Ukrainian Cuisine

Sauerkraut is the most affordable source of vitamins in the autumn-winter period. You can easily buy it in the store, but the most delicious is cooked with your own hands. Before fermenting the cabbage, it can be cut in different ways, depending on its further use. Sauerkraut: Health benefits Sauerkraut is a real storehouse of vitamin C, pectin, calcium and sulforaphane. In addition, sauerkraut contains vitamin A, B vitamins, vitamins K and U. These substances prevent the occurrence of many diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, including gastric ulcer and duodenal ulcer;
Sauerkraut is rich in trace elements, such as iron, potassium, magnesium and zinc;
It contains probiotics-living microorganisms that play an important role in the work of the intestine. They produce vitamins, amino acids, form a healthy intestinal immunity and prevent allergies, weight fluctuations, a tendency to type 2 diabetes and maintain healthy cholesterol levels;
The lactic acid formed in the process of fermentation stimulates the metabolism and makes the skin more fresh and elastic;
The high content of vitamin C in sauerkraut helps to strengthen the immune system and prevents the aging of cells and tissues;
Sauerkraut, increasing immunity, increases the body’s stress resistance, activates the metabolism and promotes the stimulation of the production of red blood cells;
Sauerkraut is useful for those who watch their figure, as it contains few calories. In addition, tartronic acid, which is contained in it, prevents the conversion of sugar and carbohydrates into fat.

Who can’t eat sauerkraut

Sauerkraut is contraindicated in children Sauerkraut is not recommended for exacerbation of gastritis with high acidity (can cause heartburn), with stomach ulcers and duodenal ulcers;
With cholelithiasis;
In case of kidney failure;
With hypertension;
If you are pregnant for a long time, because it can retain fluid in the body;
Young children, because sauerkraut causes increased gas formation and colic.

Sauerkraut: calorie content

Sauerkraut contains only 19 calories per 100 g. Nutritionists recommend eating no more than 200 g of this product per day.

Sauerkraut: classic recipe

Ingredients:
White cabbage – 5 kg
Salt – 50 g
Water – 100 ml
Cooking method:
Remove the head from the stalk and finely chop it.
To make the cabbage white and crisp, it is not necessary to rub it with salt. You can prepare a brine and pour it over the chopped cabbage, tightly packed in an enameled dish.
To give a special taste to the cabbage, you can put ripe cranberries or halves of winter varieties of apples. And it is also very tasty if you intersperse the layers of cabbage with layers of cut in half pickles.

Sauerkraut with carrots

There is another way of sauerkraut, which can be harvested even summer varieties of cabbage. To do this, chop the cabbage, add salt, put it tightly in a jar and pour hot water. Top with a piece of black bread drizzled with a few drops of vinegar, and cover. After three days, the cabbage can already be eaten.

Crispy sauerkraut: a quick cooking recipe

Ingredients:
4-4. 5 kg of cabbage
350-400 g of carrots
Salt – to taste
Sugar – to taste

Cooking method:

Wash the cabbage and chop it by hand or using a food processor, removing the stalk.
Stack the cabbage in a large bowl. Grate the peeled carrots on top. Sprinkle with coarse salt and sugar (you will need a few large pinches).
Mash everything well with clean hands. Try it, add a little more sugar or salt if necessary.
Fill the jar tightly with cabbage, without filling it to the top (there should be room for the juice that will be released during the fermentation process).
Loosely cover the jar with a lid and leave at room temperature for two days. If the house is cool, you will need a day or two more. You will see when the fermentation process comes to an end: there will no longer be a cloudy liquid released and the foam cap on the cabbage jar will disappear.
Cover the finished sauerkraut with a lid and put it in the refrigerator. Sauerkraut with spices

Instant sauerkraut

Ingredients:
4 kg of cabbage
300-500 g carrots
1/2 cup sugar
For brine:
1 liter of boiled water
1.5 tbsp salt

Cooking method:

Mix the chopped cabbage together with the grated carrots, rub with your hands, lightly squeezing so that the cabbage gives juice, and put it tightly in jars. Fill the brine to the top.
Tie the neck of the jar with gauze. Put the cans of cabbage in a basin, as the juice will be poured out of them during fermentation.
After 3 days, drain all the juice, dissolve the sugar in it and pour it back into the cans with cabbage. After 3-4 hours, you can eat cabbage. Store in the refrigerator.A simple vitamin salad from the vegetarian menu. It has quite enough sharpness and salinity from sauerkraut and cranberries, but, focusing on your taste, you can make the necessary additions!