Can you sour cabbage in a plastic bucket? The recipe for sauerkraut in a plastic bucket

Autumn-winter is the most favorable season for sour cabbage. By this time, the vegetable has matured and is completely ready for further use. For souring, you need to prepare cabbage and other vegetables, spices, a sharp knife, shredder, yarn and, of course, tare. Can you sour cabbage in a plastic bucket? This is exactly what will be discussed in the article.

How to sour cabbage?

More suitable container than a wooden barrel, not found. But it is difficult to store it in an apartment, and cabbage too much. Another problem - it is difficult to buy the capacity of the right volume and from a good tree.

For sauces a large enamel saucepan will do. Make sure that it is chipped. Otherwise, you risk ruining the cabbage: it can acquire an unattractive gray color and unpleasant taste.

If you need a small amount of sauerkraut, then for this glass container is suitable: a three-liter can or a five-liter bottle.

In no case can you take a container of metal, for example, aluminum or stainless steel. As a rule, during fermentation, the acid reacts with the metal. Cabbage absorbs everything and loses its taste and usefulness. Many people ask themselves: is it possible to sap cabbage in a plastic bucket?

Plastic buckets designed for cold food are now being manufactured. Some sell fermented milk products, mayonnaise, salted fish and others. But is it possible to sour cabbage in a plastic bucket, because during fermentation, there is an acid that, in one way or another, reacts with plastic? Sauerkraut absorbs the smell and it is not known which elements. And not always buckets are made of the right plastic. Other impurities may be included in the composition. So, using low-quality packaging, we risk not only to spoil the taste of the dish, but also our health.

And what if there is no other suitable container? Can you sour cabbage in a plastic bucket? Yes, you can, but just listen to the following recommendations:

1. Be sure to buy a plastic bucket only for food. Do not hesitate to ask the seller for a certificate in order to make sure of the quality of the purchase.
2. Buy buckets not from colored plastic. It is best to take a colorless, like capron lid for a can, or white, like the one in which sour cream is sold in stores.
3. Clean the new bucket several times. Then dial up to the top of the water and leave for a day. After that, dry it in the open air.
4. You can sour cabbage in a plastic bucket by placing a plastic bag in it. Use only the food package. Also suitable food film, which is covered with a bucket inside.
5. It is necessary to sour cabbage in a plastic bucket to the full readiness. Then it is better to shift it into glass jars. Cut cabbage and pour the resulting juice.

Choosing cabbage for souring

How to sour cabbage in a plastic bucket? First you need to pick the right vegetables. Mid-late and late varieties of cabbage are the most suitable for harvesting for the winter. They have sugar, and this is necessary for the fermentation process. Experienced housewives recommend taking those heads, which took a little frost, and they lay down for a while. Then the cabbage loses bitterness. But avoid frozen vegetables.

For souring it is necessary to choose undamaged and tight cabbage heads. Leaves should be without rot and wormholes. It is recommended to take large heads of cabbage. As a result, get more shredded leaves and less waste.

What can be added to sauerkraut?

Quitting is impossible without salt. It is best to take the usual cookery, and even a large grind. If the first time you take a sour, then it's worth sticking to the proportions indicated in the recipe. Experienced housewives salt by eye and to taste, which meets the needs of the family.

In sauerkraut add bay leaf, pepper black peas, sweet and hot pepper, horseradish, apples, cranberries, pumpkin, cranberries, plums, currant leaves and even oak bark. And of course, there should be carrots, cut into thin circles or chopped on a large grater. It gives the cabbage aroma and crispy properties.

Some mistresses put a table beet into the cabbage for cutting the color or add the juice. In sauerkraut all the vegetables or fruits must be cut into strips.

How and where to cut cabbage head

For cutting cabbage, a wide and long chef's knife will fit , it must necessarily be well ground. Sometimes a special cut is used for cabbage, but it too finely cuts the leaves, and they are not very suitable for souring.

You can find a board shredder, just remember that the knives are very sharp and easy to hurt. Therefore, you need to learn how to use it and be extremely careful.

Cut cabbage best on a wide table or a large wooden cutting board. Shredded leaves can be left here or poured into the enameled basin, where we will mix all the ingredients.

There are several ways of cutting cabbage. In most cases, the head is cut in half and then not too finely shredded. You can also cut cabbage with squares. There are ways of souring quarters, halves and even whole heads.

Shredded cabbage is combined with salt, spices, carrots and other selected ingredients. Stir thoroughly with hands and leave for a while until the appearance of the first juice.

Technology of storing and storing sauerkraut

Is it possible to ferment cabbage in a plastic bucket? Oh sure. Only need to adhere to a certain technology. Prepared vegetable mixture begins to pawn in a container. The bottom of the tank should be laid with washed cabbage leaves. Further we fall asleep a cabbage and densely we compact. Usually, use a wooden rolling pin. But it is possible and a hand. Each layer of the mixture is rammed until liquid appears on the surface. The top is covered with a leaf of cabbage and a white natural cloth (you can use a cut of gauze). Also use a wooden circle, a plate or lid that is smaller than the diameter of the neck of the container, but does not leave a large distance from the walls. Be sure to put oppression on top. For this purpose, a stone, a weight (wrapped with food film) or a container with water will do.

Tar and cabbage leave for three or four days indoors, the temperature in which is not less than 17 and not more than 22 degrees. In this temperature regime, fermentation of cabbage takes place during this time. As a result of this process, a lot of juice will be allocated, so put the container in another container, which will drain the liquid.

Indicators of proper fermentation are considered to be gas bubbles and foam on the surface. You need to collect the foam from time to time. To cabbage evenly sour, as well as gas, it must be punctured with a long wooden stick. So get rid of the bitter taste of sauerkraut.

The termination of the release of liquid and gas indicates the end of fermentation. It is worth to taste the product. Cabbage should have a pleasant sour taste, a slightly orange color and a specific flavor.

Tare with sauerkraut is placed in a cooler place and stored at a temperature of 0 to 5 degrees. Some housewives practice freezing sauerkraut. The finished product is put into freezing bags and placed in a freezer. To use enough to defrost the cabbage. It is worth noting that neither taste nor flavor nor useful properties are lost.

Sauerkraut in a plastic bucket: recipe

To get 10 kilograms of chopped cabbage, you need to take 12 kilograms whole.

From the head we separate the upper leaves, divide them in half and cut out the stump. Shinkle cabbage and mix it with sliced carrot (300-400 grams), salt (no more than 250 grams), add bay leaf, as well as other vegetables or fruits.

Put cabbage leaves on the bottom of the bucket. Top with a mixture of mixture and a tube so that liquid appears above the layer. We top the cabbage with leaves, cover with gauze and load.

The process of souring will last from 3 to 5 days. Do not forget to collect foam and pierce cabbage with a stick to the very bottom. Every day you need to stretch gauze and wash the load. Already cooked sauerkraut to store in a cool place.

The recipe for sauerkraut in a plastic bucket with whole heads

For this method of fermentation, it is necessary to take dense and small heads of cabbage. Remove the top leaves and gently cut the stump. Prepared kochany put in a container, lay the bottom of the bark of oak, and over cabbage put the leaves of currants and cherries.

Prepare the brine: in 10 liters of water, dissolve 500-600 grams of salt. Pour the cabbage so that the liquid completely covers the heads. Cover with gauze, wooden circles, put oppression.

The recipe for sauerkraut with cranberries (cranberries)

Shred 10 kg of cabbage, add 400 grams of sliced carrots, add salt (50-100 grams) and mix thoroughly.

Cover the mixture in a container, pour every layer and sprinkle with cranberries (cranberries). It will take 700-800 grams of berries. The last layer should be from cabbage. Cover with cabbage leaf, cloth, plate and put oppression.

Every day to conduct water procedures for oppression and tissue, pierce cabbage with a stick and collect excess foam. This recipe is suitable for sour cabbage with apples or pumpkin.

Sour cabbage in its own juice is not only nutritious, but also very useful. It contains vitamins B and C, which are stored for a long time. Do not be afraid to sour cabbage. The proposed recommendations and secrets will save you from mistakes, and cabbage will turn out to be very crispy and fragrant.