 cloves;
• bay leaf - 2 pcs.;
• allspice peas - 3 pcs .;
• bitter peppercorns - 5 pcs.;
• cloves - 2 pcs.;
• vodka "Crystal" - 2 tbsp. l.

Step-by-step instruction:

1. Dried and damaged leaves are removed from the head of cabbage, cut into strips or squares.
2. Peppers, cloves of garlic, cloves and bay leaves are placed in the prepared jars at the bottom.
3. Put cabbage on top. Press down and pour vodka.
4. For the marinade, sugar and salt are poured into water, boiled until completely dissolved.
5. Pour the contents with hot marinade up to the shoulders of the jar, add the essence.
6. Pasteurize at medium boil for 20 minutes.
7. The lids are rolled up and left to cool completely under the blanket.

Pre-cans are sterilized with steam: 0.5 l - 5 minutes, 1 l - 10 minutes. The metal lids are boiled for two minutes.

Pickled red cabbage with vodka and bell pepper

Ingredients:

• red cabbage - 1.5 kg;
• sweet bell pepper - 250 g;
• carrots - 2-3 pcs.;
• garlic - 6 cloves;
• water - 500 ml (2 tbsp.);
• salt - 1 tbsp. l .;
• sugar - 4 tbsp. l. with a slide;
• vegetable oil - 100 ml;
• vinegar 9% - 100 ml;
• vodka - 2 tbsp. l .;
• spices (allspice, black pepper, cloves, dill) - to taste.

Step-by-step instruction:

1. Prepared heads of cabbage are cut into squares, slightly crumpled.
2. Carrots are cut into strips and mixed with cabbage.
3. Cut the pepper into half rings or cubes. To give the cabbage a festive look, peppers are taken in different colors.
4. The cloves of garlic are pressed with the flat part of a knife, then finely chopped. This way more flavor is retained.
5. All vegetables are mixed together, spices are added and vodka is added. Fans of spicy pickled cabbage put a pod of hot pepper in the vegetable mixture.
6. Preparing the marinade: put water on fire, add vegetable oil, salt and sugar, boil for 3 minutes. If desired, throw an umbrella of dill.
7. Turn off the gas, add vinegar and pour the hot marinade into the salad jars up to the neck through a sieve. At the stage of preparing the marinade, the solution is tasted. If necessary, add salt and add sugar.
8. Preservation is pasteurized over medium heat, covered with lids: 0.5 liter cans - 10 minutes, 1 liter - 15 minutes. Close the jars and leave the lids down under the blanket until they cool completely.

If you do not plan to store cabbage for a long time, pasteurization is not required.

Salted cabbage with vodka

Ingredients:

• cabbage - 5 kg;
• salt - 4 tbsp. l .;
• medium carrots - 5 pcs.;
• vodka - 3 tbsp. l.

Step-by-step instruction:

1. Take large forks, remove the integumentary leaves and chop.
2. Carrots are peeled, washed and chopped with a knife or chopped on a coarse grater.
3. Mix vegetables, sprinkle with salt and grind together.
4. Add vodka, mix again.
5. The vegetable mixture is transferred to wooden tubs under pressure. If not enough juice is released, the oppression is increased. For this, no metal objects are used. A granite stone or glass jar of water will do.
6. When the cabbage is completely covered with brine, the mixture is left alone for 3-4 days.
7. Every day she is pierced with a wooden stick to release gas.
8. The resulting foam on the surface is removed with a wooden spoon, the edges of the tub are wiped with a clean towel.
9. As soon as the brine becomes transparent, the oppression is removed, the barrel is covered with a lid. Cabbage is transferred to glass jars.

Features and shelf life

Sauerkraut and salted cabbage are stored at a temperature of + 1 ... + 5 ° С. Salts are not allowed to freeze, since the useful qualities of the product are lost.

Shelf life in wooden tubs is up to eight months.In the refrigerator in glass jars - 3 months. Pickled cabbage with pasteurization is stored for 12 months in basements or storage sheds, without heat treatment in the refrigerator - 2 months.

Tips from experienced housewives

Experienced housewives recommend using such life hacks:

1. The taste of sauerkraut is enriched with sour apples, cranberries or lingonberries.
2. Add to the pickled vegetable beets, which gives the salad a rich burgundy color.
3. When serving, pour in vegetable oil and pour onions.
4. Before preparing salted cabbage dishes, it is washed in cold water.
5. When storing pickles in the basement, sprinkle the surface with dry mustard or grated root to prevent mold. horseradish.

Conclusion

Sauerkraut and pickled cabbage serves as a side dish or an independent dish. Salted cabbage is used as the main ingredient in soups and main courses. The variety of recipes makes it especially attractive to housewives. Vodka not only preserves the crispy texture of the vegetable, but also extends the shelf life.