Sauerkraut is one of the most common snacks on the tables of our citizens. It would seem that there is nothing complicated in its preparation. But sometimes housewives make a number of mistakes, which in the end can worsen the taste of the resulting dish or even spoil it. To avoid making mistakes, you need to know all the properties of the main ingredient, the benefits and harms, as well as some cooking secrets to get a tasty and healthy snack.

Nutritional value of the product

Sauerkraut has a high nutritional value, since it is this method of preparation that preserves the maximum amount of nutrients.

In addition to a large number of vitamins (A, B1, B2, B5, PP), 100 g of the product contains:

• proteins - 1.6 g;
• fats - 0.1 g;
• carbohydrates - 5.2 g;
• dietary fiber - 4 g;
• starch - 0.2 g;
• ash - 0.9 g;
• organic acids - 79.2 g;
• mono- and disaccharides - 5 g;
• saturated fatty acids - 0.009 g.

Did you know? Traditional medicine attributes truly healing properties to sauerkraut. Traditional healers recommend consuming fermented product and juice from it literally for any illnesses, from a common cold and ending with serious illnesses such as epilepsy and bronchial asthma.

Benefit and harm

• Fermented product has a great benefit for the whole human body:
• helps the immune system function well;
• prevents premature aging;
• regulates digestion;
• contained potassium is involved in the regulation of water and acid balance.

• Despite all the benefits of the product, it has a number of contraindications and can, in certain cases, harm the human body:
• those who suffer from hypertension or gout should limit themselves in the use of this product, because it contains a large amount of salt;
• sauerkraut slows down the process of absorption of iodine, which is why people who have problems with the thyroid gland should consult their doctor before starting to use this snack;
• provokes bloating and diarrhea.

What to do if cabbage does not ferment, but goes out

At first glance, fermenting cabbage seems to be a fairly simple task. Nevertheless, many housewives make typical mistakes in the implementation of this process.

The most common errors are:

1. Exceeding the number of days spent by the product at room temperature.
2. The remainder of the unexplored gases.
3. Ignoring the use of oppression in the process of fermentation.
4. Salt deficiency.
5. Use of iodized salt.
6. Use early varieties of cabbage.

All these errors can lead to an unsuccessful fermentation result, namely: in the process of fermentation the cabbage will go out and not ferment.

How to save a product

To avoid the above errors, you must adhere to certain rules:

1. The product must be stored at room temperature (+ 22 ... + 24 ° C) for no more than 3-4 days, after which it must be moved to a cooler place, and preferably in a refrigerator. In this case, he will retain all his rich taste.
2. In order to release all the gases formed in it from the starter culture, it is necessary to pierce the vegetable mass daily with a wooden stick to the bottom (2-3 times) and send the product again in the refrigerator to ferment.
3. Depression must be used in the fermentation so that juice comes out on the surface, since the brine itself should be more than the product.
4. For successful fermentation, it is necessary to use salt in a strict proportion: 1 tbsp. l (20–25 g) per 1 kg of vegetables.
5. For fermentation, use only table salt.
6. Late cabbage is the best option for pickling, as it contains more sugar, which affects the speed of fermentation.

In some cases, if any mistakes were made and the fermentation process failed, the product can still be saved.

Important! Salt must be added no more than indicated above, since it is it that inhibits the fermentation process and the sourdough starts to deteriorate, becoming an unpleasant odor.

If oversalt

If the resulting snack was over-salted, it must be transferred to a dry container and add freshly chopped fresh vegetables (pepper, carrots, etc.) that can absorb part of the salt. If the brine has already managed to cover the whole product, you can drain part and add boiled water instead. To neutralize the salt level before consuming cabbage, you can season it with vegetable oil by adding onions.

If not fermented

If on the second day the cabbage does not start to sour, you can add sugar diluted with water (2 hours per 1 kg of vegetables) to the workpiece.

Useful Tips

Experienced housewives give some useful tips for cooking tasty, crispy and juicy sauerkraut:

1. The first step in preparing this snack is shredding, before which the fruit must not be washed. Only top leaves need to be removed and contaminated areas cleaned.
2. It is necessary to strictly adhere to the recipe for leaven and observe all proportions.
3. Before laying shredded cabbage in a bowl, its bottom must be covered with whole leaves of the fruit. Tamp the product must be very tight, until the juice appears, after which you need to cover the mass with a plate, and set the load on top.
4. The result of the start of fermentation is foam, which must be constantly removed. When it disappears from the surface, it means that the product is fermented.
5. It is important not to forget to pierce the cabbage with a wooden stick, so that the gases formed during the fermentation come out.
6. Throughout the process, the workpiece must be constantly covered with brine. In case it was not enough, this can be corrected by adding fresh saline.
7. For 3-4 days of pickling, you need to remove the surface layer from the product, then cover it with a clean light cloth and send for 1-2 days in the refrigerator.

Video: sauerkraut in its juice

If everything is done correctly, adhering to the above tips, then in this case you will probably be able to cook incredibly tasty, juicy and vitamin-rich sauerkraut.