In Russia it is easy to find sauerkraut. Just find a bus station or a metro station and you will find the best sauerkraut around. You will also find every type of sauerkraut imaginable, except for hot style. According to the season you will many times find apples in the sauerkraut and that is really good…
Now since you do not live in Russia, most likely and you do not have a metro nearby, we have to make it ourselves and it is really simple…
Lets make Sauerkraut Russian style. Now once again there is thousands and thousands of different recipes, but this is one I use and it comes out just plain delicious…
Ingredients:
3 pounds shredded green cabbage I include stem section
2 medium carrots shredded
2 tablespoons sea salt, (do not use iodized salt)
Just a pinch of sugar
1 whole leaf of the cabbage
Directions:
Place all ingredients except the cabbage leaf into a large bowl (I prefer crock ware!) and mix to combine. Allow to stand for 1 and a half hours. Then transfer the mixture and the liquid that is produced, into a ceramic crock (only as big as it has to be) and pack it tightly, pressing down to submerge the cabbage in the juice…
Place the cabbage leaf on top of the mixture and weigh everything down with a clean weight (like a rounded river rock that has been sterilized) making sure that the vegetables are fully covered by the liquid, add a little extra water if needed…
Allow the cabbage to ferment at room temperature for seven days. If at any point during the fermentation you notice that the cabbage is no longer covered by the liquid, add enough water to cover, but no more than just cover. After seven days, transfer the jar of kraut into a cool, dry place. Allow to ferment for another seven days, or until it tastes to your liking…
Transfer the finished kraut into a covered glass mason jar and store it in the refrigerator, where it will keep for up to four months…
That is it! It is easy to make, just time consuming and you have to wait. It is important to get the full flavor, you have to ferment the full time. Of course temperature is a factor and since climate is much milder in Russia most of the time you may have to only ferment for 5 days or so…
Oh so Yummy…
Post by Kyle Keeton
Windows to Russia…