How to properly cook sauerkraut without salt
Sauerkraut without salt is a delicious snack. Even in the old days, she decorated everyday and festive tables. This dish strengthens the immune system and allows you to stay in shape when the weather is raging outside the window. Compared to fresh cabbage, sauerkraut contains much more vitamin C. It also contains a lot of minerals and trace elements.
This product is a good probiotic. It contains bacteria that improve bowel function. The dish is popular in the kitchen and among raw foodists. Let's figure out how to make it without salt and how this method differs from the classic one.
The content of the article
Sauerkraut without salt
This snack contains a minimum of harmful substances.... Salt-free sauerkraut is great for people who keep an eye on the salt content of their food and for those who are used to eating right.
Advantages and disadvantages of the method
Pickling is an old way of processing cabbage... Vegetables are affected by lactic acid bacteria, which are beneficial for the body. When salting, the tissues of the product are saturated with salt, as a result of which a characteristic taste and structure of the vegetable is obtained.
Fermentation is a less efficient option for processing cabbage... Yeast gradually leads to the destruction of the tissue of the product, and it becomes unusable. But if fermented without salt, it will be most beneficial for the body.
Benefit and harm
Improper diet disrupts the balance between good and bad bacteria... As a result, the latter destroy the human microflora, weakening the immune system. And sauerkraut without salt is a source of lactobacilli, which support the health of the whole body. If they are not enough, then the work of the intestines is disrupted, blood vessels, skin, organs and even the psyche suffer.
It is the slagging of the body that causes not only a common cold, but also mental illness... Therefore, it is important to constantly maintain the intestinal microflora. Salt-free sauerkraut will restore it after cleansing procedures and dry fasting.
Important! If you ferment cabbage without salt, it replaces the yogurt with the beneficial bacteria.
This dish can be safely consumed by hypertensive patients... Cabbage juice without salt contains vitamins P, A, E, K, B, H and U. It protects the gastric mucosa, and if consumed regularly, prevents gastritis, helps to fight heartburn, and reduces cholesterol levels.
Brine will discolor age spots... To do this, take gauze soaked in juice and apply it to the problem area for about 15 minutes. After that, a cream is applied to the skin. To achieve a greater effect, such a procedure is performed for at least three weeks.
But sauerkraut is not only beneficial. This dish is not recommended for those with kidney problems or gallstones... Also, the oils contained in the product cause bloating.
From such a dish have to give up those who have problems with the thyroid gland.
Selecting and preparing vegetables
Choose late varieties of cabbage, as they have more sugar, and this stimulates fermentation and the production of lactic acid. If you squeeze white cabbage, a crunch should appear, like a ripe watermelon. A hard head of cabbage, where the leaves are tightly attached to each other, indicates that you made the right choice.
The surface of the head of cabbage must be clean, without stains... It is advisable to use cabbage as soon as possible - with long storage it will become less juicy.
The classic way without salt
Salt is almost always used when fermenting homemade sauerkraut. But not everyone, for health reasons, can eat salted vegetables. In this case, there is a way out: cooking salt-free sauerkraut.
This will require:
- 0.5 l of water;
- 1.5 kg of cabbage;
- 300 g of carrots.
Step by step recipe:
- Grind the cabbage on a medium grater and cut into thin strips.
- We rub carrots and combine with cabbage.
- Next, mix the contents with your hands, but do not squeeze, otherwise the cabbage will become soft and juicy.
- We transfer the mixture to a container and completely fill it with cool water.
- Take a wooden stick and pierce the contents to release gases.
- Cover with a towel and put a lid on top.
- The dish should stand for 3 days at room temperature. We pierce with a stick every day.
- After three days, close the jar with a lid and place in the refrigerator.
Ksenia, Nizhny-Novgorod: “I have been using this recipe for a very long time. What is captivating is that you don't need salt when cooking. It so happened that it is contraindicated for me. But I want to note that the dish does not lose quality and taste. Yes, and the family really like it, they gobble up on both cheeks ".
Recipe options
Salt retains fluid in the body, which increases the burden on the kidneys... Previously, a lot of salt was used for conservation, but now this is not necessary. Even sauerkraut can be made without adding salt. There are many recipes and each one is good in its own way.
Interesting on the site:
No salt and water
For cooking you will need:
- carrots - 2 kg;
- cabbage - 3 pcs.;
- dill seeds - 1 tbsp. l .;
- several bay leaves.
How to ferment vegetables:
- Rinse the heads well and cut into strips.
- Rinse and grate carrots.
- Mix the contents and add the dill.
- Place the vegetables in a container and put heavy oppression on top - 15 kg. The heavier it is, the sooner the juice will go. After a day, you can put oppression weighing 2 kg.
- After 3 days, the dish is ready to eat.
Marina, Voronezh: “I don’t know what could be simpler than this recipe. Fast, easy and delicious! When I did it for the first time, I didn't think what would happen. Since I did not imagine how you can ferment without water. But my fears were not confirmed. Everything is excellent, I recommend ".
In brine
As you know, salt is usually used in the fermentation process. But you can easily dispense with this ingredient by preparing a cabbage fermented pickle.
This will require:
- garlic - 3-5 cloves;
- head of cabbage - 1 pc.;
- caraway;
- ground red pepper - on the tip of a teaspoon.
For cooking you will need:
- cabbage pickle;
- White cabbage;
- carrots - 10% of the total mass of cabbage.
Brine preparation:
- Chop cabbage, add caraway seeds, chopped garlic and pepper.
- Stir well, but do not crush. You can just put the contents in a bowl and press down a little.
- Pour boiled water over the cabbage, but not hot, but room temperature.
- Put oppression. The cabbage should be completely submerged in water.
- Place the dishes in a warm, dark place and marinate for 4 days. It is desirable that the temperature be no more than + 25 ° C. It is better not to use metal dishes.
- When the cabbage is infused, strain the brine.
Next, we proceed to cooking sauerkraut:
- We cut the heads of cabbage, chop the carrots on a coarse grater.
- Mix the contents in a large bowl. First, lay out the whole top sheets on the bottom.
- Fill the vegetables with brine and put a saucer crushed by a load on top - a jar filled with water will do.
- We leave the container for 2 days at room temperature. After the expiration of the period, we remove the load and pierce the contents with a wooden stick to release the gases.
- Then we put the load again and close it. We put it in a cool place, for example in a refrigerator or cellar, insist for a couple of days, and then serve.
Read also:
With spices
For cooking you will need:
- 3 medium sized heads of cabbage;
- cumin - 2 tbsp. l .;
- dill seeds - 2 tbsp. l .;
- peppercorns - 2 tbsp. l.
Cooking method:
- Shred the cabbage and put it in a deep bowl.
- Mix the crushed pepper with caraway seeds and dill, transfer to the cabbage and mix.
- We send the resulting mixture into a large container and ram. A 10 liter bucket is perfect.
- We put oppression and leave for three days at room temperature.
- The juice should completely cover the resulting mass. If it is not enough, add filtered water.
- After 4 days, put the spicy cabbage in jars and place in the refrigerator.
With lemon
This dish has a very rich composition, but the result will be excellent. It can be slightly salted, but we consider the option of cooking without salt:
- cabbage - 3 kg;
- lemon - 1 pc.;
- carrots - 200 g;
- water - 1 tbsp.;
- beets - 200 g;
- prunes - 200 g;
- honey - 100 g.
Cooking instructions:
- Finely chop the cabbage.
- Cut the beets and carrots into strips.
- Fill the prunes with water and boil for three minutes.
- Add honey to the resulting broth.
- Finely chop the lemon along with the peel (remove the seeds).
- Mix vegetables, lemon, prunes, broth and put in a jar. We close the container with a lid and put it in a cool place (refrigerator or cellar).
Natalia, Tver: “If you want to add variety to the preparation of sauerkraut, this recipe will come in handy. Do not be intimidated by the abundance of ingredients, you will not spoil anything. On the contrary, some zest in the taste will encourage you to cook this amazing cabbage more than once ”.
With vinegar
This option is prepared in 3 hours. To do this, you need to make a sweet and sour marinade. But you cannot put such a dish in the refrigerator. The marinade will not work if it is cold.
You will need such ingredients for cooking.:
- cabbage - 1 head of cabbage;
- water - 500 ml;
- carrots - 2 pcs.;
- sugar - 100 g;
- olive oil - 100 ml;
- vinegar - 100 ml.
Cooking process:
- Chop the carrots and cabbage and put the contents in the jar.
- Pour over warm marinade, oil and vinegar.
- Leave for 3 hours at room temperature, then serve.
With apple
This option is perfect as a side dish for meat and fish dishes.
For cooking you will need:
- cabbage - 700 g;
- apples - 70 g;
- champignons - 220 g;
- cumin - 30 g.
Cooking process:
- Wash apples, cabbage and mushrooms under running water.
- Shred cabbage.
- We cut the mushrooms into thin plates.
- Free the apples from seeds and cut into slices.
- We mix the ingredients and set the oppression for four days at room temperature.
- Season with olive oil before serving.
Terms, conditions and features of storage
Pickled vegetables are stored at temperatures from 0 ° C to + 4 ° C... If the temperature is higher than the specified one, then the cabbage will peroxide as a result of the intensification of the fermentation process. Conversely, if the temperature is lower, it will lose its taste and become bland.
Store cabbage in a basement, cellar, or refrigerator... Humidity should be no more than 85%. Product shelf life - up to one year, open - 7 days.
It is not recommended to keep sauerkraut in metal dishes.... It is also impossible to use metal accessories, since aluminum particles pass into products faster when lactic acid is released than under normal conditions. It is harmful to the body.
Best fit wooden barrels, enameled pans and glass jars... Use 3-10 liter containers. They must be checked for chips and cracks, as they reduce shelf life.
Conclusion
Salt-free sauerkraut is a real storehouse of nutrients and vitamins that our body needs, especially in winter. The dish is perfect for those who adhere to a healthy lifestyle and are used to eating right.
Such cabbage is used as an independent dish, added to vegetable salads, and frozen for the winter.It just cooks and doesn't require a lot of food. Delicious blanks for you and be healthy!