Sour cabbage leaves are used for sour cabbage rolls and sauerkraut. The fermentation process is a lengthy one that takes place over the course of three weeks. If you’re looking to make your own sour cabbage leaves, it’s worth taking the time to get it right! In this blog post, we’ll discuss how to sour cabbage so that you can have delicious homemade food year-round!
If you’re here, chances are you’ve already mastered making your own cabbage rolls. But have you tried souring your own cabbage for those delicious homemade cabbage rolls?
I’ll walk you through all of the steps to make your own sour cabbage leaves and show you how easy it is.
No. 1 –> If you can get your hands on flat or Taiwanese cabbage, do it! Flat cabbage is the best for cabbage rolls because it’s more tender, and has a sweeter, more delicate taste. Taiwanese cabbage has a more subtle flavor than other types of cabbages which makes it perfect for souring!
No. 2 –> Get yourself a large, dedicated fermentation container. I use a couple of large black recycling totes to ferment my cabbage. It seems like overkill, but for this recipe, we ferment our cabbage whole. I am the designated fermenter for our family, so I ferment about 150 lbs of cabbage at a time – and they all fit in 2 – 32 gallon (121 litre) totes.
No. 3 –> Patience is key with this project! You’ll want to open up the containers and stir around the contents every few days and make sure the cabbage is completely submerged, but it’s going to take about 3 weeks!
No. 4 –> If at all possible, you’ll want to ferment these bad boys outside! They’ll make your house or garage smell like rank farts! I cover my bins with black garbage bags and tie them off tightly to keep them protected from the elements, and everyone in the household is much happier to not live with the smell!
No. 5 –> Many, many, many people and their Babas make soured cabbage leaves without calculating a brine, I, however, like to have a concrete plan and recipe to follow, so the directions below are very thorough and I recommend reading them through at least once before attempting this process!
No. 6 –> Avoid using any aluminum when working with your fermented cabbage, whether at the processing stage or even the cabbage roll stage. The acidity of the brine will damage your aluminum baking pans, etc. Ask me how I know! Ha!
Cabbage: I prefer to use flat cabbage for the reasons mentioned above, however, regular green cabbage works just as well, but due to it being tougher, it may take an extra couple of days to become completely soft.
Salt: use pickling salt or coarse salt for this recipe. Salt is used in fermentation recipes because it allows water, sugars, and salts to move into and out of the cell walls. This helps to soften, flavor, and ferment the usually tough cabbage. The salt also inhibits bad bacteria while creating an environment for lactobacillus bacteria to create lactic acid, which is responsible for preserving the cabbage and giving it a tangy flavor.
Water: While fermentation is not particularly picky, I choose to use unchlorinated water for my ferments. We live on an acreage with relatively hard water, and I’ve always used my well water with success! Alternatively, you could use distilled water.
Sauerkraut or ‘sour cabbage’ is essentially fermented cabbage, thought to have originated in China more than 2,000 years ago. The process of fermentation initiates beneficial probiotics, or ‘live bacteria’ and its these probiotics, along-with the process of fermentation which makes sauerkraut such a healthy choice.
The Chinese began preserving shredded cabbage in rice wine more than 2,000 years ago as a means of feeding the vast number of laborers needed to build the Great Wall. Centuries later, Mongol marauders led by Genghis Khan invaded China and co-opted the process for their own use, carrying the knowledge with them as they continued to push westward into Europe.
Hearty and wholesome, sauerkraut eventually became a mainstay of Central and Eastern European cuisine. Suited to cold-weather climates, cabbage could be harvested, salted, and fermented in the fall and then stored for months without spoilage, making it a nutritious source of sustenance when other foods were scarce. The preserved vegetable with its telltale briny flavor was so valued, it was often associated with happiness and wealth and included in New Year’s celebrations as a sign of good things to come.
Search for the most nutritious sauerkraut options (those with live cultures) in your market’s refrigerated section. Or, let us ship you a jar of our wildbrine gluten-free, vegan sauerkraut. Our krauts come in seven unique flavors because to us, sauerkraut is much more than just fermented cabbage. When paired with our favorite foods, sauerkraut is the secret to “a perfect bite.” Do you agree? Disagree? We’d love to know. What does sauerkraut mean to you?
Today, modern science has unlocked many of the secrets behind sauerkraut’s health-inducing qualities. Cabbage is transformed into sauerkraut through fermentation, a process that preserves foods with naturally occurring lactic acid bacteria and infuses them with a pleasant bitterness and zest. However, fermented foods do more than simply complement and enhance the flavor of your meals. They also promote the growth of helpful bacteria, known as probiotics, which improve your body’s immune function and contribute to your digestive, heart, and mental health. Billions of these friendly microbes reside in your gut, helping your body absorb vitamins and minerals, while at the same time fighting off bad bacteria that can lead to disease.
Additionally, sauerkraut is loaded with essential minerals (potassium, calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium), vitamins (B, C, and K), and folate, key nutrients that keep your body and mind functioning properly day in and day out. Best of all, at only 30 calories per cup and chock full of fiber, a serving of sauerkraut can help keep hunger pains at bay, making it easier to maintain your ideal weight.
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FAQ
What’s the difference between sauerkraut and pickled cabbage?
Is it okay to eat sour cabbage?
Which is better sauerkraut or cabbage?
What is soured cabbage?
Is cabbage better than sauerkraut?
Cabbage covers your daily need of Vitamin K 53% more than Sauerkraut. Sauerkraut has 37 times more Sodium than Cabbage. Sauerkraut has 661mg of Sodium, while Cabbage has 18mg. Sauerkraut, canned, solids and liquids and Cabbage, raw types were used in this article.
Is sauerkraut acidic?
A completely fermented sauerkraut contains 1. 8–2. 3% acid (calculated as lactic acid), giving a pH of 3. 5 or less. So yes, sauerkraut is acidic. Lactic and acetic acids are the predominating acids.
Is sauerkraut a pickled cabbage?
Many refer to sauerkraut as pickled cabbage, but sauerkraut and pickled cabbage can be two different things. Pickling means storing food in brine or vinegar. While sauerkraut can be considered a type of pickled cabbage because it is stored in brine, not all kinds of pickled cabbage can be regarded as sauerkraut.
Does sauerkraut have more sodium than cabbage?
Sauerkraut has 37 times more Sodium than Cabbage. Sauerkraut has 661mg of Sodium, while Cabbage has 18mg. Sauerkraut, canned, solids and liquids and Cabbage, raw types were used in this article. Mineral comparison score is based on the number of minerals by which one or the other food is richer.