How To Make Sauerkraut Recipe
Introduction
The world loves sauerkraut, a mainstay of German cuisine known for its crisp texture and acidic flavor. In addition to being tasty, this fermented cabbage meal is loaded with nutrients and probiotics that are good for your digestive system. It’s actually rather simple to make sauerkraut at home; all you need is a few ingredients and some perseverance. I’ll walk you through the whole, step-by-step procedure for making your own homemade sauerkraut in this post.
What is a sauerkraut?
A fermented meal prepared from cabbage is called sauerkraut. It is rich in vitamins C, B, A, and K as well as a number of minerals, and has been taken for thousands of years due to its probiotic properties.
It is easy and inexpensive to prepare at home, and it has a crisp texture and sour flavor!
The History of Sauerkraut
Contrary to popular belief, sauerkraut is not only a German creation. Who was aware?
This recipe begins with just salt and cabbage, which is the most basic form of sauerkraut. Now that we have some color and flavor added, I decided to add some shredded carrots and beets, which give the dish a bright orange-magenta hue—next, fresh minced garlic, freshly grated ginger, and turmeric for major flavor. The end product is a perfectly salted fresh vegetable sauerkraut infused with zesty garlic and ginger and earthy turmeric.
To guarantee optimal fermentation, all that needs to be done is pack the kraut into sterilized jars and make sure the liquid that was removed from the massage process covers the kraut. Then give it space to function on its own. To allow it to spontaneously ferment, leave it in a cupboard or on the counter out of direct sunlight for one to fourteen days, or more.
How to Make Sauerkraut
Ingredients
Eight cups of chopped or finely grated red or green cabbage
1 ½ to 2 teaspoons of sea salt (or more to taste)
One little beetroot, coarsely diced
Three entire carrots, finely chopped
3 tablespoons freshly grated or shredded ginger
3 tablespoons freshly grated or crushed turmeric
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
Instructions
Ensure all the equipment you plan to use for fermentation is sterilized, particularly the jars (we recommend using mason jars or these 850 ml Weck Jars).To enable appropriate fermentation, sterilization of all materials is crucial. To make things simple, cover clean jars and lids with boiling water, then let them dry fully. Allow to return to room temperature before mixing in components.
Grate the cabbage finely (we used our mandolin) into a big mixing bowl, then sprinkle 1 ½ teaspoon sea salt on top (or use the lower end of the recommended range if your batch size is different). After giving yourself a good wash, massage the cabbage for 10 minutes. The cabbage should begin to release water, soften, and reduce in size (see photo). Keep massaging until this occurs.
Add the shredded carrot, ginger, turmeric, garlic, beetroot and carrot. Use clean hands to massage again for 4–5 minutes, or until everything is well blended (see photo). Next, assess the flavor with a taste test and make necessary adjustments by adding extra salt for saltiness, shredded ginger for zing, or garlic for a stronger garlic flavor.
Place the sauerkraut mixture into the sterilized jars using your clean hands, being sure to press down firmly to pack. The liquid from the massage should be sufficient to come up over the veggies. In the odd event that this doesn’t occur, cover the surface with filtered water until it’s completely coated.
Additionally, provide ample space (about ½ inch) between the contents and the cover to allow for expansion. Place the lid on and place it in a cupboard or on the counter away from the direct sun. Try to make your surroundings warmer to promote healthy fermentation, since the optimal temperature for fermentation is above 65 degrees F (18 C).
Depending on the atmosphere, fermentation can occur in as little as 24 hours if your area is warm or it might take up to 2 weeks. We discovered that ten days was our sweet spot.
Once a day throughout the fermentation process, open your jars to let the air out. When you open the jars, you should feel the pressure escape and observe air bubbles. Make sure the veggies remain fully submerged in the liquid by pressing down with a sterile tool, such as a spoon or the bottom of a glass. By doing this, you can promote healthy fermentation.
It will get tangier the longer it sits and ferments, so taste it every once in a while with a clean utensil to determine if it’s appropriate for you. When the required level of tanginess is achieved, cover tightly and store in the refrigerator, where it will keep for up to six months or at least three months. Don’t double dip while serving to prevent cross-contamination.
Notes
About one big or two small heads of cabbage are equal to eight cups of finely grated or shredded cabbage.
The recipe as described yields enough sauerkraut to fill around 1 1/2 (850 ml) jars.
Prep time is the amount of time needed to prepare the recipe and give it a full day to ferment. It could be required to ferment for up to two weeks, though.
Inspired by the gorgeous and brilliant Nina Montagne of Cam and Nina, here is the recipe and procedure.