The L. The carbon dioxide displaces any oxygen in the jar—or brine—to help create an anaerobic fermentation environment. Stage two begins around day 5, after the bacteria in stage one, have died off. Its only job is to eat sugar and produce lactic acid. Lactic acid acts as a preservative, supports digestion, inhibits the growth of harmful bacteria, increases the bio-availability of Vitamin C, among other jobs.
Once there is no more sugar, fermentation ends. The acidic and low pH environment of stage three only allows for the growth of good bacteria. The lactic acid development during this stage contributes greatly to the flavor profile of your batch of sauerkraut.
When I teach my workshops, I have people open their sauerkraut on day 7 and taste. If they like it, put it in the fridge. Then, with the next batch they make, ferment it for two weeks. Taste and evaluate. If it is too salty, there is not enough tang or if it is too crunchy, let it ferment longer and try it in another week. This is a great way to begin to taste the development in flavor over time. Your taste buds will gradually notice subtle differences in flavor. The best quality sauerkraut is fermented for a minimum of 14 days with 21 being even better.
This time span ensures good flavor development, proper acidity level, and complete consumption of all the sugars in the cabbage. Cabbage fermented between days has three times more beneficial bioactive compounds than cabbage fermented in less than 14 days.
There are three variables you can play with that impact the taste, texture, and tang of your sauerkraut:. I like to keep coming back to these factors when tasting my sauerkraut. Bring sauerkraut and liquid slowly to a boil in a large kettle, stirring frequently. Wipe sealing edge of jars with a clean, damp paper towel. Add lids and tighten screw bands. Process for the recommended time according to Table 1. Fill and seal as previously described for a hot pack and process for recommended time see Table 1.
Load sealed jars onto the canner rack. Lower with handles in the preheated boiling water canner, or load one jar at a time with a jar lifter. Add water, if needed, to 1 inch above jars and cover. Bring water to boil over high heat. When water boils vigorously, lower heat to maintain a gentle boil and process for recommended time see Table 1.
Preheat the base of a steam canner that has been filled with the amount of water designated in the instruction manual that comes with the canner usually about 2 quarts.
Set the rack in the base of the canner. As each jar is filled, place it on canner rack, keeping the cover or lid on the atmospheric steam canner as you work. When all jars are in the canner, bring the canner to a boil over medium to medium-high heat until a steady column of steam at least 6 inches long escapes from the vent hole s. Processing time begins when there is a steady column of steam 6 to 8 inches long.
Slowly adjust the heat to maintain a steady column of steam throughout the processing time. After processing is complete, remove the canner from the heat and remove the canner lid.
Wait 5 minutes, carefully remove the jars from the canner with a jar lifter, and place them on a towel or rack to air-cool for 12 to 24 hours. Remove screw bands and check lid seals. If the center of the lid is indented, wash, dry, label, and store jar in a clean, cool, dark place. If lid is unsealed, examine and replace jar if defective, use new lid, and reprocess as before. Wash screw bands and store separately.
Sauerkraut is best if consumed within a year and is safe as long as lids remain vacuum sealed. Caution: The only research-based recipes for fermented vegetables include procedures for sauerkraut and fermented pickles. Photo Credit: Bigstock. Table 1. Recommended process times for sauerkraut in a boiling water or atmospheric steam canner at designated altitudes.
Sauerkraut may be fermented in small batches in quart or half-gallon jars. Spoilage is of greater concern when fermenting in jars because it is harder to keep the cabbage submerged below the brine. For the best success, it is important to ensure thorough mixing of cabbage and salt before packing into sterilized jars. Five pounds of cabbage makes about two 1-quart jars or one half-gallon jar. Sterilize the jar s by placing a rack in the bottom of a large pot, covering with water, and boiling for 10 minutes.
Allow jar s to cool before using. Shred the cabbage as directed in the previous section on preparation of sauerkraut. Thoroughly mix the salt into the cabbage in a large bowl and allow the cabbage to wilt for 10 minutes to draw out liquid.
Massage, tamp, and squeeze the cabbage until it becomes soft and juices accumulate at the bottom of the bowl. Pack the cabbage into the cooled jars, making sure to add any remaining juices from the bowl. Use your hand or a wooden spoon to press the cabbage into the jar and release any air pockets, leaving about 2 inches of headspace above the cabbage. Crocks also come with a water channel or a moat that, when filled with water, seals the ferment from dust, flies, and microbes and also keeps out air from entering into the crock.
The channel also releases built-up gases that form during fermentation, and this helps prevent undesirable molds from forming on top. Most vegetables like cucumbers, beans, and beets are ready within weeks. You can taste the vegetables to check the texture and flavor. If they are not sour or tart enough to your liking, you can keep them for a few more days before transferring them to the refrigerator. In summer months, do not ferment too long.
If you leave your kimchi , sauerkraut, or other ferments outside for too long when the ambient temperature is very warm, then you might nearly gag from the vinegar overload. But even if that occurs, all is not lost. You can save the batch by washing it with plain water to remove the excess sour brine. The remaining kraut can then be salvaged by adding to stews, soups, broths, and other sauerkraut recipes.
Check out some delicious ways to use sauerkraut. How long to ferment sauerkraut is a question many people ask when they are new to fermenting foods. The fact is: there is no definite answer. Some people love their kraut the very next day!
Yes, some people eat hour fermented kraut and are perfectly happy with its texture and sourness. Traditionally though, sauerkraut needs to be fermented for at least 21 days or 3 weeks. Let your taste buds, nose, and eyes be your guide. Does the kraut look fresh and edible? Does it smell fresh and edible? Is its taste to your liking? All these answers can help you determine if the fermentation is adequate.
In summer months, when ambient temperature is high, do not let the kraut sit outside for far too long. That will lead to a mushy, acrid, vinegar-like taste.
In winter, you can safely consider fermenting for a week up to three weeks. You can make use of pH strips to check the acidity of the ferment. Guide to Choosing the Best Fermentation Crock. Gigi Mitts Hi! Interestingly, at the ideal temperature of 65 deg F, those bacteria ferment in a sequence. Luckily, this sequence produces the highest quality kraut To learn more about this amazing natural sequence, I'd highly recommend this article.
Image meatsandsausages. Salt and salinity play a large role in perfect fermentation. Sometimes it takes a little tweaking but a good rule of thumb is:. A medium sized head of cabbage weighs around 2 lbs, but I always weigh it after I've removed the outer leaves and cored it. Read my article on how to make sauerkraut in a fermentation crock if you want an in-depth tutorial on the process.
If you end up with overly soft or slimy kraut, too much salt may be the issue. Under normal circumstances, their is some leeway, but too much salt combined with a high room temperature can be a recipe for something yucky. Whatever the fermenting gurus say I'm not one by the way, but I've been making this stuff a long time , your own personal ability and taste matter, and should be the over-arching metric on how long you ferment your kraut for.
Check this useful resource on how to make naturally fermented foods , in which I cover many of the questions you may have about getting started. Taste it after 7 days. Is it still crunchy, is it tangy or sour enough for you?
If so, then get it out of that crock or mason jar and into storage jars in the refrigerator. If it's not quite their, graciously replace the lid and leave it a few more days before you test again. There's little more to it than that.
Aim for the right salinity, the right temperature, and the right duration remembering to test along the way and you'll be fine. Slimy sauerkraut, fluffy of fuzzy mold and it's game over. Throw it and begin again. Keeping the air out is important, so I like fermenting sauerkraut in a water sealed fermentation crock. Here are a few cool things that you might want to consider if you decide to start fermenting. I love my cabbage pounder and also have a shredder similar to the one below.
I've used a knife for a long time, but the shredder speeds the process.
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