Sauerkraut with cranberries

The cabbage is fermented together with berries and carrots. Spices are not added to prevent them from distracting from the cranberry flavor. Sauerkraut with cranberries is served without an oil dressing. The moderately sour and slightly astringent taste of the fermented vegetables adds a pleasant variety to the winter menu. Jars of cabbage in the refrigerator help to avoid longing for the abundance of summer vegetables. Fermented vegetables are healthier than raw. Therefore, sauerkraut with cranberries can also be considered a remedy for preventing colds and strengthening immunity.

Yield: 12 servings.

Preparation time: 5 days.

Caloric content: 26 kcal per 100 grams of the dish.

Ingredients

• cabbage – 2 kg;
• salt – 2 tbsp;
• carrot – 1 piece;
• cranberries – ½ cup.

Preparation

1. Prepare the products for making sauerkraut with cranberries. First, pay attention to the appearance: the chosen head should be flattened, and in section, it should show thick snow-white leaves with a sweet taste.

2. Clean a small carrot; an excess of grated carrot in the dish prevents the formation of the proper cabbage taste. Cut the head in half, remove the core and the thin greenish top leaves. After that, weigh the cabbage. Wash the prepared vegetables in cold water.

3. Shred or grate the cabbage on a special grater. The general requirement is that the cabbage strips should be long and somewhat thin.

4. Salt the cabbage and knead it by hand to release the juice.

5. Grate the carrot on a coarse grater, it should not be kneaded together with the cabbage.

6. In a convenient container, mix the carrot and cabbage.

7. Add fresh cranberries.

8. Cabbage ferments well and quickly in large containers; the shreds can be kneaded into a three-liter jar. A weight is not used in this case, all hope is on tight packing.

9. But the best option is fermentation in a deep glass container under a weight. Pour the cabbage with the juice released during kneading into a glass salad bowl. Place a flat plate on top and set a jar of water on it. Under the pressure of the weight, the cabbage juice rises and covers all the vegetable shreds. The cabbage will ferment at room temperature for 4-5 days.

10. Once a day, the weight should be removed and the cabbage mass should be “pierced” in several places to the very bottom with a wooden skewer. After this, it is worth returning the plate and weight to their places.

11. When the cabbage acquires a characteristic sour taste, the weight is removed. The cabbage is transferred to liter jars, covered with plastic lids, and placed in the refrigerator. If the salad bowl fits in the refrigerator, the cabbage can be left in it, covered with plastic wrap.

12. Sauerkraut with cranberries is the healthiest winter salad, and the dish is served chilled.