Sauerkraut

Sauerkraut step-by-step recipe with photos.

Fermented foods have a long history and are a part of many cultures for thousands of years. They not only have numerous health benefits but are also a good way of storing vegetables. Pickles are the best example of fermented foods. In India, we make pickles with lemon, raw mango, and different vegetables. My grandmother would make a big batch of a pickle during summer which we would use over the entire year. Not just pickles, idli, and dosa are great fermented foods that are eaten regularly at my home.

Sauerkraut is basically fermented cabbage that originated in Germany. Sauerkraut is finely cut raw cabbage that has been fermented by various lactic acid bacteria. It has a long shelf life and a distinctive sour flavour, both of which result from the lactic acid formed when the bacteria ferment the sugars in the cabbage leaves.
It is crunchy, sour pickled cabbage that is very simple to make. All you need is cabbage, whey, and salt. But most importantly, time. I make sauerkraut with a mix of purple and white cabbage as the purple cabbage yields a beautiful colour to it. Combine these ingredients together and place in an air-tight container away from light for two to three weeks. Done!

Follow my step by step process to make sauerkraut at home and enjoy this delicious pickled food that has numerous health benefits.

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Sauerkraut step-by-step recipe with photos

1. Combine cabbage, carrort and beetroot in a large bowl

2. Add salt to it

3. Add whey next

4. Squeeze the cabbage with your hands or a masher to extract as much liquid as possible

5. Pack the cabbage tightly in air-tight containers making sure the liquid floats on top

6. Saurkraurt after fermentation