How to preserve your cabbage in a tasty way

Why does cabbage turn into sauerkraut

White cabbage turns into sauerkraut through a fermentation process. In this process, the sugar in the cabbage is converted by lactic acid bacteria. This gives the vegetables their typical mild, sour taste. At the same time, the white cabbage is preserved.

Whereas in the past sauerkraut was made in-house in almost every household, today we mainly consume canned or tetrapacked cabbage. While this is practical, it has one disadvantage: Pasteurization destroys many nutrients.

Widow Bolte just went into the cellar with a plate that she could get a portion of the sauerkraut, which she especially raves about when he warms up again. (Wilhelm Busch)

Ingredients for making sauerkraut

The list of ingredients is not long: in addition to a cabbage pot or glasses with a clip or screw cap, all you need to add white cabbage is:

• 1 kilo of white cabbage
• 5 - 10 g table salt
• some peppercorns, juniper berries, caraway seeds and bay leaves

Preparation in the fermentation pot

1. First clean the fermentation pot thoroughly with very hot water.
2. Remove the outer leaves of the cabbage and cut out the stalk.
3. Use a cabbage slicer to slice the vegetables into fine strips.
4. Put a four-inch layer of grated cabbage in the fermentation pot. This corresponds to about one kilo.
5. Sprinkle the salt and spices on top.
6. Now pound the cabbage layer with the cabbage pounder until it is well compacted and the vegetable juice comes out.
7. Now pour in the next layer of cabbage, salt and spices and mash again.
8. Work your way up, layer by layer, until the pot is just over 3/4 full.
9. Let everything rest for half an hour. Now enough liquid should have formed that the cabbage is completely in its own juice.
10. If this is not the case, add more brine.
11. As a final layer, put some cabbage leaves on top and press until the leaves are in the brine.
12. Now place the two-part weighting stone on the sauerkraut.
13. Pour some water into the channel on the edge of the pot and close it with the rinsed lid.
14. Let stand for three days at room temperature until fermentation begins.
15. Then let ferment for four to six weeks in a cool, frost-free place.

Preparation in glasses

1. Since the amount of cabbage is usually smaller, you can cut the white cabbage into fine strips with a sharp kitchen knife.
2. Put in a bowl and knead vigorously with the salt.
3. Press the herb firmly into the glasses and fill up with the resulting liquid. There should be a two centimeter wide margin towards the top.
4. Close the jars, put them on a tray and let stand for three days at room temperature.
5. When the first bubbles rise, fermentation has started.
6. Now put the glasses in a dark, cool place.