Preserving the Harvest - Fermenting Whole Cabbage Heads

Remember my blog post about fermenting whole cabbage heads? Fermenting Whole Cabbage Heads - Sauerkraut Well, it was time to make a decision about what to do with them.  

I wanted to keep the probiotic rich sauerkraut and use it just as it was, but I was concerned that it would become to sour and salty the longer that they fermented. I really like sauerkraut, but this was as strong as I wanted it to get. 

It's common in other parts of the world to leave the whole heads of fermented cabbage in giant barrels that they were fermented in down in the root cellar and pull out a head as needed. We do not eat a barrel of kraut every year, so we are not used to really strong kraut.   

I just had to process most of the heads. I saved some of the juice to add
to water for hydration and nutrition. Wow, it is powerfully strong but
very flavorful. 

I saved some raw kraut too. I will store it in the
refrigerator to slow down the fermenting process.

Am I the only one who thinks canning jars filled with the harvest
is a beautiful sight?

The cranberry juice that I canned turned out great. Homemade Cranberry Juice  I highly recommend trying out this recipe. 

Shalom,

Mrs. Smith

 

Fermenting Whole Cabbage Heads - Sauerkraut

Fermenting sour kraut is easy, but fermenting whole cabbages is even easier. There is no chopping involved. This method is used for fermenting large or small amounts of cabbage heads fast. The whole outer leaves are used in dishes like cabbage rolls. I will go a step further and use them to make Dolmas. Pickled grape leaves are outrageously expensive.

As I stated in my previous blog, I could only find three cabbages
that had tightly packed leaves. 

What you will need:

Whole Cabbages

Spices of your choosing

Salt, preferably sea salt or pickling salt

Spring water, well water (Tap water has chlorine that will impede the fermentation progress) 

Coring knife and cutting board

A Crock, food grade bucket or barrel with a lid

Cut the core out of the center of the cabbage heads.

Add a generous amount of salt to the center. This will aid in pickling
the cabbage throughout. 

The cabbage should be packed tightly together inside the container. 
I cut some of my heads in half and salted them to help pack them
into the crock. 

Here I am salting the cabbage halves.

The brine solution that I am using is 2 tablespoons of sea salt
for every four cups of filtered water.

Gently poor the brine over the cabbage until it is covered by
at least one inch of brine.

Add the spices if you chose to use any.

Once the cabbage has absorbed the brine, add more brine if needed.

Use a plate or weights to submerge the cabbage completely.

Place the lid on the crock.

Store in a cool dark place. Check the brine level for a couple days to
ensure that the cabbage is completely submersed. Let set for at least
40 days. 

After 40 days, check to see if the cabbage is pickled to your satisfaction. At this point, it can be stored as is in a cold room or refrigerated to slow down the fermentation process. It will continue to ferment, but at a much slower rate. 

The brine solution is very good for you. It is full of probiotics and can be served as a beverage over ice. If you cannot have salt, do not drink the brine. It is salty. It is the perfect beverage after a workout or a day of exertion. 

My plan is to use the larger leaves to make Dolmas, cabbage rolls or to chop it into sauerkraut. My original plan was to ferment using my 10-gallon crock, but I will have to wait until I can find enough cabbage to fill the crock. Maybe they will be abundant and on sale around St. Patrick's Day.

Enjoy,

Mrs. Smith