How to pickle shredded cabbage in a barrel? (Kako ukiseliti ribani kupus u buretu?)

Traditional sauerkraut, crisp, juicy and pleasantly sour, is prepared with the correct dosage of salt, good squeezing and natural fermentation. After a few days of fermentation, it acquires a characteristic taste and is ready to be eaten or stored in a cool place.

Tags: winter stores (preserves).

Ingredients:

• 10 kg of cabbage (cleaned and shredded)
• 250 g coarse non-iodized salt* (see note)
• 1-2 tbsp caraway seeds (optional)
• 1–2 dried bay leaves (optional)

Required: 20 liter barrel, list of required items* (see note)

Preparation:

Cleaning cabbage

1. Remove the outer leaves from the cabbage that are dirty, withered or damaged and throw them away. Save the good and clean outer leaves because they can be placed over the sieve as a protective layer at the end.

2. Wash the cabbage well under cold water, especially the outer part of the head, to remove dirt and impurities.

3. Remove damaged parts and roots.

Shredding cabbage

4. You will need a cabbage grater or a cabbage mandolin; usually plastic - metal. Shred the cabbage into thin noodles.

Measuring shredded cabbage

5. Measure the exact amount of shredded cabbage.

6. Measure 25 g of salt for every 1 kg of shredded cabbage.

Salting shredded cabbage

7a. For 10 kg of shredded cabbage, you can divide it into 4 parts. So you get 2.5 kg of cabbage + 62.5 g of salt.

For each part:

A) Place 2.5 kg of shredded cabbage in a large, clean container.

Sprinkle evenly with 62.5 g of salt.

B) Mash (squeeze) the cabbage with your hands for 5-10 minutes, until it softens and releases a lot of juice. This is an important part of the process — you don't just have to mix it with the salt, you really have to mash (squeeze) it.

C) Transfer the squeezed cabbage to the barrel. Press well with your fist or kitchen wooden mallet to release the air.

D) Repeat the same with the remaining 3 parts.

7b. If you divide 10 kg of shredded cabbage into 8 parts:

10 kg ÷ 8 = 1.25 kg of cabbage

250 g of salt ÷ 8 = 31.25 g of salt

So each part is:

• 1.25 kg of shredded cabbage + 31.25 g of salt.

Adding spices

8. If using caraway or bay leaves, spread them between the layers.

When you put the first row of cabbage in the barrel, sprinkle it with ¼ teaspoon of caraway.

After the second row of cabbage, you can put one broken bay leaf.

Repeat the caraway-bay leaf depending on whether you have divided the shredded cabbage into 4 or 8 parts.

9. At the end, press well with your fist to let the air out.

9b. When all the cabbage is folded and well pressed, place the saved whole outer cabbage leaves over the shredded cabbage. The leaves should cover the entire surface of the shredded cabbage.

Closing the barrel

10. Place a clean cabbage press or a plate or other suitable surface of the diameter of the barrel over the cabbage.

11. Place a clean weight 1-2 kg on top of it that will keep the cabbage completely submerged in the juice (brine). It is important that the weight presses the cabbage over the plate and that the weight itself is clean and suitable for contact with food.

12. Close the barrel with a lid.

Fermentation of shredded cabbage

13. Monitor the fermentation for the first few days. The cabbage should remain completely covered in its own juice (brine). If the cabbage rises above the liquid, you need to press it again with a clean hand or kitchen mallet and return the pressure plate and the weight so that the cabbage remains submerged.

14. Keep the barrel at approximately 18–22 °C while fermentation is actively going on, about 7–10 days.

Tasting sauerkraut

15. After 7 days, try the cabbage. If it is pleasantly sour and the taste suits you, you can eat it. If you want a more sour taste, continue the fermentation for a few more days.

Storing sauerkraut

16. When it reaches the desired taste, move the barrel to a cooler place. 

17. If the cabbage is properly pickled and after fermentation is stored in a cold place, can last:

In a barrel, at a temperature of about 0–5 °C: 3–6 months.

In the refrigerator, if transferred to jars: several months, provided that it is always completely covered with juice (brine); about 2–3 months after transferring to jars.

 Note on the amount of salt 

How much salt do I need for 1 kg of shredded cabbage?

You need:

• 20 g of salt per 1 kg of shredded cabbage for milder salting.
• 25 g of salt per 1 kg of shredded cabbage, the most common ratio for fermentation.
• 30 g of salt per 1 kg of shredded cabbage for stronger salting

 Note: What is needed for pickling shredded cabbage? 

You need:

1. Cabbage grater or cabbage mandoline
2. A large, clean container for mixing cabbage and salt
3. Kitchen scale for precise measuring of cabbage and salt
4. Measuring cup
5. A large spoon or ladle for evenly distributing the salt
6. Clean hands or disposable gloves for mashing (squeezing) cabbage
7. Clean hands or a wooden mallet or a wooden kitchen hammer for pressing the cabbage into the barrel
8. A pressure plate or a clean, suitable substitute that fits over the cabbage. Plastic pressure disc for fermentation of the appropriate barrel diameter. Do not use a regular wooden plate or metal plate.
9. A weight or a suitable pressure stone that will hold the cabbage submerged in the juice (brine).
10. Barrel and barrel lid.
11. Clean cloth for wiping and maintaining equipment.

 Why is salt important for sauerkraut? 

Salt is very important when pickling because it does several things at the same time:

1. Extracts water from cabbage.

When you squeeze cabbage with salt, the salt draws water out of its cells. This creates a natural brine that should cover the cabbage.

2. Enables proper fermentation.

Salt creates conditions in which desirable lactic acid bacteria can thrive, while many undesirable bacteria and microorganisms are suppressed.

3. Protects cabbage from spoilage.

Cabbage must be submerged in brine, without contact with air. Salt helps fermentation to take place properly and reduces the risk of mold and spoilage.

4. Gives a characteristic taste.

The amount of salt also affects the final taste. Too little salt can lead to poor fermentation, while too much salt can slow down fermentation and leave the cabbage too salty.

5. It helps keep the cabbage firm.

The appropriate concentration of salt helps the rind to retain a better texture during fermentation and storage.

 Why are caraway and bay leaves added? 

• Caraway and bay leaves are added primarily for flavor and aroma.
• Caraway gives a characteristic, slightly sweet and aromatic taste and smell. It is also traditionally used because it is believed to be able to alleviate the flatulence that cabbage causes in some people.
• Bay leaves give a mild, warm and aromatic note and enrich the taste of cabbage.
• They are not necessary for fermentation. Cabbage will pickle even without them.
• They are not used for preservation in the sense that they can replace the appropriate amount of salt.

Tradicionalni kiseli ribani kupus, hrskav, socan i prijatno kiseo, priprema se uz pravilno doziranje soli, dobro gnjecenje i prirodnu fermentaciju. Nakon nekoliko dana fermentacije dobija karakteristican ukus i spreman je za jelo ili cuvanje na hladnom mestu. 

Oznake: zimnica.

Sastojci:

• 10 kg kupusa (ociscenog i naribanog)
• 250 g krupne nejodirane soli* (vidi napomenu)
• 1–2 kasike kima (opciono)
• 1–2 suva lista lovora (opciono)

Potrebno: bure od 20 litara, lista potrebnih stvari* (vidi napomenu)

Priprema:

Ciscenje kupusa

1. Kupusu skinite spoljasnje listove koji su prljavi, uveli ili osteceni i bacite ih. Dobre i ciste spoljasnje listove sacuvajte jer se na kraju mogu staviti preko ribanca kao zastitni sloj.

2. Kupus dobro operite pod mlazom hladne vode, posebno spoljasnji deo glavice, kako biste uklonili zemlju i necistoce.

3. Odstranite ostecene delove i koren.

Rendanje kupusa

4. Treba ce vam rende za kupus ili mandolina za kupus; obično plasticno metalna. Kupus narendajte na tanke rezance.

Merenje ribanog kupusa

5. Izmerite tačnu količinu naribanog kupusa. 

6. Na svaki 1 kg ribanog kupusa odmerite 25 g soli.

Soljenje ribanog kupusa

7a. Za 10 kg naribanog kupusa, mozete da ga podelite na 4 dela. Tako dobijete 2,5 kg kupusa + 62,5 g soli.

Za svaki deo:

A) Stavite 2,5 kg naribanog kupusa u vecu cistu posudu.

Ravnomerno pospite sa 62,5 g soli.

B) Gnjecite kupus rukama 5–10 minuta, dok ne omeksa i ne pusti dosta soka. Ovo je važan deo postupka — ne treba ga samo pomešati sa solju, već ga stvarno izgnječiti.

C) Prebacite izgnjeceni kupus u bure. Dobro pritisnite pesnicom, drvenim tuckon ili kuhinjskim drvenim cekicem, da izadje vazduh.

D) Ponovite isto sa preostala 3 dela.

7b. Ako 10 kg naribanog kupusa delite na 8 delova:

10 kg ÷ 8 = 1,25 kg kupusa

250 g soli ÷ 8 = 31,25 g soli

Dakle, svaki deo je:

• 1,25 kg naribanog kupusa + 31,25 g soli.

Dodavanje zacina

8. Ako koristite kim ili lovor, rasporedite ih između slojeva. 

Kad stavite prvi red kupusa u bure pospite sa ¼ kasicice kima. 

Posle drugog reda kupusa mozete staviti jedan ilomljeni list lovora. 

Ponovljajte kim - lovor zavisno da li ste ribani kupus podelili na 4 ili 8 delova.

9. Na kraju dobro pritisnite pesnicom da izadje vazduh.

9b. Kada je sav kupus slozen i dobro pritisnut, preko naribanog kupusa stavite sacuvane cele spoljasnje listove kupusa. Listovi treba da prekriju celu povrsinu naribanog kupusa.

Zatvaranje bureta 

10. Preko kupusa stavite cisti pritiskivac za kupus ili tanjir ili drugu odgovarajuću podlogu precnika bureta.

11. Preko toga stavite čist teg od 1-2 kg koji će držati kupus potpuno potopljen u soku. Vazno je da teg pritiska kupus preko tanjira i da je sam teg cist i pogodan za kontakt sa hranom.

12. Bure zatvorite poklopcem.

Fermentacija ribanog kupusa

13. Prvih nekoliko dana pratite fermentaciju. Kupus treba da ostane potpuno prekriven sopstvenim sokom. Ako se kupus podigne iznad tečnosti, potrebno ga je ponovo pritisnuti cistom rukom ili tuckom i ponovo namestite pritisnu plocu i teg tako da kupus ostane potopljen.

14. Bure držite na približno 18–22 °C dok fermentacija aktivno traje, oko 7-10 dana.

Probanje kiselog ribanog kupusa 

15. Posle 7 dana probajte kupus. Ako je prijatno kiseo i ukus vam odgovara, mozete da ga jedete. Ako zelite kiseliji ukus, nastavite fermentaciju jos nekoliko dana.

Čuvanje kiselog ribanog kupusa 

16. Kada dostigne zeljeni ukus, premestite bure na hladnije mesto.

17. Ako je kupus pravilno ukiseljen i nakon fermentacije se cuva na hladnom mestu, moze trajati:

U buretu, na temperaturi oko 0–5 °C: 3–6 meseci.

U frizideru, ako je prebacen u tegle: nekoliko meseci, uz uslov da je stalno potpuno prekriven sokom. Otprilike oko 2–3 meseca nakon prebacivanja u tegle.

 Napomena za kolicinu soli 

Koliko soli mi treba na 1 kg ribanog kupusa?

Treba vam:

• 20 g soli na 1 kg ribanog kupusa za blaže soljenje.
• 25 g soli na 1 kg ribanog kupusa, najcesci odnos za fermentaciju.
• 30 g soli na 1 kg ribanog kupusa za jače soljenje 

Napomena: Sta je sve potrebno za kiseljenje ribanog kupusa?

Potrebno vam je:

1. Rende za kupus ili mandolina za kupus
2. Velika cista posuda za mesanje kupusa i soli
3. Kuhinjska vaga za precizno merenje kupusa i soli
4. Merna posuda ili casa
5. Velika kasika ili lopatica za ravnomerno rasporedjivanje soli
6. Ciste ruke ili jednokratne rukavice za gnjecenje kupusa
7. Ciste ruke ili drveni tucak ili drveni kuhinjski cekic za nabijanje kupusa u bure
8. Pritisna ploca ili cista odgovarajuca podloga koja naleze preko kupusa. Plasticni pritisni disk za fermentaciju odgovarajuceg precnika za bure. Nemojte koristiti obicnu drvenu plocu ili metalnu plocu.
9. Teg ili odgovarajuci kamen za pritisak koji ce drzati kupus potopljen u soku (salamuru).
10. Bure i poklopac za bure
11. Cista krpa za brisanje i odrzavanje opreme

 Zašto je so važna za kiseljenje kupusa? 

So je kod kiseljenja ribanca veoma važna jer radi nekoliko stvari istovremeno:

1. Izvlači vodu iz kupusa.

Kada izgnječite kupus sa solju, so izvlači vodu iz njegovih ćelija. Tako nastaje prirodna salamura koja treba da prekrije kupus.

2. Omogućava pravilnu fermentaciju.

So stvara uslove u kojima poželjne bakterije mlečne kiseline mogu da se razvijaju, dok se mnoge nepoželjne bakterije i mikroorganizmi potiskuju.

3. Čuva kupus od kvarenja.

Kupus mora da bude potopljen u salamuru, bez kontakta sa vazduhom. So pomaže da se fermentacija odvija na pravilan način i smanjuje rizik od plesni i kvarenja.

4. Daje karakterističan ukus.

Količina soli utiče i na konačan ukus. Premalo soli može dovesti do loše fermentacije, dok previše soli može usporiti fermentaciju i ostaviti kupus previše slanim.

5. Pomaže da kupus ostane čvrst.

Odgovarajuća koncentracija soli pomaže da ribanac zadrži bolju teksturu tokom fermentacije i čuvanja.

 Zašto se dodaje kim i lovor? 

• Kim i lovor se dodaju prvenstveno zbog ukusa i mirisa.
• Kim daje karakteristican, blago sladak i aromatcan ukus i miris. Tradicionalno se koristi i zato sto se smatra da moze da ublazi nadimanje koje kupus kod nekih ljudi izaziva.
• Lovor daje blagu, toplu i aromaticnu notu i obogacuje ukus kupusa.
• Nisu neophodni za fermentaciju. Kupus ce se ukiseliti i bez njih.
• Ne sluze za konzerviranje u smislu da mogu da zamene odgovarajucu kolicinu soli.