Sauerkraut will never be sour, rancid, bitter, “snotty” or soft if everything is done according to the standard. I always follow the 6 rules of pickling and I get excellent pickling.

Today I’m a little fermented

I also had incidents before. Sometimes I had to throw out the whole bucket altogether, because during sauerkraut the cabbage simply turned into shapeless “snot” through which the hand could pass freely. But now the sauerkraut turns out just perfect – crispy, juicy, moderately sour and sweet, with a spicy characteristic smell. “Snotty”, bitter, acidic and soft is a thing of the past.

In general, I advise you to try to adhere to these rules and your cabbage will not be “snotty,” bitter, sour and soft, but very tasty and appetizing.

1 – meet deadlines

Be sure to follow the fermentation deadlines – this is the first and very important rule. Many people start sauerkraut too early. But it is important to know one subtlety.

The quality of sauerkraut largely depends on the amount of sugars that the head of cabbage has managed to accumulate. And here’s the paradox. Cabbage, even suitable varieties that have recently been harvested from the field, has a small amount of sugars. But after 30 – 40 days their content practically doubles.

Therefore, observe the fermentation time frame – it is best to do this a month after the cabbage harvest has been harvested. Those. late October – early November. Around the same time, cabbage begins to ripen, which is sold in stores and vegetable stores.

2 – choose wisely

Rule 2 says: always choose the right products for this fermentation process. Let’s start with the cabbage itself. The head of cabbage should be flattened and the stalk should be small. The flesh inside is creamy white. The structure is dense. Do not take cabbage that is greenish, elongated in shape and loose. You won’t make a good product from it. You will only waste your time and transfer the products.

The carrots should be orange and quite sweet. Choose carrots that are medium-sized and firm.

And the most important ingredient, because of which various incidents often happen, is salt. Nowadays, finding good salt for canning in the store is a real problem. The shelves are full of iodized salt, enriched with microelements, bleached, flavored, etc. But usually, finding coarsely ground gray stone is a problem. But you need to look. It usually costs the least. In August I bought kilogram packs for 9 rubles. But she’s just the way she should be.

Do not use fine, blindingly white salt. This is what makes the cabbage snotty and soft. Because snow-white salt is a mixture with various chemicals, which ruin the entire fermentation process.

3 – look at the proportions

Be sure to look at the proportions. There is a classic recipe layout: 10 kg of chopped cabbage, 500 gr. carrots, grated on a coarse grater and 250 grams of salt. the rest is up to your taste. But this is the basis. And it must always be observed.

Put less salt – the cabbage will be soft, put more carrots, the fermentation process will be too strong and the cabbage may become bitter.

4 – monitor the temperature

It’s not enough to follow rule 3. You also need to know about the features of the fermentation process. On the first day, those bacteria that require a low level of acidity begin to grow in the brine. They require temperatures around + 20° to grow. But by the end of the second day, the acid level is already increasing and these bacteria die.

They are being replaced by others, for which the optimal temperature is +15°. If you continue to keep the cabbage on the second day at a temperature above +15°, then the fermentation process will follow a different scenario – completely different bacteria will begin to grow. And cabbage will most likely taste bitter.

Therefore, I keep it in the kitchen for the first 1-1.5 days, and then move it to the corridor, where the temperature is just about +15°. And the cabbage turns out nice – no bitterness at all and very crispy. This was rule 4.

5 – take suitable utensils

Rule 5 concerns the choice of containers in which you will ferment cabbage. Many people use the wrong containers. Always use suitable utensils. Optimally – three-liter glass jars. You can use plastic containers. BUT stainless steel cookware is not suitable at all.

An enamel bucket or tank will do. But only if there is no violation of the integrity of the inner layer of enamel.

6- store properly

And rule 6 – store properly cooked cabbage. It’s best to freeze it. But this is the case if you ferment in a large container. I have 20 liter buckets. I freeze cabbage in them. And in winter we simply chop directly frozen and put it in the container. It immediately thaws and retains its original taste until spring.

If you ferment in a jar, then after completing the fermentation process you must keep it at a temperature of +4 +5°. Otherwise, the fermentation process will continue and the product will become unfit for consumption.