What Russian person does not have a passion for sauerkraut? There are probably no such people. This is the first autumn-winter dish that goes well with potatoes cooked in any form, porridge and meat dishes. There is no need to talk about the benefits of this salted vegetable. Everyone knows about it. Well, if someone is not aware, then we will help fill this knowledge gap. And let's talk about when it is best to salt cabbage and what season is suitable for this process.
Useful microelements
Firstly, this delicacy is an excellent source of vitamin C, considered an invaluable ingredient that helps maintain immunity in the winter. Also in fermentation there are vitamins K and several of those that belong to group B. Among them, B1 - B3, B6, B12. These elements have wound healing, general strengthening and other properties incredibly important for the nervous system. Also in such a product contains the following minerals: iron, boron, potassium, silicon, copper and others.
So when to salt?
Many housewives and owners ask a difficult question: "When to salt cabbage for the winter?" There are several points of view on this score. Supporters of the first argue that this can be done throughout the winter. But it will be better, of course, if you take up such an important event after the first night of frost, that is, in late autumn. Thus, the late cabbage seized by frost will lose its inherent bitterness. To store such a dish later is much easier.
The second version about when to salt the cabbage, says that deal with such preparations should be according to the lunar calendar. On the fifth or sixth day after the new moon, pickled vegetable turns out to be the most delicious and crispy. It will be the same if cooked during the growing moon. The new moon and the waning moon will provoke the peroxidation and softening of the white.
But there is another little secret about when it is better to salt the cabbage. It is best to cook an appetite so beloved by many on the so-called women's days of the week (Wednesday and Friday), from the beginning of October and always during the growing moon. At this time, the celestial body promotes the reproduction, life and growth of bacteria necessary for fermentation. The waning moon depresses such processes. Men are recommended to ferment the product in any of the "men's" days.
Note! If the girl decided to do pickles during the critical days, you can not wait for a delicious cabbage. In any case, our grandmothers still thought so, but it’s worthwhile to listen to folk wisdom. Therefore, it is better to abandon this venture and wait a little.
Crockery, salt, cabbage
When to salt cabbage for the winter - we figured it out. Now it remains to be seen exactly what vegetables, dishes, and salt should be, so that the finished dish turns out to be tasty, crunchy, and healthy.
So, choose the cabbage. It is preferable to choose forks of medium late or late grades. Among gourmets, Glory is popular. Late fruits are easy to recognize thanks to their firm and tight heads of cabbage. They seemed to be stuffed with something. Never pick early varieties of vegetables for pickling. Such heads of cabbage are friable and have a green tint. Sour delicacy will turn out the same color, which is not quite pleasant and does not promote appetite.
The most universal containers for pickling are considered tubs and barrels of wood. When you need to salt cabbage, it is best to give preference to just such containers. By the way, our grandmothers, great-grandmothers and great-great-grandmothers always cooked winter snacks in wooden dishes . If you managed to get such a rarity, then you were incredibly lucky. If not, then an enameled bucket or a jar will do. The only thing that needs to be done is to check the utensils for chips. Plastic food trays can also come in handy. The only things to avoid are aluminum containers. In such shards, cabbage will acquire a metallic flavor and a gray tint.
When choosing a seasoning for salting heads, pay attention to the coarse rock salt. She is the best among the rest of the species. Iodized salt is not suitable in this case. Although it is useful, it will make cabbage soft.
What else to add?
Every housewife uses her proven recipe for sauerkraut. And she adds her own, favorite ingredients. But we still tell you what you can add to the snack. When salted cabbage, more or less sorted out. Now let's try to clarify which components are suitable for the preparation of the original dish. Naturally, these are the heads of cabbage, and, of course, salt. But still need carrots. So, for ten kilograms of cabbage 300 grams of carrots and 200 grams of salt are required. Such proportions have already been verified and double-checked several thousand times. And if you are a beginning housewife, who is going to ferment cabbage for the first time, then this calculation should be taken as a basis.
But these are the main components. In addition to them, apples can be put in pickles - whole or cut into large pieces. Antonovka is an ideal option for this. Delicious cabbage fermented with strong plums, sweet peppers, lingonberries, root celery or cranberries. And to make the dish fragrant, season it with caraway seeds or dill.
Cooking method
So the moment came when you can salt the cabbage: the date is just right, all the kitchen utensils are in place, there are also products. So, everything is ready to proceed directly to the cooking process. We take cabbage and chop it with a knife or chop on a large special grater. If you need to do everything as quickly as possible, then the second device will work best. If aesthetics are important, not speed, then take a knife. Cut the heads of cabbage into two parts, and then shred against the leaves from the center. Now we put the crushed product into the prepared large bowl.
Grate or chop carrots and other ingredients: apples, berries and more. Mix everything and salt. And now the most pleasant thing in the entire cooking process - you need to roll up your sleeves and mash the cabbage as if kneading the dough. After that, put on the future snack number 1 bends and wait until it turns sour.
Sauerkraut as a medicine
A lot of articles have been written about the useful and healing properties of this product. Such a salad plays the role of a kind of “orderly of the gastrointestinal tract”, because the acetic and lactic acids that are present in it inhibit the growth of putrefactive bacteria. And people who are overweight are simply obliged to add this low-calorie delicacy to their diet to help burn fat. It has a lot of fiber. It binds carbohydrates, which contributes to their rapid excretion from the body.
Having dealt with when to salt the cabbage, I would like to know what other useful properties it has. Sour-white vegetable contributes to better digestion, regulates the acid-base balance, and normalizes cholesterol and blood sugar levels.
Caution! May be dangerous
There are a number of diseases in which the use of sauerkraut can be dangerous. Such ailments include: pancreatic pathology, renal failure, hypertension and the formation of gallstones. The high level of organic acids in this salad can trigger an exacerbation of all the above diseases. Also, experts do not advise those who have problems with the thyroid gland to feast on the traditional Russian delicacy.
Enjoy your meal!
How and when to salt the cabbage correctly - the reader already knows. 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 a primordially 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 on health and receive vitamins, especially now, when it is winter outside, and the body so needs the missing trace elements.