Sauerkraut is a very healthy, tasty food, which we like to eat especially in winter. How you can easily make sauerkraut yourself, you can find out here!
Making your own sauerkraut is a tradition that is several thousand years old - and not invented by the Germans, even though it is known worldwide as a traditional German dish. The production of sauerkraut is a preservation process also known as fermentation.
Making sauerkraut yourself: This is how it works
ingredients:
White cabbage (fresh, preferably organic)
Salt (without flow aid)
At will: Caraway, pepper, laurel, and juniper berries
Quantity: Depending on your taste, you need at least 1 percent salt per kilogram of white cabbage. This means that there are at least 10 grams of salt per kilogram of white cabbage - you can add a little more if you wish.
utensils:
Large fermentation pot with weighting stone or twist-off glasses
Vegetable slicer or sharp knife and cutting board
Bowl
Potato Mashers
Make your own sauerkraut with fermentation pot
For a fermentation pot with a capacity of 10 liters, we recommend 8 kilograms of white cabbage and 160 grams of salt.
Rinse the clay pot thoroughly with hot water and let it dry well.
Remove several of the outer leaves of the white cabbage and put them aside.
Cut the cabbage in half and remove the stalk.
Grate the cabbage with the vegetable slicer or alternatively use a knife and cutting board.
Pour everything into a bowl and mix it with spices and salt.
Knead everything vigorously for 5 to 6 minutes with your hands or a potato masher until enough liquid is secreted.
Put some of the white cabbage leaves at the bottom of the bowl. Fill the white cabbage into the fermentation pot and press the mixture well with the potato masher. Important: Do not trap any layers of air. The collected liquid is then tipped onto it and should cover the cabbage completely by a few centimeters. Make sure that the container is filled up to about 4/5.
Now use the white cabbage leaves that were initially set aside and finally place them over the contents of the pot. Then place the weighting stone on top. Clean the edge of the pot well and close everything airtight with a lid.
Fill the water channel of the fermentation pot with boiled and cooled salt water (40 grams of salt to 200 milliliters of water).
Place the fermenter in a place with room temperature for one week and then in a dark and cool place for 4 to 6 weeks. After that the sauerkraut is ready!
Tip: It is best to adjust the temperature slowly during the changeover, as otherwise a vacuum could be created in the fermentation pot during rapid cooling, which would draw the water from the fermentation interior into the pot.
Making sauerkraut in a glass
If you don't have a fermentation pot, the screw glass version is a good alternative!
Clean the glasses with hot water.
Grate the white cabbage or cut it into fine strips.
Fill the cabbage into a bowl, mix everything with salt and knead it vigorously for 5 to 6 minutes until juice comes out.
Fill the white cabbage into glasses and press it firmly so that there is still 2 centimeters to the edge. Do not trap any layers of air! Cover the contents with juice. If you have a small, flat object to weigh down (e.g. small clay plates), place it over the cabbage. Clean the edge of the jar with a clean cloth and seal the jars airtight.
During the fermentation process, water can leak out of the glasses, so it is better to place them in a large bowl or deep tin.
Store the glasses for up to a week in a room at room temperature. As soon as you see bubbles rising, the herb starts to ferment. If no more bubbles are visible, the fermentation is complete. Clean the rim again of leaked juice and then place the glasses in a cool, dark place (e.g., refrigerator or cellar) for at least two to three weeks. Afterwards, the sauerkraut is ready to eat! Stored dark and cool, it can be kept for several months.
Fermentation process of sauerkraut: What happens?
During the preparation of sauerkraut, lactic acid fermentation takes place. This is a fermentation process: the sugar contained in the cabbage in the form of carbohydrates is converted into lactic acid by lactic acid bacteria, which is why sauerkraut tastes so slightly acidic. The fermentation process preserves the sauerkraut.
Why should you make sauerkraut yourself?
Sauerkraut from the supermarket is often pasteurized, whereby many valuable nutrients are lost. With homemade sauerkraut, however, you get a full load of vitamins A, B and C as well as minerals.