Cabbage is not just a healing and tasty vegetable that is available to everyone, but also a popular harvest for the winter. Sauerkraut with caraway seeds is used in many cuisines of the world, but it is considered a Slavic dish. Harvesting such a salad for the winter will not be difficult and will not take much time. There are many recipes, thanks to which not only an excellent dish will turn out, but the cooking process itself will bring pleasure.

Selection and preparation of ingredients

To make the workpiece tasty and aromatic, it is important to choose and prepare the ingredients correctly. For harvesting, you can use ordinary black pepper, but caraway is not only good in various dishes, for which many housewives are very fond of it, but also very fragrant. As a spice, its seeds are mainly used. When choosing, it is important to pay attention to the aroma - it should be very pronounced, the taste should be pungent and slightly bitter.

Important! Do not overdo it with caraway seeds. 0.1-0.25 g is the norm per serving.

The main ingredient is ordinary cabbage, when choosing which you should adhere to some rules:

• first of all, it must necessarily be juicy, because from dry varieties a good preparation is not always obtained., and with insufficient allocation of juice, the salad may begin to deteriorate from above, and then the product will be unsuitable for consumption;
• the leaves must certainly be fresh and thick;
• it is important to inspect the vegetable from all sides to check for even the smallest brown spots, such spots indicate damage to the product;
• you need to pay attention to the weight of the head of cabbage - if it is heavy, this confirms the maturity of the vegetable;
• to check whether cabbage has collected juice, you need to squeeze the head of cabbage - if there are enough juices and vitamins, it will be strong;
• mid-ripening varieties are suitable for starter culture, but for long-term storage it is better to choose late varieties - they have good taste characteristics and are more suitable for processing.

When the cabbage for harvesting is selected in compliance with all the rules, it must be prepared for cooking:

1. First of all, the vegetable must be carefully examined again for damaged leaves and removed.
2. Rinse the head and allow time for the glass to excess water.
3. Before starting cooking, it is advisable to taste the vegetable: it should be slightly sweet and without bitterness.

Step-by-step recipes for harvesting cabbage with caraway seeds for the winter

Cabbage with caraway seeds is a very popular traditional harvest, a real salvation in cold times, because it can be used in a variety of cases. In addition to the original appetizers, harvested cabbage can be added to cabbage soup, salads, cooked with meat or used as a filling. You can pickle and salt it for the winter in different ways, but with the original approach, even the simplest classic recipe can become an exquisite culinary masterpiece.

Important! Young early cabbage is often used as food, but it is only suitable for quick consumption. Store long her or can not be used for blanks.

This vegetable goes well not only with other vegetables, but also with apples, plums and berries - for example, cranberries give the salad an amazing piquant taste and helps extend the shelf life of the product.

Did you know? In ancient Rome, Cabbage Day was celebrated on May 1. Presumably, on this day of the year 305 A.D. e. Emperor Gaius Aurelius Diocletian renounced power and retired to his estate, where he began to grow cabbage.

Did you know? Everyone knows an ancient humorous saying: parents find children in cabbage. However, not everyone knows that we are talking about this particular vegetable, since its leaves resemble diapers.

Home storage

Cabbage prepared for the winter is a source of vitamin C and many useful minerals that the body needs in cold times, but it is important to understand that fermented product is obtained by fermentation, and if stored incorrectly, it will not only lose its beneficial properties, but will spoiled.

Important! Do not use aluminum containers for workpieces. The acid that is released as a result of fermentation will oxidize the metal, and the product will have an unpleasant aftertaste.

Under what conditions can a product be stored:

• about 8 months, the workpiece is stored in wooden barrels at a temperature of from -1 ° C to + 4 ° C;
• in the apartment it is convenient to keep the salad in jars or in an enameled bucket at the same temperature as in the barrel, but the storage time is significantly reduced - up to 2 weeks;
• in a polymer film, the shelf life is only 7 days at a temperature of + 4 ° C.

You can keep cabbage in the refrigerator, on the balcony, and in the closet, but in order to maintain the value and taste of the product, you need to follow some rules:

• ideal temperature for storage - from 0 ° С to + 3 ° С, a glazed loggia or a refrigerator is quite suitable;
• it is advisable to freeze cabbage with brine to prevent the decomposition of vitamin C;
• You can keep the salad warm, for example, in the kitchen, but periodically you have to sprinkle it with sugar;
• lack of storage in heat - mold; mustard, horseradish or mustard powder, which acts as an antiseptic, will help protect the product from its appearance;
• You can extend the shelf life using cranberries;
• the salad can be coated on top with vegetable oil - this will prevent oxygen from entering the product and protect against rot and bacteria.

Harvested for the winter, cabbage is a favorite dish both in traditional cuisine and among modern adherents of a healthy diet. Adhering to simple and easy rules, you can preserve this useful product for a long time and enjoy its positive qualities in the cold season.