Sauerkraut in a barrel

Step-by-step preparation

Cooking time: 7 day

1. STEP 1

   

   How to ferment cabbage in a barrel for the winter? First of all, prepare the container. Fill it with water and see if there are any cracks. If the barrel has not been used for a long time, then pour warm water into it and leave it for 5 to 10 days. Change the water periodically. During this time, the wood will swell and the barrel will be ready for use. Wash the cooperage with baking soda, rinse thoroughly and proceed to the main cooking process.

2. STEP 2

   

   Prepare all the ingredients needed for the recipe. You will need a minimum set of components. Early cabbage is not suitable for pickling for the winter. It is better to use heads of cabbage collected at the end of September - in October. Rinse the cabbage and dry. Remove damaged sheets. Cut off the top few leaves and set aside. Peel the carrots and wash.

3. STEP 3

   

   Cut the cabbage into strips of medium thickness. Do not chop too finely, otherwise the finished product will be soft. Place the shredded cabbage in a large, deep container. To make it easier to prepare, cut and mash the vegetables in parts.

4. STEP 4

   

   Grate the carrots on a coarse grater. Use the amount of carrots to taste, but do not use too much so as not to overwhelm the taste of the cabbage. Typically, 500 to 800 grams of carrots are used per 10 kg.

5. STEP 5

   

   Add carrots to cabbage.

6. STEP 6

   

   Add salt and sugar. Stir and taste (I added a little more salt).

7. STEP 7

   

   Mash the vegetables with your hands and mix thoroughly.

8. STEP 8

   

   Place whole cabbage leaves on the bottom of the barrel.

9. STEP 9

   

   Send the cabbage and carrots there and compact them tightly. Prepare the next portion of cabbage and place it in a barrel.

10. STEP 10

    

    When the entire head of cabbage and carrots are in the barrel, compact them very well with your fist and press them until the juice appears on the surface. It is necessary to release as much air as possible that may have remained inside when placing the vegetables in the barrel.

11. STEP 11

    

    Do not compact the cabbage to the very edges, leave room for pressure and lid. And during the ripening process, too much juice may form, which will eventually overflow.

12. STEP 12

    

    Place the remaining cabbage leaves in a single layer on top. Instead of sheets, you can use gauze folded in two or three layers.

13. STEP 13

    

    Set the pressure, close the barrel with a lid and leave at room temperature for three to seven days. Taste the cabbage periodically to determine the degree of readiness. The fermentation time depends on the room temperature. I left the barrel for 4 days in a room where the temperature is about 21-23 degrees.

14. STEP 14

    

    Open the barrel periodically (once a day is enough), remove the top leaves of cabbage (or gauze, if you use it) and pierce the vegetables to the very bottom of the barrel with a sharp, long object. This way you will get rid of the accumulated gas.

15. STEP 15

    

    After fermenting indoors, remove the barrel to any sufficiently cool place or to the refrigerator. Sauerkraut is ready! It can be stored all winter.

16. STEP 16

    

    You can make the simplest and healthiest salad from sauerkraut by adding onions, aromatic unrefined oil and herbs.

Comments on the recipe

Christmas tree

16.08.2023

5

The most delicious sauerkraut. It turns out crispy and juicy. Cooked in its own juice, without adding water. I didn’t add sugar either, because... The cabbage variety itself is sweetish. It took 4 days to ferment. In urban conditions, the barrel had to be replaced with a plastic bucket (marked for cold food products). It will be stored in jars in the refrigerator.

I-market

16.08.2023

5

Thank you for the recipe, I’ve been looking for a long time without dancing with tambourines, in the form of making brine, etc. My grandmother fermented it the same way, the only thing I don’t remember was adding sugar. Well, that's not the point! 😁Mine has been standing for 4 days, I tried it today and it’s delicious! The only thing is that grandma never put it in the refrigerator, the barrel always stood on the balcony. The cabbage froze into ice, she chopped it.