Sauerkraut Like Grandma’s: Making Crunchy Cabbage with or Without Sugar, Water

With the onset of cold weather, many people want to eat more vegetables, but cucumbers and tomatoes “skyrocket” in price due to seasonality, but cabbage is not so expensive. That is why experienced housewives sour cabbage, because this snack is very quick and easy to prepare, and does not require a lot of expense.

In this article, you will learn what to add to sauerkraut to make it juicy and crispy, as well as whether mountain ash is needed in sauerkraut. It turns out that not all spices and additional ingredients will successfully emphasize the taste of sauerkraut, there are such “additives” that will ruin the snack completely.

Rowan – to add to the cabbage or not

By themselves, rowan berries have a bitter taste, which few people will like. However, if you add berries to the cabbage, then the appetizer will turn out very unusual and will appeal to those who like a little spice and spiciness.

Cabbage sauerkraut with rowanberries, what you need:

  • 3 kg of cabbage,
  • 3 carrots,
  • 150-200 grams of rowanberries,
  • 2 green apples,
  • 3 tablespoons salt.

Slice the cabbage, grate the carrots, and slice the apples thinly. Remove the stems on the berries rowan. Sprinkle the cabbage with salt. Then take a jar of suitable size and tamp their cabbage and carrots, alternating them with layers of berries and berries. It is not necessary to add water or brine. The secret is to squeeze the cabbage hard, then it will release the juice and it will be enough to start the fermentation process. Such sauerkraut in a jar without brine is stored in the refrigerator or in a cool place, from time to time the cabbage should be pierced with a wooden skewer, reaching to the bottom of the jar.

Sauerkraut recipe for quick cooking

If you do not like spiciness, and sauerkraut in a jar without brine, as you think, should be sweet, it is worth trying another recipe. If you’re still in doubt about whether you should add sugar to sauerkraut, then you’ve simply never tried this tasty treat. This kind of sauerkraut is like your grandmother’s – a taste you’ll never forget.

Cabbage sauerkraut in a jar with sugar is very crunchy and quick to prepare. For this recipe, you will need:

  • 2 kg of cabbage,
  • 2 carrots,
  • 1 to 2 teaspoons sugar,
  • salt to taste.

Preparation does not take much time: shred the cabbage, grate the carrots, and tamp the vegetables tightly in a jar, pouring them with sugar and salt. After that, the cabbage should be put under oppression, periodically piercing all the contents of the jar with a skewer or knife.

Recipe for sauerkraut with water

It is believed that the most correct recipe for sauerkraut is a variant without adding water. However, there is also another recipe for cooking cabbage. It is suitable for old cabbage, which may give too little juice, causing it to darken and not ferment. Many people do not know what spices can be added to sauerkraut, and therefore experiment and get a disgusting snack. Follow already-proven recipes, and refuse unnecessary additives.

Sauerkraut recipe with water – what you need:

  • About 2 – 2.5 kg of cabbage,
  • 2-3 medium carrots,
  • some allspice and dill seeds.

To prepare the brine, dissolve 3 spoons of sugar and 2 spoons of sugar in a liter of water, boil the resulting brine, and be sure to cool it. Then chop the cabbage and carrots, densely “fill” the jar with them, pouring spices over them. After that, fill the cabbage with cold brine and wait 2-3 days. The neck of the jar should be covered with gauze, and the container itself is better placed in a bowl or basin, so that the water, which will begin to flow in the process of fermentation, does not stain everything around.

We also tell you who should not eat sauerkraut. This snack is dangerous for people with GI problems. In addition, the excess salt in cabbage can lead to fluid retention in the body, which causes swelling and can cause a sharp rise in blood pressure.

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Written by Emma Miller

I am a registered dietitian nutritionist and own a private nutrition practice, where I provide one-on-one nutritional counseling to patients. I specialize in chronic disease prevention/ management, vegan/ vegetarian nutrition, pre-natal/ postpartum nutrition, wellness coaching, medical nutrition therapy, and weight management.

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