What to do if there is little brine in sauerkraut and why this could happen

Sauerkraut is one of the favorite snacks on the Russian table. The process of its creation resembles a whole art, full of subtleties and secrets. But what if there is not enough brine in the sauerkraut jar? Do you really have to start over and chop up a new head of cabbage?

Let's figure out how to save the cabbage from drying out and fill the jar with new juice. We will also give some tips on how to avoid this problem in the future.

What is the risk of lack of brine in sauerkraut

The brine should cover the cabbage completely... Only then will it ferment to the desired crispy sour state. With a lack of liquid, the product, at best, will simply dry out, and at worst, it will go rotten and become unusable.

Important! Watch out for the preparations: if the cabbage is standing without brine for the second day, it can no longer be saved. The only option is to stew it in a saucepan with butter.

Why sauerkraut can have little brine

If the cabbage does not give juice during fermentation, little brine is obtained. There are several reasons for this.

Unsuitable variety of cabbage

You may have chosen the wrong variety, or you may have picked the cabbage too early. It is best to ferment white cabbage varieties: Moscow late, Rusinovka, Mara, Snezhinskaya, Belorusskaya-85, Yubileinaya-29, Nadezhda, Amager, Kolobok, Gift and - the most popular - Slava.

Choose a head of cabbage that is ripe in late autumn - at the end of October or in November, after the first frost... It is at this time of the year that a lot of natural sugar is formed in the vegetable, which is needed for the release of lactic acid - thanks to it, the cabbage will be fermented qualitatively in the jar.

Important! To determine if a head of cabbage is suitable, look at its leaves. The whiter they are, the more sugar it contains and the more suitable it is for fermentation. It is best if there are no green leaves at all. Another way is to cut the head of cabbage in half. The cut should be white and the leaves should be crispy and sweet.

Fermentation errors

Salt should not be neglected when fermenting - it is needed to isolate liquid... But you should not get carried away with it, otherwise it will interfere with the process of lactic acid fermentation. Put it in the range of 20-25 g per 1 kg of cabbage.

If you were not mistaken with the quantity, in a day the entire contents of the jar should be immersed in the brine. Otherwise, you can lose all the nutrients of the vegetable, and the product will simply rot.

Important! Use regular coarse salt. Iodized softens the cabbage.

What to do, how to increase the amount of brine

If the cabbage has been standing long enough to extract juice, but there is clearly not enough of it in the jar, this is not a reason to give up salting.

What to do if the cabbage does not give juice

Some housewives do not regret the cabbage, and the part that lay on top without brine is simply thrown away, and the one that is soaked in juice is sent back under oppression. This is a sacrifice of the quantity of the product for the sake of its quality - not everyone likes the taste of the preparation, if, for example, you make your own pickle and add it to the jar (more on that below).

If there is no juice, perhaps the reason is that the pressure is too small.... Weights should be added to squeeze out more liquid. If all else fails and you feel sorry for throwing away dry cabbage, make the brine yourself.

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How to make a pickle if it is not enough

If you do not plan to store the workpiece for a long time, you can add your own brine to the container.

Make it with a recipe:

1. Pour 1 liter of water into a saucepan and bring it to a boil.
2. When the water boils, turn off the gas and add 1 tbsp. l. salt.
3. Wait for the water to cool. When you can dip your finger into the water, add 1 tbsp. l. Sahara.
4. The brine is completely ready when it cools down to room temperature. Now it can be poured into the container.

You can store such cabbage for no more than three weeks. at a temperature not higher than + 4 ° С.

How to ferment cabbage correctly so that there is enough brine

So that the juice is released in sufficient volume and the cabbage does not come out overdried, observe the correct order of salting:

1. Do not wash the forks before shredding, just remove any green or rotten leaves.
2. Then cut the head of cabbage into 2-3 pieces and chop.
3. Take the usual large salt, but not iodized. If you put too much of it, it can stop the fermentation process and nothing will come of it. Optimally - 20-25 g per 1 kg of product.
4. Place two whole cabbage leaves at the bottom of the jar, sprinkled with plenty of salt to soften.
5. Before starting the sourdough, remember the chopped cabbage with your hands or with a rolling pin, and after putting everything in the container, press it harder inward with your fist so that the juice begins to come out.
6. If you ferment in a saucepan, the raw material will have to be pressed down with something heavy. Put a plastic napkin on top, on it - a plate or wooden lattice, and on top of everything - oppression. It can be scalded cobblestone or a plastic canister filled with water. Metal objects - weights, barbell discs - and bricks cannot be used as oppression.
7. If you have a three-liter can, you can use the bag trick. Take a simple plastic food bag, fill it halfway with water, release the air, and tie at the end. Then gently squeeze into the neck, and the weight of the water will press the cabbage.
8. Fermentation will begin after a few hours when foam forms on top. It will have to be constantly cleaned and made sure that it does not leak onto the floor. At first there will be a lot of it, then less and less. As soon as you notice that she is no longer there, you can try - everything is ready.
9. At the end, the cabbage will have to be pierced with a wooden stick to the very bottom or mixed. This is necessary to release gases that can make the product bitter.
10. On average, cabbage is fermented for about a week.

Features of pickling not juicy heads of cabbage

If you are late with picking cabbage, it can freeze and dry out... When salting from such heads of cabbage, it will be very difficult to achieve the required amount of juice, and you will have to prepare the brine separately in any case.

Additionally, to help the vegetable ferment, you can add carrots, cranberries or Antonov apples.

Read also:

When and why to pierce sauerkraut

Which is healthier: sauerkraut or salted cabbage

Tips and tricks on the topic

A few additional tips will help preserve the benefits and extend the shelf life product:

1. Observe the storage mode of cabbage and do not freeze it so as not to lose its beneficial properties. The optimum storage temperature in the refrigerator is 0 ... + 2 ° С.
2. Ferment the cabbage in wide pots or basins. The larger the area of ​​contact with air, the better the fermentation process.
3. Do not add vinegar if you want to preserve the beneficial properties of the product.
4. Don't add onions to your cabbage to give it extra flavor. Such salting will not last for a long time.

Conclusion

So here are the highlights of sourdough cabbage. You need to take heads of cabbage of certain varieties, Slava is best suited for this. To achieve a sufficient amount of juice, the cabbage will have to be properly crushed and tamped into a container. Do not spare salt, but do not get carried away with it - 25 g per 1 kg of product is enough.

If not enough juice comes out, prepare the brine separately and add it to the container so that it covers the entire contents. The workpiece must ferment for five days under oppression - a scalded stone or a can of water. Follow the recipe, then a delicious snack will delight you all winter.