What dishes should not be used to ferment cabbage and what salt is not suitable: we tell you the reasons

Sauerkraut is a healthy alternative to a variety of mayonnaise salads. The vegetable has many useful microelements that are necessary for our body during a period of vitamin deficiency. But it is not often possible to make really juicy and crispy sauerkraut. This is, in particular, due to the wrong dishes and a number of other mistakes.

Food blogger Kateryna Mazurets (korusni_korusnosti) shared her thoughts on what kind of dishes should not be used for sauerkraut on Instagram. She also emphasized a number of mistakes that are often made when cooking sauerkraut.

Recommendations for cooking sauerkraut:

1. The dishes where the cabbage will be fermented should never be made of aluminum, steel, etc. You can use enamel or glass dishes or an oak barrel.

2. The salt must be rock salt; iodized salt should never be used.

3. When chopping the cabbage with a knife, try not to chop it too much. Thin strips can become soft, without the inherent crispy effect. It is convenient to use a special grater for cabbage.

4. You do not need to wash cabbage before cooking. Cabbage starts fermenting from the bacteria that are on the surface of the leaves and you should not wash them off. It is enough to remove the top green leaves.

5. On the second day of fermentation, do not forget to pierce the cabbage with a knife. This should be done at least 2-3 times a day.

6. You only need to store cabbage in the refrigerator, not ferment it there. The best temperature for fermenting cabbage is +20°C. Under these conditions, the cabbage will be ready in 3-4 days. At temperatures below +10°C, fermentation is greatly delayed.

7. Do not add a lot of carrots. It can interfere with the fermentation process due to excess.

You can also find recipes on OBOZ.UA:

• Sauerkraut in its own juice
• Sauerkraut in brine
• Stewed cabbage with ribs