In what container to ferment cabbage? What is the best container to use for salting cabbage?

In what container should you ferment cabbage? What to marinate cabbage in for the winter?

In what container is it correct to cook sauerkraut for the winter?
What kind of container is needed for pickled cabbage? In order for sauerkraut to turn out the same as that of grandmothers who fermented it in wooden barrels, you need to ferment it in an enamel bowl, bucket or large saucepan, then, covered with gauze, keep it under pressure at room temperature for 3-5 days while the fermentation process takes place, periodically rinsing the gauze under running water and removing the resulting foam from the surface of the cabbage, as well as piercing the cabbage with a wooden stick. Then the cabbage can be transferred to glass jars or left in the same container, but be sure to move it to a cool place.

It is convenient to ferment in food-grade plastic containers, which are available in a wide range of hardware stores. It is convenient to store sauerkraut in plastic containers even on the balcony.

Cabbage can be either fermented or pickled in wooden tubs, enamel dishes (provided the enamel is intact), glass containers and good quality stainless steel containers. The container material should not react with the acid formed during the fermentation process during sourdough. The same goes for vinegar, which is necessary for pickling cabbage. Several years ago, I purchased a large 19-liter, shallow, and wide stainless steel pan for canning. Such a good one with a thick bottom, from a series for professional kitchens. I cook all kinds of adjikas, jams, salads, and mushrooms in it. I ferment the cabbage in it until it’s ready, and then put it in glass jars for storage. I do the same with pickled cabbage.

Of course, a wooden tub would be better suited for these purposes. But now this environmentally friendly dishware is quite rare and expensive, and you also need to know how to prepare it for storing cabbage in it - you need to steam the barrel by pouring water into it and throwing in two or three heated stones.

Glassware behaves neutrally towards any pickles, preserves and pickles; it suits very well. We ferment cabbage in enamel barrels with lids. But this is during fermentation, so that the brine is preserved. After a few days we take it out into the cold. After freezing a little, roll it into portioned balls that fit in the palm of your hand. We freeze the glomeruli, and in the cold they can be stored in a wooden box. Convenient - in winter you don’t need to pick, take a ball and put it in cabbage soup, or melt it and make a salad. In principle, you can use any container at all, if you place a thick-walled cellophane bag in it and put cabbage in it - it will hold the brine, and the result will be the same. This is how we make sauerkraut at work, the volumes are large - you can’t fill the container, usually we get about a ton of ready-made sauerkraut. We make ordinary boxes of 50x50x50 centimeters in volume, from ordinary boards, and insert plastic bags, and ferment in them. My friends ferment cabbage in ten-liter plastic buckets made from apple and herring jam - it’s also not bad.

Salt or ferment

There are several ways to prepare white vegetables for the winter: salting, pickling and pickling. If there are no problems with the latter method, then disputes often arise regarding salted or sauerkraut.

Let's try to understand this issue:

1. When salting, more salt is used, although the quality of the cabbage does not deteriorate. The finished product is obtained in a few days, and sauerkraut can be tasted after 7-10 days, or even later.
2. In salted cabbage, nutrients and vitamins are preserved better than in pickled vegetables.
3. Salted and sauerkraut contain calcium, so it can normalize blood pressure and strengthen the heart muscle.

As you can see, both products are an excellent opportunity to preserve vegetables in winter. So it’s up to you personally to choose pickling or pickling.

We recommend reading: How to Dry Black Figs at Home

Is it possible to ferment cabbage in a stainless pan?

Today, stainless steel cookware is popular because microorganisms do not multiply on such a surface, which is important when cooking. In addition, stainless steel is resistant to organic acids and does not corrode.

The fermentation process is accompanied by the release of acid and lactic acid bacteria. If this happens in a stainless container, the acid will not react with the walls of the container, which means that the cooking technology will not be disrupted and the taste of the finished product will not change. Therefore, a stainless steel pan is suitable for fermenting cabbage.

Without vinegar

Shredded or chopped heads of cabbage are placed in a pre-prepared container. When laying, add salt and carrots evenly and compact. A weight is placed on top, and washed cabbage leaves or cloth underneath it. The weight of the load should be 15% of the weight of the fermented product. Keep warm.

After 2-3 days, fermentation begins, which lasts 10-15 days. Gases are released by periodically puncturing. During fermentation, gas bubbles and foam appear on the surface. They are removed. When fermentation is over, the weight of the cargo is reduced to 10% and sent for cold storage.

What else can you use to ferment cabbage?

If you plan to harvest a small amount of vegetable, you can ferment it in a glass or clay container. An enamel bucket or stainless steel container is suitable for quickly preparing the product - so that it can be consumed in a couple of days and not be stored for a long time.

For long-term storage in a cellar or basement, wooden and plastic barrels and tubs are used.

How and where to cut a cabbage head

A wide and long chef's knife is suitable for cutting cabbage; it must be well sharpened. Sometimes they use a special cut for cabbage, but it cuts the leaves too finely and they are not very suitable for pickling.

You can find a shredder board, just remember that its knives are very sharp and can easily get hurt. Therefore, you need to learn how to use it and be extremely careful.

It is best to cut cabbage on a wide table or large wooden cutting board. The chopped leaves can be left here or poured into an enamel bowl, where we will mix all the ingredients.

There are several ways to cut cabbage. In most cases, the head of cabbage is cut in half and then chopped not too finely. You can also cut the cabbage into squares. There are ways to ferment quarters, halves and even whole heads of cabbage.

Shredded cabbage is combined with salt, spices, carrots and other selected ingredients. Mix thoroughly with your hands and leave for some time until the first juice appears.

View gallery

Tips for fermentation

Useful tips for fermentation:

1. Choose a sugary head of cabbage so that a sufficient amount of lactic acid is released, which is responsible for the safety of the workpiece.
2. Choose a mature, tight head of mid-late and late varieties.
3. The more heads, the better. It produces less waste.
4. Usually cabbage is fermented with carrots and salt, but you can add apples, plums, lingonberries, cranberries, bell peppers, celery, dill, and caraway seeds.
5. Oak bark or grated horseradish root will provide increased crunchiness to the workpiece.
6. Do not chop the vegetable too thinly, otherwise it will not crisp up after fermentation.
7. Ideal fermentation temperature: +15…+22°C.
8. After fermenting the vegetable, store it at 0...+5°C.
9. Thoroughly clean or sterilize any container in which you plan to prepare it.

Tips from an expert: to ensure crunchy sauerkraut at your table

It's better to protect yourself from hazardous metals getting into the products you make at home.

“Is it possible to pickle cucumbers and ferment cabbage in a stainless steel barrel?”

Pskov resident Mikhail Grigorievich approached the editor with this problem . Aksyutnik

from Kresty.

For an answer, we rushed to our No. 1 expert and top-class expert Alexei KAZARIN.

Dear Mikhail Grigorievich, thank you for your relevant and timely question. The short answer is: you can salt and ferment in such metal barrels, but from a chemical point of view it is undesirable!

Conduct the experiment yourself

Stainless steel itself (chromium-nickel steel) is characterized by corrosion resistance due to the formation of an oxide film that has strong protective properties. And although this alloy is resistant to water, alkalis and a number of acids, this property is not absolute. Always some amount of this metal, even a tiny one, goes into solutions in an aggressive environment. If only for the simple reason that any substance, as well as a creature (noted by me), constantly strives to go where it does not exist (the law of nature).

If you want to make sure of this, do my experiment: stick a thermometer with a red alcohol ball into the ground, and after two to three weeks the alcohol will become discolored. That is, even through glass, soil reagents penetrate unhindered (well, people even turn their gaze to other planets!). Therefore, in pickled cucumbers or sauerkraut kept for a long time in a stainless steel barrel, it will always be possible to detect traces of these two metals: nickel and chromium, the chemical compounds of which are very toxic.

All horrors about metals

It is worth knowing that high levels of nickel in animals cause eye disease associated with the accumulation of nickel in the cornea. Excess nickel intake in the body causes vitiligo. Chromium oxides are particularly toxic and may pose a risk of lung disease. Moreover, even contact with textiles painted with chromium-containing paints or leather treated with chromium can cause dermatitis.

Is it possible to use plastic containers for pickling cabbage?

Previously, mainly wooden barrels were used for sauerkraut. But in a city apartment it is not very convenient to use them. Therefore, housewives often choose other containers for this: enamel pots or tanks, glass jars and even plastic buckets. But is plastic suitable for pickling cabbage, because when it is ripened, acid is released that can react with the material upon contact?

The plastic produced today is quite safe. But not any plastic container is suitable for pickling cabbage, but only those intended for food products. After purchasing a suitable bucket, you need to wash it well several times. Then it is advisable to fill it with water and leave it for about a day. Then dry the container, preferably in the fresh air.

Attention! Buckets made of colored plastic are not the safest option for pickling cabbage. It is better to take products made of colorless or white plastic.

Features of storing salted cabbage

If storage rules are followed, the product will remain crispy and attractive in appearance longer. The main condition for preserving a dish is maintaining the temperature in the range from 1°C to 5°C; it is also necessary to monitor the humidity level, which should be in the range of 80–90%. If these requirements are met, products can be stored for 8 months.

Important! At temperatures above 5°C, the fermentation process will continue, which will negatively affect the taste of the product.

If you follow the step-by-step recipe, even a novice cook can ferment cabbage. This homemade product is best suited for those who love tasty and healthy food.

Salted cabbage retains its crispness and does not become moldy, but in brine it becomes cloudy at a temperature of 1...5°C and air humidity of 80-90%. In such conditions, the product is stored for 6-8 months.

At temperatures above 5°C, fermentation continues and the taste of the product deteriorates.

The salted cabbage is transferred to clean glass jars and placed in the refrigerator (if space allows), on a glassed balcony or in the cellar. The workpiece is also packaged in portions in plastic bags and placed in the freezer. The structure and taste of cabbage do not change when frozen.

Preparation of raw materials for salting

When planning to ferment cabbage, you first need to choose it correctly. Late and mid-late varieties are suitable for pickling. The heads of cabbage should be tight, without rot or damage. It is preferable to choose larger cabbage forks to reduce waste. The upper leaves of the head of cabbage are removed, and if necessary, any damage to it is cut out. Then you need to wash the cabbage forks and then cut them into two halves. Cut each of them in half again and remove the stalk. After this, each part is chopped or cut into pieces, depending on how you decide to ferment the cabbage.

The ingredient required for sourdough is salt. Regular food grade food is also suitable, only coarsely ground and not iodized. To improve the taste, give the finished product an attractive hue, and make the cabbage crispier, a variety of additives are used. The most common is carrots; they are chopped or cut into slices. But other additives are also popular:

• cranberries, lingonberries - make cabbage tastier and give it a decorative appearance;
• dill seeds, bay leaves, pepper, other spices - used for flavoring;
• horseradish, oak bark - to obtain crispier cabbage and increase its shelf life;
• beets – colors the vegetable a pleasant pinkish color;
• sour apples – give the dish a delicate fruity aroma.

Mistake #1. Summer cabbage

Ferment winter dense and juicy cabbage. Summer varieties are quite tender and loose, they are best used for salads, you can make fillings for pies from them - they cook very quickly and turn out juicy. But when fermented, summer cabbage will turn into an unappetizing porridge.

You need to carefully select heads of cabbage for pickling. They should be dense and crunch slightly when pressed, like a ripe watermelon. The stalk should be white, dense and juicy. And the head of cabbage itself should be white, greenery is a sign of loose summer cabbage.

One of the popular varieties in the middle zone is winter “Glory”.

How to salt cabbage in pieces in a plastic container

To ferment cabbage, it is not at all necessary to finely chop it. It turns out very tasty if you pickle it in large pieces. To do this you need:

• remove the top leaves of the head of cabbage, wash it, cut it in half, and then into two more parts. Remove the stalk, then cut these parts into pieces of your preferred size;
• Line the bottom of the prepared plastic bucket with oak bark or cabbage leaves. Then fill the container with chopped pieces of cabbage and compact them slightly;
• For flavoring, place cherry or currant leaves on top. And cover with cabbage leaves on top;
• prepare a brine at the rate of 500-600 g of salt per 10 liters of water and pour it over the pieces of cabbage placed in a bucket to completely cover them with liquid;
• Cover the top of the cabbage with a clean natural cloth (linen, cotton) or gauze, then with a wooden circle or a suitable sized plate, and then apply pressure.

Spicy sauerkraut

Photo: Shutterstock.com

• 1 head of cabbage
• 2 carrots
• 1 tbsp. l. Sahara
• 2 tbsp. l. salt
• 1 red hot pepper

Step 1. Finely chop the cabbage. Finely chop the pepper. Grate the carrots.

Step 2. Mix cabbage with peppers and carrots. Place the mixture tightly in a three-liter jar, not reaching the neck by about 6 cm.

Step 3. Place salt and sugar on top, pour in enough cold boiled water to just cover the cabbage.

Step 4. Place the jar in a deep tray and leave to ferment for three days. From time to time, pierce the contents of the jar with a knitting needle.

Lumpy cabbage with carrots, beets and spices

Fans of spicy dishes for fermenting cabbage can take a more complicated recipe - with beets, carrots, and various spices. For 2.5 kg of cabbage, you need 200 g of carrots, 1 small beet, 7 cloves of garlic, parsley and celery root, 2 pods of hot red pepper, 1 bunch of cilantro. And to make a brine, you need to take about 160 g of salt, 10 black peppercorns, 2 bay leaves, and a little cinnamon to 3 liters of water.

• First you need to prepare the brine. To do this, you need to boil water and add the products necessary for the brine. Stir thoroughly until the salt dissolves and simmer over low heat for a few minutes. Then set aside until cool;
• Cut the prepared cabbage into large pieces. Line the bottom of the bucket with cabbage leaves. Place chopped pieces of cabbage on top in layers, alternating them with a mixture of finely chopped carrots and beets, garlic, roots, herbs, hot peppers;
• cover with cabbage leaves and pour in cooled brine;
• Place a clean cloth over the cabbage leaves and cover with a plate or circle. Place oppression on top;
• Leave the cabbage for pickling in sufficient heat for 5-7 days. As soon as it is salted, put it away for storage.

Sauerkraut or salted cabbage is nutritious and healthy. And if everything was prepared correctly, then it will definitely turn out crispy, aromatic and very tasty. Don’t be afraid to ferment it, because this process may seem complicated only at first glance.

Selection and preparation of ingredients

In order for the fermented product to retain its taste longer and have a characteristic crunch, you need to carefully select the products for its preparation. Heads of cabbage for cooking should be elastic; there should be no rottenness, diaper rash or deep scratches and cracks on the surface of the leaf plates. Late-ripening cabbage varieties are best suited for the fermentation procedure; they retain their presentation longer and, unlike early varieties, do not become slimy during the fermentation process.

It is better to choose carrots that taste sweet; they should be large, without visible damage or traces of insect activity. Before cooking, vegetables are washed with warm water, carrots are peeled, and the head of cabbage is peeled from the top layer of leaf plates.

Did you know? In Russia in the 19th century, special drying houses were built in which cabbage was dried. The resulting raw materials were used to make dry rations for soldiers and flotillas; the product was light in weight and had a long shelf life, which made it possible to cook nutritious soup if necessary.

Winter varieties with a dense leaf structure are suitable for pickling. Such vegetables are stored longer and do not soften during fermentation.

The leaves should be juicy, white, without dark spots, cracks or signs of rot.

The larger the head, the better and tastier the salted cabbage. It is better to shred ½ or ¼ of a large fork than 2 small ones.

Before use, wash the product and remove the top leaves. Start cutting. A special shredder with one, or even better, two sharp blades is ideal for this purpose. If you don’t have such a kitchen appliance, use a vegetable peeler or large grater. Manual or electric shredders greatly facilitate the slicing process.

The photo shows options for chopping vegetables.

Preparing for storage until spring

Most often, cabbage is fermented in fairly large volumes.

In order to protect it from damage and preserve maximum nutrients, you need to pay attention to a number of points. Among them:

Among them:

• choice of variety and heads of cabbage;
• correct salting technology;
• prevention of mold and drying of the top layer;
• selection of storage location and containers;
• maintaining the necessary storage conditions.

Preventing Mold Formation

A white coating on the surface of some workpieces is associated with the appearance of fungus. Even when removing it, you cannot be completely sure of the safety of the product.

The following techniques will help you avoid mold:

1. Sprinkle grated horseradish on top of the packaged cabbage.
2. Add sugar or mustard powder.
3. When fermenting, add lingonberries or cranberries.
4. If you use mustard seeds, it is better to first place them in small canvas bags.

Amount of brine: more or less?

When storing cabbage, you should make sure that the entire preparation is covered with a layer of liquid.

Without brine, the top layer will turn dark and deteriorate. Organizing oppression can be a solution to a problem.

Preservatives for pickling: what to choose?

Natural preservatives can ensure long-term storage of the product. They are used as follows:

• pour a little vegetable oil on top of the container with the vegetable - enough to just cover the cabbage;
• add just a little acetic acid;
• when fermenting, you can use more salt;
• Sprinkle the top of the compacted dough with sugar.

Natural products that are safe for health can give a good canning effect.

Bon appetit!

The reader already knows how and when to salt cabbage correctly. I would also like to mention that this dish is incredibly popular in Ukraine, Germany and France. Therefore, it would probably be wrong to say that this is an original Russian dish. And it doesn’t really matter where it comes from. The main thing is that it is incredibly tasty and healthy. Therefore, eat for health and get vitamins, especially now, when it’s winter outside, and the body so needs the missing microelements.

Sauerkraut is a tasty and vitamin-rich preparation that is easy to prepare, but also easy to spoil. To make pickling a success every time, find out when to pickle cabbage according to the lunar calendar in 2021, find out the favorable phases for the process. The Earth's satellite influences the fermentation processes used to ferment the vegetable. Take this feature into account when deciding to start preparing a crispy and aromatic preparation in the Year of the Dog.

Not every housewife can make tasty and crispy sauerkraut. The dish will require high-quality ingredients, a proven recipe and a suitable day. The technology for preparing fermented treats will not cause any difficulties. The vegetable is finely chopped (shred finely), grated carrots, salt, sugar, and spices are added as desired. The ingredients are mixed, the mixture is compacted into glass containers. The fermentation process takes place for 1-3 days at room temperature, and the finished treat is stored on the refrigerator shelf.

In addition to the traditional method of sourdough with carrots, there are ways to prepare a salty treat with the addition of a variety of plant products. With the additions, the preparation will acquire a special taste, but will not lose its beneficial properties. Additives used:

• apples;
• caraway;
• beets;
• lingonberries;
• prunes;
• quince;
• grape;
• basil;
• pumpkin;
• bell pepper

To ensure that the cabbage preparation is guaranteed to come out crispy, special components containing tannins are used. This could be oak bark or horseradish root. Oak bark can be purchased at a pharmacy. A teaspoon of one of the two components per kilogram of cabbage is enough to make the treat crispy. The components will add piquancy to the appetizer, harmoniously combining with the main ingredient.

Which cabbage is best to salt?

Be careful when choosing the main component for fermentation; the taste of the dish depends not only on a successful day according to the lunar calendar, but also on its components. Only thoroughly ripened, clarified heads of cabbage are suitable for pickling. If the cabbage is not ripe, its leaves will be dark green. It is not recommended to salt such a product, as bitterness will appear and the juiciness will not be enough. Use heads of cabbage that are tight, not bursting, not spoiled. Choose a late variety of cabbage, for example:

• Belarusian;
• Dobrovolskaya;
• Sava;
• Present;
• Menza;
• Kharkovskaya.

Not all winter varieties are suitable for pickling. Amager and Cromon will not make a tasty product, even if you follow the salting rules. Dutch and Chinese varieties are also not suitable for pickling. To prepare the preparation, it is better to use heads of cabbage grown in your own garden bed. This ensures their quality and safety.

When purchasing a product, in addition to its appearance, pay attention to its taste. If a cabbage leaf is bitter, do not buy a head of cabbage, otherwise all your efforts will be in vain

What kind of salt

An important ingredient that should be carefully selected for a recipe is salt. To salt the product, do not use iodized salt. Iodine slows down lactic acid fermentation, which must take place actively for a high-quality result. The trace element will cause the darkening and softness of the finished product. Choose medium to coarse rock salt.

What is the best way to salt

The taste of finished salted cabbage is influenced not only by the day of the lunar calendar and the selected products, but also by the container used for pickling. Traditionally, barrels and tubs made of wood are used, but a three-liter glass jar or enamel pan is suitable, sometimes plastic containers are used. It is forbidden to salt cabbage using aluminum dishes. During storage, the vegetable will acquire a metallic taste, darken and become unfit for consumption. Wash the starter container thoroughly and treat with boiling water before placing the cabbage preparation.

Which cabbage is better to choose?

Cabbage is fermented in almost every home, regardless of whether you have your own garden or buy vegetables at the market. But not any cabbage is suitable for pickling. In order not to be disappointed with the result of your labor and the taste of the final product, you should carefully choose a vegetable. Medium and late ripening varieties that have sufficient dry matter and denser leaf mass are suitable for pickling and pickling. Early varieties do not meet these criteria and are not suitable for pickling.

Important! If you choose between benefits and taste, then it is better to eat cabbage fresh. The heads of cabbage should be large in size, dense, not loose (the tighter the forks, the whiter and more tender the leaves inside), white in cross section (this indicates the presence of more sugar, which affects the fermentation process during fermentation), the taste of the head of cabbage is when fresh it should be sweet and crunchy

The stalk should also be elastic and juicy. When choosing cabbage in late autumn, you need to make sure that it is not frostbitten

The heads of cabbage should be large in size, dense, not loose (the tighter the forks, the whiter and more tender the leaves inside), white in cross section (this indicates the presence of more sugar, which affects the fermentation process during fermentation), the taste of the head of cabbage is when fresh it should be sweet and crunchy. The stalk should also be elastic and juicy. When choosing cabbage in late autumn, you need to make sure that it is not frostbitten.

Mid-season varieties for pickling:

• Slava - ripens in 113–119 days, fruit - up to 5 kg;
• Gift - ripens in 120–135 days, fruit - up to 5 kg, with a spicy-spicy sourness;
• Anniversary F1 - ripens in 90–95 days, fruit – 2.5–4 kg;
• Dobrovodskaya - ripening on the 110th day, fruit - 10-11 kg, wonderful taste;
• Belorussian - ripens in 120-130 days, fruit - 3-4 kg, it is better to ferment immediately after harvest.

Late varieties for pickling:

• Turkis - ripens in 150-165 days, it is better to ferment closer to winter, fruit - 3-4 kg;
• Geneva F1 - should be fermented at the end of winter or early spring, fruit - 3-4 kg;
• Amager - harvested after 150-175 days, fruit - 2.4-4 kg, taste bitter in autumn, improves with time;
• Snow White, - ripening period - 145-160 days, fruit - 2.5-3.9 kg.

Hybrid varieties are also popular when choosing for pickling; variety selection is aimed at obtaining larger heads of cabbage:

• Moscow late-15 - ripens in 115-140 days, fruit - 10-18 kg;
• Kolobok - ripening in 150 days, fruit - over 5 kg;
• Menza F1 - ripens in 110–115 days, fruit – 5–9 kg;

You can also ferment red cabbage. It has coarser fiber and a bitter taste.