German sauerkraut recipe—utter those phrases and your thoughts is stuffed with pictures of comfy kitchens and yummy meals. Sauerkraut has a culinary heritage with recipes from simple cabbage-fermented sauerkraut to gingery beet kraut and Hawaiian kraut, which have been handed down for generations. It’s a dish celebrated for its tangy taste and well being advantages.
German Sauerkraut Recipe
Yields: one to 2 quart jars of sauerkraut
Substances
- 1 head of inexperienced cabbage (about 2 to 2½ kilos)
- 1 to 1½ tablespoon kosher salt
- 6 bay leaves
- 20 entire black peppercorns
Preparation
Take away the outer leaves from the cabbage and discard. Wash the cabbage with chilly water. Lower in part lengthwise, and take away the core from each and every part. Shred the cabbage into thinly sliced shreds, about 1/8-inch thick. You’ll additionally use a mandolin or cabbage shredder for this step. Attempt to stay the shreds uniform in measurement in order that they ferment frivolously.
Accumulate shreds in a nonreactive bowl, similar to glass, plastic or cast chrome steel. Upload salt and blend neatly. Use blank palms (take away nail polish and jewellery or put on food-safe gloves) to combine the salt with the shredded produce, squeezing and mashing together with your fists to tenderize the cabbage. You’ll additionally use a wood tamping software for this procedure, however be intentional about no longer over-mashing the produce or it’ll transform a gentle ferment.
Therapeutic massage the cabbage combination till you’ll be able to pick out up a fistful and squeeze liquid out of your fist. As soon as the liquid drains out, you’re able to switch the cabbage shreds right into a blank quart jar. At this level, combine within the peppercorns in order that they’re frivolously unfold all the way through the kraut.
Jarring Sauerkraut
Switch the kraut right into a blank quart jar, and gently stick the bay leaves throughout the kraut and the aspect of the jar, cautious to not destroy the leaves. Depart one to 2 inches of headspace (room from the cabbage combination to the rim of the jar). Use your fist or cabbage tamper to tightly fill the jar. Pour any extra liquid from the bowl into the jar(s) as neatly. This liquid is the brine that the sauerkraut will ferment in.
As soon as stuffed, there will have to be sufficient brine to hide the kraut shreds. If there isn’t sufficient liquid, take a look at once more within the morning, and regularly, sufficient will probably be produced in a single day. You’ll want some weight to stay the cabbage driven beneath the brine. Holding the shreds submerged beneath the brine is the important thing to a a success ferment. There are weights in particular made to suit jars, however you’ll be able to additionally get ingenious – see the “pointers phase” under for choice choices. Wipe off the rim of the jar, upload the mason jar canning lid, and tightly screw at the ring.
German Sauerkraut Fermentation
On this conventional German sauerkraut recipe, fermentation will occur for 2 to 3 weeks and will cross as much as six. The temperature of the gap the place you might be fermenting will resolve how lengthy it takes. The hotter a room, the speedier it’ll ferment. Preferably, you will have to ferment between 60 to 75°F. Stay out of direct daylight.
Burp the jar day by day, particularly in the beginning when the ferment may be very energetic; unscrew the lid in brief and tighten it again on to permit any built-up fuel to free up. At least one time in step with day, you’ll have to make use of a blank utensil to push down the load and submerge the cabbage once more. Scoop away any items of meals floating on best of the brine to keep away from mildew.
Style take a look at the ferment after the second one week. If it nonetheless tastes of uncooked cabbage, permit it to ferment any other week and style once more. Some folks favor an excessively bitter and comfortable sauerkraut and subsequently will ferment nearer to the six-week vary. As soon as fermentation on this German sauerkraut recipe is entire for your liking, switch the jar into the fridge, with the brine and all.
Fermentation does no longer forestall as soon as the ferment is transferred to the fridge, alternatively, it does sluggish the method down. The style and texture will proceed to switch; subsequently, it’s perfect loved inside six months.
We revel in this German sauerkraut recipe with many foods in our family and look at it as a completed veggie aspect dish that may be added to various foods; it’s no longer only for bratwursts and beef chops.
Sauerkraut Pointers & Methods
- In case you don’t have a pitcher jar weight, you’ll be able to improvise by way of the use of an simply detachable small food-grade glass dish that matches within the jar. If in case you have a smaller glass canning jar that may have compatibility into the mouth of the jar you might be fermenting with, you’ll be able to use that to stay the produce driven beneath the brine.
- Chances are you’ll replace positive sea salt as a substitute of coarse kosher salt. Seek the advice of a salt conversion chart.
- Be expecting foam-like effervescent, no less than within the first week of this ferment. It’s utterly commonplace.
This German sauerkraut recipe has been tailored from Can It & Ferment It (expanded 2020 version) with permission from Skyhorse Publishing, Inc. For extra sauerkraut recipes, take a look at WECK Small-Batch Conserving, and WECK House Conserving by way of Stephanie Thurow.
This German sauerkraut recipe tale was once written for Pastime Farms mag on-line. Click on right here to subscribe.