Content
Sauerkraut is a popular homemade variety. To obtain them, you need to select a recipe, variety, spices and container. One of the main questions that arises during the cooking process is whether it is possible to ferment cabbage in a plastic bucket? Fermentation is carried out only in containers of a certain type. Otherwise, it will negatively affect the taste of the dish.
The benefits of sauerkraut
Sauerkraut is obtained as a result of fermentation. To prepare it, you need to chop the head of cabbage and grate the carrots. Many recipes suggest using peppers, apples, beets or cranberries.
After cutting, mix the vegetables with salt, add sugar, allspice, bay leaf and other spices to taste.
Sauerkraut contains vitamin C, known for its antioxidant properties. The absence of heat treatment allows you to completely preserve this useful element in vegetables, as well as vitamins K, group B, potassium, calcium, iron, phosphorus, zinc.
After fermentation, cabbage produces acetic and lactic acid. The calorie content of the snack is 27 kcal per 0.1 kg. Therefore, it is included in the diet menu.
You can eat cabbage if you have ulcers and liver diseases. And its brine is an anti-cold remedy.
Hypertensive patients should be careful when including pickled vegetables in their diet due to their high salt content. Then recipes are selected that require a minimum amount of it.
How to ferment cabbage
To preserve maximum nutrients in vegetables, you need to ferment them correctly. In this case, several nuances are taken into account: the choice of variety, seasonings and containers. Particular attention is paid to the selection of containers for pickling and further storage blanks
Variety selection
No less pressing is the question of what cabbage to ferment. Medium and late ripening varieties are best suited for this purpose. Such heads of cabbage are distinguished by their increased density, and when salted, they produce a crispy and hard snack. Their ripening occurs in mid-autumn, so this is the best time for pickling.
Large heads of cabbage are chosen for fermentation to minimize waste. However, you can use several small heads of cabbage. When choosing cabbage, you need to pay attention to the presence of green leaves. If they are missing, then there is a high probability that the vegetables were frozen. As a result, it lost its marketable appearance, and the seller removed these leaves.
White cabbage varieties are best suited for fermentation, as they taste sweetish. If red-headed varieties are used, the appetizer takes on a bitter aftertaste. Adding sugar will help correct the situation.
The most suitable varieties for pickling are Aros, Slava, Morozko, etc.It is quite simple to identify late heads of cabbage: they are large in size and high in density, have coarse and thick leaves.
Selection of seasonings and additives
The main additive that promotes fermentation is salt. If vegetables are fermented without salt, then spices are used. This snack has a specific taste and does not last long.
If not enough salt is used, the vegetables become loose. Excess salt also negatively affects the taste of the products and increases the duration of the entire process. Cabbage is fermented using coarse rock salt.
To speed up the fermentation process, sugar is added to the preparations. With its help, vegetables acquire a mild taste. If you overdo it with sugar, they will become too soft.
Bay leaves and allspice help improve the taste of sauerkraut. These components are present in almost every recipe.
You can add other seasonings to the cabbage to taste:
- caraway;
- anise;
- hot peppers;
- carnation;
- Dill seeds.
Various vegetables, berries, fruits and herbs are used as additives:
- bell pepper;
- celery;
- cranberry;
- cowberry;
- apples;
- mushrooms;
- fresh cilantro and dill.
Use of containers
Initially, cabbage was fermented in wooden barrels. The most delicious vegetables are obtained in oak containers. At home, it is not always possible to place wooden tubs.
It is best to choose containers made of hardwood (birch, oak, linden). If you ferment in a container made of coniferous trees, then you need to fill it with cold water for 25 days. The water is changed every 5 days. This procedure will remove resins and tannins from the wood.
Glassware can replace wooden containers. Fermentation can be done immediately in glass jars. To do this, prepared vegetables are placed in a three-liter jar, where the fermentation process takes place.
Using three-liter jars greatly simplifies the cooking process. After fermentation is complete, they are immediately put away for storage, without transferring the vegetables to another container. You can ferment cabbage this way throughout the year. When the preparations are finished, prepare the next jar.
An alternative option is to use enamel cookware. Before use, it is checked for chips and cracks. Enameled pans, buckets and barrels are suitable for fermentation.
What should you not ferment vegetables in? It is not recommended to use the following types of containers:
- steel;
- aluminum.
During fermentation, lactic acid is released, after which the brine interacts with the metal surface. As a result, the products acquire an unpleasant aftertaste. This chemical reaction can lead to the formation of harmful substances. Therefore, fermenting cabbage in aluminum containers is strictly prohibited.
It is not recommended to store workpieces in aluminum containers. This metal quickly interacts with acids, so with prolonged contact the content of harmful compounds increases.
Metal containers can be used for fermentation if you prevent contact of vegetables with their surface. To do this, the cabbage is first placed in a durable plastic bag, which is then placed in an aluminum container.
There is no clear answer to the question “Is it possible to ferment cabbage in a plastic bucket?”It is possible to use a plastic barrel for fermentation, however, this method will not improve the taste properties of the products. Only food grade plastic is suitable for fermentation. The type of use is indicated on the container itself or on the labels.
When fermented in plastic containers, vegetables can absorb its smell. Poor quality plastic buckets may contain harmful chemicals. Cabbage fermented in this way may develop a strange taste. If there is no other option, the chopped vegetables are first placed in a plastic bag, then in a plastic bucket.
Pickling process
After placing the cabbage in the container, place a weight on top. Its functions will be performed by a jar filled with water or a stone. It is better to place the oppression on a wide plate. If fermentation is carried out in jars, they are not covered with lids.
During the fermentation process, juice is released from vegetables. Therefore, you need to place a deep plate or pan under the container.
Sauerkraut occurs at a temperature of 17-22°C. Depending on the recipe, this process takes from one hour to several days.
At lower temperatures the process will take longer and may stop altogether. At high temperatures, vegetables will spoil and become too soft.
After 3 days, the vegetable mass settles, and the intensity of juice secretion will decrease. This indicates the dish is ready. Before sending the preparations for permanent storage, you need to taste them. Unleavened vegetables are left to ferment for a few more days.
If there is a sour taste, the cabbage is moved to the basement, refrigerator or other cool place.
Secrets of delicious cabbage
To make the cabbage crispy, use the following tricks:
- after adding salt, there is no need to knead the chopped vegetables, just carefully mix all the ingredients;
- cabbage is cut into medium-sized pieces;
- To prevent vegetables from becoming soft, add horseradish root or oak bark, which contain tannins;
- First, the cabbage is fermented at room temperature, then the container is moved to a room where the temperature is 0°C;
- when placing vegetables in a container, you need to compact them well, then place a load on top;
- It is not recommended to refreeze vegetables before use.
The following steps will help improve the taste of pickled vegetables:
- during the fermentation process, you need to remove the foam;
- regularly pierce the vegetables with a wooden stick (for uniform fermentation and release of gases);
- add cucumber pickle or sour fruit juice.
The shelf life of products can be extended if a number of conditions are met:
- jars or other containers are left in a cool place at a temperature of +1°C;
- Using a cloth soaked in alcohol to cover the cabbage will help avoid mold.
Conclusion
Sauerkraut is a healthy snack and component of other dishes. Before receiving preparations for the winter, you need to figure out whether it is possible to ferment cabbage in an aluminum container. Metal containers are not suitable for fermentation. It is best to use wooden, glass or clay containers. Plastic containers are not recommended for fermentation and further storage. You can first place the vegetables in a plastic bag, and then put it in a plastic or metal bucket.
