We don't worry about winter as long as we rely on the traditional food and you don’t have to worry either as here is the place to share what we do and how we do it. The homemade food is always times and times better than the food in the big-big supermarkets. October is the month just before the winter knocks on the doors (in Europe) and October is the month of sauerkraut prep 😊
Sauerkraut is widely respected in many countries in Europe and It has its serious advantages, and a place on our table. And it is preferable to all imported, widely advertised super foods, which are many times more expensive and often less useful. The fermentation process of vegetables, just like the fermentation of milk -that became very popular lately- enriches the final product with beneficial probiotic bacteria. The fermentation makes the fiber and vitamins B and C in cabbage easier to digest.
Sauerkraut has proven in time and tradition a way to get us the fiber, the digestive enzymes, the probiotics and vitamins in the winter season when fresh vegetables from the garden are very limited. Cabbage (sauerkraut) juice itself is defined as an "elixir". Regulates digestive processes and supplies the body with valuable substances. Crispy sauerkraut has been victorious over the centuries and is invariably present at our table. It is used by different cultures around the world. There are thousands of recipes and ways of preparation, but the result is that everyone appreciates the taste and benefits of sauerkraut.
However, there are basic rules that must be followed in the preparation so that the souring process can run properly and in the end we can enjoy something tasty and useful to our bodies.
It is best to use glass or enameled containers and in no case galvanized. The ready and fermented cabbage -sauerkraut is stored at a temperature between 0-2 degrees. It is not desirable to freeze because it becomes soft, changes color to beige and loses its useful properties. Care must be taken during storage that the cabbage is completely covered with juice, because otherwise it begins to darken and change its taste. When the cabbage is not in the juice, the vitamin C contained in it also begins to break down. Sauerkraut is very rich in vitamins. Only two hundred grams of it cover almost half of the daily need for vitamin C. It contains vitamin B6, which helps to better absorb protein, so it is recommended to serve as a side dish to meat dishes. It also contains many trace elements such as potassium, iron, magnesium, zinc.
Sauerkraut is an excellent prophylactic against ulcers of the abdominal wall and duodenum. Lately many people confirm its benefits for fighting anemia, body detox and cancer prevention.
Here our home recipe for making Sauerkraut in a barrel –
What do we need?
- cabbage - 35 kg
- sea salt - 30 - 40 g per liter of water
- barley - 1 handful or rice , or corn .
- red beets - 1
- apples - 1 pc.
- quince - 1 pc.
- horseradish - 2 - 3 roots
Preparation:
We clean the damaged and blackened upper leaves of the cabbages.
We carve the heads of the cabbages and we start arranging the cleaned cabbages, adding a handful of barley or rice. We start to facilitate the fermentation, and for color and aroma we put a slice of red beet, apple and quince. We place the salt in a small cotton bag at the top of the cabbage and pour water to the top of the barrel so there is no air left then close the lid firmly and leave in a cold (5-7C) dry place. The fermentation process starts a few days after the cabbages are placed in the barrel.
When we see that the Sauerkraut is ready, (it takes around 28 days average, 4 weeks or one Moon cycle 😉) we put 2-3 horseradish roots to keep it firm for a long time, and we also use the juice of one lemon for crossing the fermentation process.
This is a method of preparing sauerkraut with sea salt in a barrel! The Ready sauerkraut can be used in cabbage salads, cabbage sauerkraut, sauerkraut dishes, cabbage soup and much more. It is delicious cooked with dry red peppers and white butter beans or with rice. Don’t forget to drain the Sauerkraut before cooking and do not add any salt to the dishes as it is already salted enough and it releases the salt in the cooking. The Juice we drink any time as it not only tasty it also is a great remedy for headaches and perfect body detox drink.
Shared with Joy
A.A
Stob, Bulgaria