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Kvashenaya Kapusta
Sauerkraut
Kvashenaya Kapusta
Russian families once required whole cartloads of cabbage to accommodate their yearly sauerkraut-making. Although the process of shredding so many heads of cabbage was laborious, it ensured a constant supply of sauerkraut throughout the winter, to be eaten plain, mixed with other vegetables, or added to the inevitable shchi. The sauerkraut was put up in large oaken barrels whose scent permeated the fermenting cabbage. Blackcurrant or cherry leaves were often layered with the cabbage, further contributing to its final flavour. Unfortunately, neither oaken barrels nor blackcurrant leaves are as readily available as they once were, so now we must settle for a glazed crock and a slightly more prosaic sauerkraut. Still, it's good! Try adding spices such as caraway, bay leaves, cardamom or peppercorns to vary the flavour.
Ingredients
Makes 12¾ pints (7.5 litres)
2 heads white cabbage, about 4 lb (1.8 kg) each
4 tablespoons coarse or pickling salt
Method
The day before you plan to begin making sauerkraut, remove the cabbage to room temperature and let it sit for a day so that the leaves won't be brittle. When ready to make the sauerkraut, remove the outer leaves of the cabbage, then rinse it and cut each head into quarters. Remove the cores and shred the cabbage finely.
Place the shredded cabbage in a large bowl and add the salt, mixing to distribute it evenly. Leave to rest for about 15 minutes. Clean a 25 pint (15 litre) crock with soda and boiling water. Dry with a clean cloth.
Pack the salted cabbage firmly into it, pressing down on it with a wooden spoon. Brine will start to form almost immediately. Place a clean cloth over the top of the cabbage. On top of the cloth place a plate which just fits inside the rim of the crock. Weight the plate down with a jar filled with water or another heavy weight. The brine should rise about 2 inches above the plate, thus keeping air from reaching the fermenting cabbage.
Leave the crock at room temperature (about 22°C/70°F). Bubbles will form, showing that fermentation is taking place. Each day, remove the cloth and any scum that has appeared on the surface. Rinse the cloth out and then replace it, and the plate and the weight.
If there seems to be a lack of brine at any time (i.e., less than 2 inches above the cabbage), add ½ pint (300 ml) water in which 2½ teaspoons of coarse salt have been dissolved.
The fermentation process will take from 2 to 6 weeks, depending on the room temperature. When the sauerkraut is done, bubbles will stop rising to the surface even though it is still fermenting. Taste the cabbage, and if it is soured enough to your taste, then it is ready and can be refrigerated. It will keep for a month in the refrigerator.
Note: The right amount of salt is important. Too little salt results in a soft sauerkraut; too much salt prevents fermentation. Uneven distribution of salt may result in the growth of yeast with a pinkish colour. The top layer of the kraut may turn brown from exposure to air as the cloth is changed, but this layer may be discarded when the kraut is ready to refrigerate and eat.
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