Sauerkraut has been used for centuries as a source of vitamins during the cold season. Even today, pickled white cabbage is a healthy addition to the diet and a great way to keep the cabbage harvest for a long time.

Not everyone can make sauerkraut yourself

What is lactic acid fermentation?

The sour taste of sauerkraut comes from the lactic acid fermentation that makes the cabbage durable. In a low-oxygen environment, the lactic acid bacteria naturally found on all surfaces can spread unhindered and thereby suppress other microorganisms, including putrefactive bacteria. To accomplish this step, the vegetables must be salted and stored in an airtight container, covered with salt water.

The process is also known as "wild fermentation" because it takes place without any action. Vegetables fermented with lactic acid retain their high vitamin content and can be kept for months. In addition to white cabbage, other types of cabbage, but also almost any other vegetable, such as cucumbers, carrots or radishes, can be pickled with lactic acid.

A recipe for white cabbage pickled as sauerkraut

It tastes best when you make it yourself! To pickle cabbage and make sauerkraut yourself, you will need the following:

  • 5 kg white cabbage
  • 50 g salt (no iodised salt)
  • Spices like juniper berries or cumin to taste
  • cabbage slicer or vegetable slicer
  • Stone or similar heavy object
  • Mason jars or earthenware pot
  • Remove the outer leaves of the cabbage and set aside some intact leaves. Halve or quarter (depending on size - pieces should fit comfortably in your hand when slicing). The stalk stays on the leaves because it holds them together, making planing easier!
  • Place the cabbage grater in a large bowl and grate all the pieces of cabbage down to the hard core. You get fine stripes.
  • Scatter the salt over the shaved cabbage and knead firmly and gently into the cabbage for several minutes until liquid is exuded.
  • Mix in the spices if desired.
  • Take out boiled mason jars or a clean earthenware pot and layer the herb tightly inside. No air pockets must remain. The cabbage has to be literally mashed up.
  • Place an appropriately sized cabbage leaf on top of the cabbage and weigh it down with the clean stone to keep the cabbage submerged.
  • Seal the jar. During fermentation, gases must escape from it, which is why a specially designed earthenware pot is ideal. You can also use preserving jars with a rubber ring, as these also allow some air to escape.
  • Leave the jars at room temperature for a week. They are then stored in a cool, dark room. After about four weeks, the lactic acid fermentation is complete and the sauerkraut is ready.
  • Consume your homemade sauerkraut within six months. While it has a shelf life of up to two years, it becomes mushy and brownish with prolonged storage.

    • The garden journal freshness ABC

    How can fruit and vegetables be stored correctly so that they stay fresh for as long as possible?

    The garden journal freshness ABC as a poster:

    • as a free PDF file to print out yourself

Category:

Vegetable garden