Simple and delicious recipes for making sauerkraut with vinegar

Sauerkraut is a low-calorie product rich in vitamins, minerals and dietary fiber. In the process of fermentation in the vegetable, the number of beneficial microorganisms increases, which normalize the functioning of the digestive system. Vinegar is added to the dish as a preservative, it increases the shelf life of the workpiece.

Choosing and preparing cabbage

This is the first and most important stage in the preparation of a dish.

Heed the advice of experienced chefs:

1. Only late or mid-season varieties are suitable, so you should not buy cabbage in summer or early autumn for pickling. It is better to take heads of cabbage cut after the first frost.
2. For self-cultivation, the following varieties and hybrids are suitable: Belorusskaya 455, Slava, Moscow late, Gift, Countess F1, Stone head, Valentina F1, Garant F1, Triumph F1.
3. The larger the heads, the better. The weight of one must be from 1 kg and more.
4. It is advisable to take the forks in your hands and squeeze well. If it is firm, does not shrink, does not lose its shape, it is a late variety. If a soft, shrinking - early.
5. All leaves, except for the top one, should be white. Dark spots, streaks, and damage indicate the presence of pests and deterioration.
6. If possible, try a vegetable: a suitable cabbage is sweetish, without bitterness and juicy.

They begin to prepare snacks immediately so that the heads of cabbage do not wither and lose their benefits. The upper leaves are removed, the cabbage is thoroughly washed.

Important! When the vegetable is cut, the stump is removed: dangerous nitrates accumulate in it.

The benefits and harms of the product

Sauerkraut is a source of many vitamins, macro- and microelements:

• vitamin C helps to cope with colds;
• vitamin K strengthens bone tissue, kidneys;
• B vitamins improve the functioning of the nervous system and memory;
• fiber and lactic acid bacteria normalize the gastrointestinal tract;
• sodium and potassium maintain water and acid-base balance.

Harm from sauerkraut will occur if you eat it on an empty stomach: the product increases acidity in the stomach, which contributes to the development of various gastrointestinal diseases.

It is not recommended to eat the dish at night: high risk of flatulence, heartburn, nausea.

The use of snacks is contraindicated in:

• hypertension: salt in the composition increases pressure;
• exacerbation of gastrointestinal diseases: cabbage increases acidity, which will only harm;
• exacerbation of kidney disease;
• bloating: as a fermentation product, the vegetable only contributes to this.

How to ferment

Sauerkraut with the addition of vinegar is distinguished by its ease and speed of preparation, it will appeal to lovers of a sharper and sour taste.

Ingredients for a classic recipe:

• 1 large head of cabbage (about 2 kg);
• 2 medium carrots;
• 8 Art. l. 9% vinegar;
• 1 liter of cold water;
• 2 tbsp. l. table salt;
• 4 tbsp. l. Sahara.

Preparation:

1. Remove the top leaves of the head of cabbage (including damaged ones), wash the vegetable. Chop by hand or with a food processor.
2. Grate the carrots coarsely.
3. Stir the vegetables and put them in a prepared container: it is better to use glass or earthenware.
4. Prepare the marinade: pour water into a small saucepan, add salt and sugar, put on fire and bring to a boil. Then remove from heat, pour in vinegar and mix well.
5. Pour the cabbage with hot marinade and put in a warm place for a day. Then put in the refrigerator. There is a better product chilled.

Recipe variations

There are many different recipes, both with and without vinegar, with the addition of berries, fruits and other vegetables. Below are some common and simple options.

Instant salted cabbage

The name of the recipe speaks for itself: such an appetizer will be ready very quickly, and it will taste spicy thanks to the garlic, bay leaf, pepper and vinegar.

Ingredients:

• 1 kg of cabbage;
• 1 carrot weighing 100 g;
• 3 cloves of garlic;
• 600 ml hot water;
• 1-2 bay leaves;
• 100 g sugar;
• 30 g salt;
• 125 ml vinegar 6%;
• peppercorns - optional.

Preparation:

1. Chop the head of cabbage, grate the carrots and garlic. Mix everything, put in a saucepan with the ability to put oppression.
2. Put bay leaf, salt and sugar in a deep plate, pour boiling water, mix well, add vinegar. Mix everything again.
3. Pour the prepared vegetables with brine, mix and put the oppression from the plate and load on top (a large bottle of water will do). Put in a warm place for 2 hours.
4. Remove oppression, put a container with a lid in the refrigerator for 30-40 minutes.

With carrots and sugar

The addition of carrots gives the dish a light sweetness, beautiful color and additionally saturates with vitamins. Sugar promotes better fermentation.

You will need:

• 1 kg of cabbage (without stalk);
• 200 g carrots (1-2 pcs.);
• 100-150 g of sugar (depending on the desired sweetness);
• 1 liter of boiled chilled water;
• 2 tbsp. l. salt.

How to cook:

1. Cut forks, grate carrots, put in one bowl, add salt and stir.
2. Prepare a container for pickling, put vegetables there without tamping.
3. Pour water over the food so that it is 5 cm higher.
4. Place the workpiece in a dark place at room temperature for 2-3 days.
5. Pierce the cabbage with a stick or fork several times a day to release gases.
6. After 2-3 days, drain the juice, add sugar to it, stir until completely dissolved and refill the snack with brine.
7. Put in a refrigerator or basement for 8-10 hours. Afterwards, serve.

With butter

The addition of vegetable oil (sunflower, olive, corn) will give the snack a special flavor and improve the absorption of provitamin A.

Ingredients:

• 1 kg of chopped cabbage;
• 100 g carrots;
• 2-3 garlic cloves;
• 2 tbsp. l. honey or 4-5 tbsp. l. Sahara;
• 500 ml of water;
• 20 g salt;
• 50 ml of vegetable oil;
• 50 ml of 9% vinegar.

Preparation:

1. Put chopped vegetables in a deep bowl, mix.
2. Pour water into a small saucepan, add salt, put on fire. As it boils, add oil and boil for 1 minute, turn off the heat. Add vinegar, honey, or sugar. Mix everything thoroughly.
3. Pour vegetables with hot marinade, mix gently, cover and let stand for 2-3 hours at room temperature.

Cool the appetizer before serving.

Reference! When pickling, cabbage is not crumpled so that it is crispy.

With apple cider vinegar

Apple cider vinegar has a special aroma and natural composition, together with cabbage, it restores the intestinal microflora.

For the salting you will need:

• 1 liter of water;
• 700 g of cabbage;
• 150 g carrots;
• 1 tsp Sahara;
• 1 tbsp. l. salt;
• 3 tbsp. l. apple cider vinegar 6%.

Preparation:

1. Pour salt and sugar into boiling water, mix. Remove from heat, let cool.
2. Cut the forks and carrots in a convenient way, put them in a deep bowl, mix and pour over with cooled brine.
3. Add apple cider vinegar, mix gently and put in a fermenting container.
4. Cover and place in a cool place for 20-24 hours.

With beets

A beautiful pink color and pleasant sweetness will add a root vegetable to the preparation, and also supplement the dish with fiber and vitamins.

Ingredients:

• 3 kg of cabbage;
• 1 kg of beets;
• 300 g carrots;
• 3 tbsp. l. salt.

Preparation:

1. Cut the head of cabbage into slices about 5 mm thick. Coarsely grate carrots and beets.
2. Transfer vegetables to a deep bowl and season with salt.
3. Knead your hands until it comes out juice and vegetables will not be covered by it.
4. Cover the workpiece with a plate, put oppression.
5. Remove the container in a warm place for 4-5 hours, then in the refrigerator for 3 days.

Storage features

The ideal place for storing sauerkraut is a cellar or basement, as the temperature is most suitable here: 0… + 4 ° C. Indoors, the product will remain until next summer.

If such storage is not available, a refrigerator will do. However, you will not be able to save a lot of cabbage; it will be stored there for 1–1.5 months, since the temperature in the refrigerator is + 5… + 6 ° C.

Advice! If there is a temperature setting function, set the temperature to + 4 ° C.

On a glazed balcony, it is important that the temperature does not drop below 0 ° C. When frozen, the container with cabbage is insulated with warm clothes and placed on a pallet. In such conditions, the workpieces are left for the whole winter and spring.

At room temperature, the snack will ferment, begin to sour and quickly deteriorate. Therefore, this storage method is not suitable.

Vegetables if needed freeze up to 8 months. Consume immediately after defrosting.

The recommended container for pickling and storing cabbage is glass. A more suitable option is a wooden barrel, but it will require a lot of free space. Some housewives use plastic containers with lids, enamel buckets or pots without chips.

Tips

Experienced housewives recommend:

1. Do not overdo the cabbage at room temperature, otherwise it will ferment and lose the desired taste.
2. Do not add iodized salt to the snack: it inhibits fermentation.
3. Observe the proportions in the recipe and use only verified instructions so as not to spoil the food.
4. Keep vegetables under brine during cooking.

Conclusion

This selection of delicious, quick recipes will help you prepare a popular winter snack. They experiment with the ingredients and their quantity to get a special dish. Sauerkraut goes well with meat and potatoes, suitable for soups, salads.