Sauerkraut - crispy, refreshing, with sourness - has long taken a permanent place on the autumn and winter tables. It is tasty in any form: as an independent salad, a side dish for meat, a filling for pies, an ingredient of cabbage soup and borsch. But this is not so if a mistake was made during the fermentation. Below are discussed the reasons why cabbage when soft is soft and does not crunch.

Why sauerkraut comes out soft

During the fermentation, an interesting chemical process takes place: under the influence of salt, the vegetable releases juice, which contains sugar. They act on lactic acid bacteria living on cabbage leaves (as on other vegetables). This is how fermentation occurs, resulting in the formation of lactic acid, which destroys harmful bacteria and fungi. It is she who gives the acidity to the cabbage and makes them crispy.

Did you know? Sauerkraut is as healthy as kefir, because in the process of fermentation it forms many probiotics necessary to maintain intestinal microflora.

Thanks to it, fermented product is stored for a long time and retains the vitamins contained in it almost in full composition. In order for the fermentation to go as it should, it is necessary to take quality products in sufficient quantities, suitable dishes, and also adhere to time and temperature restrictions.

Inappropriate grade

Cabbage head for fermentation should be juicy and sweet. If the juice is not enough, then lactic acid is formed in less quantity than necessary, and putrefactive bacteria begin to prevail. Because of this, vegetables soften, darken and eventually deteriorate. Therefore, not all cabbage varieties have suitable characteristics.

Unsuitable for pickling are varieties:

• early ripening since such heads of cabbage are loose, loose, they do not have enough sugars necessary for fermentation; they are suitable for fresh use only;
• mild and slightly sweet late gradesintended for winter storage.

Mid-ripe and late-ripening varieties of white cabbage are best suited. In the fall, when these varieties mature, the right amount of sugars that lactic acid bacteria feed on accumulate in the vegetables.

Important! When buying cabbage for pickling, it is better to choose round and slightly flattened heads of cabbage. Late varieties usually have this form.

Wrong amount of salt

Salt is an essential ingredient in almost all winter preparations, including fermentation. You should know that in fact salt does not participate in the chemical fermentation process. Lactic acid is formed only by the interaction of cabbage sugars and lactic acid bacteria.

Nevertheless, salt is needed for 2 purposes:

• promotes the release of juice, which is a source of sugars;
• plays the role of a preservative that prevents the deterioration of vegetables.

Therefore, to obtain the desired result, it is necessary to adhere to the correct proportions. The standard dosage for fermentation is to take 20 g of salt per 1 kg of slaw. A larger amount of salt will make the dish very salty, and if it is lacking, little vegetable juice will be released.

In the cabbage mass, not covered with liquid, the fermentation process is delayed, it softens and deteriorates. For this dish, it is better to take table rock salt - “extra” and iodized are not suitable, as they contribute to softening.

Non-compliance with temperature and fermentation time

It is important to adhere to the temperature regime (+ 18 ... + 22 ° С) and the time frame (2-7 days). At lower temperatures, fermentation slows down, and at high temperatures it accelerates. If the fermented vegetable is overexposed in a warm room and not removed on time in a cold place, it will peroxide.

Storage of the finished dish at a temperature below 0 ° C leads to the freezing of pickled vegetables. In all these cases, the result will be a softening of the cabbage, a deterioration in taste (bitterness) and smell.

A lot of carrots

Most sauerkraut recipes are cooked with carrots. This orange root crop is added to give the appetizer color, flavor and even a crispy effect. Usually it is added a little, 1/3 or 1/4 part of the total amount of cabbage. If you overdo it with carrots, it can interfere with the normal course of fermentation.

Frozen or cured vegetable

For salting, it is necessary to take only fresh, unspoiled cabbage heads. A frozen vegetable already has an unpleasant odor and a sweetish taste, and when fermented, they only get worse. Corrupted cabbage, which began to rot, is not suitable for a winter snack, even if you remove leaves with traces of rot from it. Such a product in a jar will not ferment, but will foul.

Did you know? Sauerkraut juice helps not to get drunk when drinking alcohol and to cope with a hangover after a stormy feast.

Unsuitable cookware

The capacity for pickling is no less important than the quality of the products. In this case, the material from which the dishes are made is important.

Suitable packaging:

• wooden barrel;
• glass jars;
• enameled pan;
• Plastic container.

Important! Despite all the benefits of sour cabbage, it can not be eaten by people with hypertension, high acidity, as well as diseases of the pancreas, kidneys and gall bladder.

In no case should cabbage be fermented in a metal container (stainless steel, aluminum, etc.). Lactic acid reacts with metal molecules, corroding the walls of the pan. At the same time, harmful substances enter the snack, which stain the cabbage in a dark color, which makes it not only unappetizing in appearance, but also dangerous to health.

Useful Cooking Tips

In addition to the above, there are several more recommendations that will help improve the taste and texture of a cabbage snack:

1. Shredded vegetables should be mixed with salt, squeezing slightly to obtain juice. Strong push-ups will make the appetizer soft and not crispy.
2. Shredded cabbage should be covered with liquid at all times. With its lack, you can add chilled brine (1 tbsp. L salt to 1 l of boiled water).
3. During fermentation, you need to pierce the contents daily with a wooden stick to the bottom of the dishes to release the accumulated gases, otherwise the cabbage will become bitter.
4. Often sugar is added to the brine along with salt to accelerate fermentation, but if you overdo it, the cabbage strips will soften.
5. Along with or instead of carrots, you can add other vegetables (beets, bell peppers), sour fruits (coreless apples, seedless plums), sour berries (cranberries, cherries), pickled pickles or mushrooms.
6. Suitable spices for pickling: bay leaf, cloves, allspice and allspice, caraway seeds, anise.

There are a lot of recipes for making sauerkraut, classic and “with a twist”. But only adhering to the correct fermentation technology, you can make this appetizer so tasty that you’ll lick your fingers.