The most popular and most useful way of preserving white cabbage for the winter is its salting. The mechanism of this method is clear to many - salt is a natural preservative. However, not everyone knows how much salt you need to put for proper salting. In the article we will consider this question in more detail.

How much salt is needed for cabbage

When pickling cabbage without brine, there is a simple rule: the ratio of salt to vegetables is approximately 2.5–3% by weight. If you like more salted, take the minimum amount of salt, and if you prefer more salted - the rate should be increased. Since far from all houses have a kitchen scale, the amount of salt necessary for salting can be easily measured with improvised means.

1 kg

Based on the above ratio, it can be calculated that the amount of salt required for salting 1 kg of cabbage is 25-30 g. A tablespoon of salt without a slide is 25 g, with a slide 30 g. Accordingly, if you like a light-salted snack (or use pickle), take a spoon without a slide. In that case, if you are a supporter of the traditional bean-free method, take a spoon with the top.

2 kg

For 2 kg of cabbage you will need 50-60 g of salt. 2 tablespoons correspond to this mass.

5 kg

In that case, if you need to salt 5 kg, 5 tablespoons of salt or 1 faceted glass (stack) of 100 ml will be enough.

Did you know? Surprisingly, sauerkraut is healthier than fresh. The fact is that in a properly prepared snack, lactic acid is formed, which has a beneficial effect on the state of the gastrointestinal tract.

10 kg

The salt consumption required to prepare 10 kg of snacks is 1 cup (2 piles) or 10 tablespoons.

How to choose cabbage for pickling

The choice of raw materials for salting is an extremely important point, since the final result depends on this in many respects.

You should focus on the following rules:

• do not take forks weighing less than 1 kg, they have not yet reached commercial maturity and have not scored enough nutrients;
• you should not buy early varieties, they are intended for salads and also not rich in useful elements;
• the varieties most suitable for salting are Slava 1305, Moscow, Valentina, Aurora, Belorusskaya 455;
• the head should have a rounded, and preferably slightly flattened shape, without damage to the outer layer;
• the correct color is white, there should be no green leaves;
• the smell should be pleasant, natural vegetable, without signs of rot;
• the head should be tight, do not change shape with slight compression (cabbage, cut before full maturity, will crumple);
• examine the forks for the presence of parasites or their traces and in case of detection do not take such an instance;
• inspect the stump, it should be uniform in color, without spots or rings (these are signs of beginning rotting).

Which container is better to choose for fermentation

The following containers can be used as containers:

• glass jars (in the case of a small volume of blanks);
• enameled pots or buckets that do not have damage to the enamel inside;
• ceramic or clay, glazed, makit barrels;
• wooden barrels or tubs.

Important! It is impossible to use aluminum or galvanized containers for fermentation, and it is also strongly not recommended to do this in a plastic container.

Preparation for cooking

Before you start preparing snacks, you need to prepare the necessary ingredients. These include cabbage, salt and carrots. You already know how much salt to pour per 1 kg of basic raw materials. As for carrots, the same amount of cabbage will need about 50–70 g, depending on your preference. Carrots give the product some sweetness and an orange tint, so it won’t be superfluous.Depending on the recipe, you may also need:

• apples
• cranberry;
• lingonberry;
• black pepper peas;
• Bay leaf;
• caraway;
• dill seeds, etc.

Remove all unnecessary from the table, as you will need the area of ​​the entire countertop, which must be wiped well with a damp cloth, and then with a dry towel. Take the knife that is more convenient for you to work with. Most experts recommend using a chef's knife with a wide long blade for shredding. In any case, regardless of the preferred type of knife, its blade should be sharpened sharply. Otherwise, you simply cannot normally chop a large volume. Prepare containers for salting (jars, enameled dishes, barrels, etc.), it should be clean and dry.

You will also need oppression - a load that will press the contents in the dish so that it is covered with future brine (this is necessary so that the processes of decay do not begin). Do not forget about the cutting board: it is desirable that it is wooden and large enough. When everything is ready, you can start cooking. Heads of cabbage are first washed, peeled off the upper leaves, wiped with a towel. Then the stump is removed and, depending on the size, divided into two hemispheres or a cross into quarters. Now it's time to go directly to the slicing.

Cabbage slicing

Slicing future snacks is an essential element of cooking. Not only the appearance of the dish, but the speed and uniformity of the salting depends on how the head of cabbage is chopped. It is best to try to cut strips 3-5 mm wide. After cutting some cabbage, remove it from the board to the countertop so that it does not interfere with shredding the next portion.

Important! To make cabbage after salting was more crunchy, when fermenting, you can add horseradish root to it.

Do this periodically until you chop the whole batch. Now you should grate the carrots. It is advisable to do this with a medium-sized grater, which can be large, but not small. When all the ingredients are chopped and grated, it's time to tackle the pickling directly.

Head of cabbage

At this stage, you should have:

• shredded cabbage;
• grated carrots;
• salt;
• other ingredients specified in the recipe.

Further, the procedure is quite simple:

1. Mix vegetables and salt everything evenly. This is best done on a countertop (not in a basin or bowl), thoroughly mixing all the ingredients.
2. Now the most important and crucial moment of the salting process is ahead: you need to very well mash your hands with the future snack. This should be done until the sound of crushed cabbage turns from crispy to creaking, and the whole vegetable mass should let the juice go.
3. Fill the prepared container with the resulting mixture, periodically crushing the contents. You can use a pusher, or you can use your hands, but you need to fill tightly.
4. When the container is well packed with contents 3-4 cm below the edge of the dish, place a plate of a suitable diameter upside down (it should be slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the container), and place a load on it. As a yoke, a jar (1-2 l) filled with water is suitable.
5. Leave the bowl with cabbage at room temperature for 3-5 days. Puncture the contents daily as deeply as possible, preferably with a thin wooden stick. This will prevent the accumulation of hydrogen sulfide inside, which can give the dish subsequently bitterness. The cause of the unpleasant odor will be the release of this gas through the holes you have made. This is a normal process; it should not scare you.
6. Foam that appears on the surface will need to be removed. You should also taste the brine: is it salty enough. If you have not completed it, you can do this in a couple of days. Top up the contents in this way: salt is diluted in bottled water and evenly poured into the contents.
7. When the snack is ready, it is placed in a cold place for subsequent storage.

Important! In order to find out if sauerkraut is ready, you must try the brine. If its taste has become less salty, but acquired acidity, then the snack can be cleaned in the cold, for storage.

What is the best way to store sauerkraut

The most favorable temperature for storing sauerkraut is 0 ... + 4 ° C. Short-term storage is possible at a higher temperature, but the warmer the room, the faster the cabbage will sour.

In fridge

In urban apartments, cabbage is kept in the refrigerator. In the refrigerator, the temperature regime is quite suitable, the only drawback is its small capacity.

In the freezer

You should not store the snack in the freezer, and there is no need, because the salt in the finished snack is already a natural preservative. Frost, as well as a prolonged stay in heat, will make cabbage soft and softened even after defrosting.

In the cellar

This is by far the best way to store. Previously, sauerkraut was preserved in villages in this way almost until next summer, providing itself with vitamins for the entire season. In those days, most people strictly observed fasting, so the safety of the product, due to its useful and nutritious qualities, was of primary importance. Which provided a good cellar.

Did you know? Sauerkraut can also be stored in the room, from time to time adding a little sugar to it. The fact is that sugar with lactic acid form vinegar, which prevents the process of decay. Sugar will help if the snack is very peroxide, it will remove excess acidity, while maintaining the content of vitamin C.

Sauerkraut is a great appetizer rich in vitamins and minerals. It can be eaten both separately and as part of other dishes (vinaigrette, cabbage soup, hodgepodge, etc.). Now you know how much salt is needed for proper preparation, so it remains to purchase 2-3 suitable head of cabbage - and to the point!