The best sauerkraut recipes without salt and sugar

Sauerkraut without salt and sugar - this is a tasty and dietary snack, good for the body and a convenient way to quickly process the harvest. To prepare it, no special culinary skills or knowledge are required; all ingredients can be easily purchased at your local store.

Let's take a closer look at popular recipes for sauerkraut without salt and sugar and learn the secrets of their preparation.

Features of sauerkraut

To ferment cabbage, lactic acid is used as a preservative, which is obtained during the fermentation process. Vinegar is not needed for cooking, so the dishes turn out tender.

Lactic acid preserves the elasticity and beneficial vitamin composition of cabbage, saturates it with a piquant sweet and sour aroma. Large wooden barrels are chosen for fermentation at the dacha - this snack will last for a whole year. In a city apartment, enamel buckets or jars are used.

Interesting! Sauerkraut is added to borscht or cabbage soup. The soups are spicy, with a pleasant sourness. You don't have to buy fresh vegetables before every cooking.

Sugar adds extra pounds, and salt retains fluid in the body, so the absence of these ingredients increases the beneficial properties of the product.

Selection and preparation of ingredients

For cooking, choose fresh vegetables with elastic white-green leaves. Sluggish specimens are not suitable. The vegetable is examined from all sides, its shape and the appearance of the leaves are checked.If there are black or brown spots, such cabbage should not be purchased. Compact and heavy heads of cabbage are suitable for pickling. Experienced chefs recommend choosing medium and late varieties - they have a juicy taste.

For preparation, use clean, fresh water. It is better to take spring water or from a well; if there are no such options, filtered or from a bottle. The fermentation process and the shelf life of the product depend on the quality and composition of the water.

Recipes for sauerkraut without salt and sugar

Let's study the best recipes for fermenting cabbage for the winter, learn the features and nuances of their preparation.

Classic recipe

The classic recipe is easy to prepare. This appetizer is served chilled. It goes well with vegetable side dishes, fried potatoes, pilaf, and dumplings. Young heads of cabbage are used for cooking.

List of ingredients:

• 1.5 kg cabbage;
• 300 g carrots;
• 0.5 liters of water.

Fermentation process:

1. Grind the head of cabbage on a medium-sized grater or cut into thin strips. Chop the carrots. Mix ingredients in a deep bowl.
2. Mix with your hands, but do not squeeze, otherwise the cabbage will lose its juice and become soft.
3. Rinse the jar and put the vegetables into it. Pour cold water up to the throat.
4. Pierce the vegetables in different places with a wooden stick so that the gases escape from the jar.
5. Cover with a clean scarf or towel and place a nylon lid on top.
6. Leave at home for 3 days. Poke with a stick once a day.
7. Close the lid and put it in the refrigerator.

With beets

This dish is popular in winter, when there are no seasonal vegetables and fruits to obtain vitamins and minerals. The snack retains its benefits all year round.

List of ingredients for cooking:

• 1 kg cabbage;
• 350 g beets;
• 170 m of water.

How to ferment:

1. Wash the head of cabbage and remove the top layer of leaves.Chop into 1 cm squares.
2. Wash the beets, remove the tail, and peel them. Grind on a fine or medium grater.
3. Place the vegetables in an enamel bowl, add water and mix gently with your hands.
4. Organize oppression for 2 days. Leave at room temperature, pierce with a wooden stick once a day.
5. Sterilize the jar, lay out the preparation and leave for another 2 days, covering with a lid.
6. Cover with a nylon lid and store in the refrigerator or cellar.
7. Serve the cabbage chilled, adding vegetable oil, onions, fresh herbs, bay leaf, coriander or other spices to taste.

For preparation, beets with dark burgundy peel are used. The varieties Marusya and Detroit are suitable for fermentation. They are distinguished by their juiciness, sweet taste, and appetizing colors.

In its own juice

It is recommended to prepare the snack in its own juice in wooden tubs or barrels. Vegetables are saturated with the aroma of natural wood and become crispier. Store the dish in a cellar or basement.

Ingredients:

• 800 g cabbage;
• 200 g carrots.

Step by step recipe:

1. Chop the head of cabbage using a long and thin knife. Knead thoroughly with your hands.
2. Wash the carrots, peel them and add them to the cabbage. Mash again to release juice from the vegetables.
3. Place in a deep container and compact. When the container is full, press down the vegetables with a wooden spatula.
4. Organize oppression for 4 days at room temperature.
5. Pierce every day with a wooden spoon or stick.
6. Cover with a nylon lid and put in the refrigerator.

Spiced

For cooking, different spices are used - a set of Provençal herbs or a mixture of peppers - depending on personal preferences. The standard list of ingredients looks like this:

• 1.2 kg cabbage;
• 400 g carrots;
• 30 g cumin;
• 5 bay leaves;
• 20 g ground coriander;
• 5 peas of allspice;
• ground black pepper to taste.

How to ferment:

1. Clean the head of cabbage from the top leaves and remove the stalk. Chop with a grater or knife.
2. Wash and peel the carrots, grate them and mix with the cabbage. Add coriander, allspice and cumin, stir again.
3. Place several whole cabbage leaves on the bottom of an enamel bucket or pan.
4. Place the workpiece on top and compact tightly. Place the bucket in the basin to allow the liquid to drain.
5. Cover with a lid and put in a warm place for a week.
6. Divide into jars and put in the refrigerator.

In brine

Sauerkraut in brine is served as a separate dish. The brine makes it crispier and juicier. Lovers of sweet and sour taste will love this snack.

List of ingredients:

• 2.2 kg cabbage;
• 350 g carrots;
• 5 peas of allspice;
• 3 bay leaves;
• dill seeds to taste;
• 1 liter of water.

Pickling recipe:

1. Chop the cabbage and carrots on a grater and place in a bowl or plate. Stir and add bay leaf.
2. Fill with clean water, add dill seeds and allspice.
3. Cover the container and put it in a warm place. On the second day, pierce it with a spatula to release the gases.
4. On the third day, put into jars and put in the refrigerator.

With cranberries

A colorful and original snack will decorate any table. Small beaded berries give the dish an appetizing appearance and saturate it with vitamin C. It is useful to consume it in winter and autumn, during the period of flu and colds.

List of ingredients:

• 1.5 kg cabbage;
• 200 g carrots;
• 200 g cranberries;
• 15 g dill seeds;
• 4 bay leaves;
• black pepper to taste.

Cooking technology:

1. Wash and sort the cranberries.Peel the cabbage from the outer leaves and chop it on a medium grater. Peel the carrots and chop finely.
2. Mix the ingredients, add bay leaf and dill seeds, black pepper to taste. Last but not least, berries.
3. Place 2-3 cabbage leaves on the bottom of the plate. Place the workpiece on top, compact it and leave it under load for 2 days.
4. Transfer to jars, close the lids and put in the refrigerator.

With mushrooms and apple

Sauerkraut with mushrooms and apples is served as a side dish for meat and fish dishes. The snack has a rich, pleasant aroma, ideal for the autumn season.

What you will need:

• 700 g cabbage;
• 220 g champignons;
• 70 g apples;
• 30 g cumin.

Cooking technology:

1. Rinse the ingredients under running cool water. Chop the cabbage, chop the champignons into thin slices, remove the seeds from the apples and cut into slices.
2. Grind the carrots and mix with cabbage, apples and mushrooms. Place under weight for 4 days at room temperature.
3. Before serving, season to taste with olive oil and pomegranate seeds.

It is recommended to follow the proportions indicated in the recipe. Excess mushrooms will overwhelm the taste of cabbage, and the appetizer will turn out dry.

With honey

Traditional homemade honey preparations have a delicate sweetish taste.

To prepare you will need:

• 1.4 kg cabbage;
• 350 g carrots;
• 60 ml honey;
• 600 ml water.

How to ferment:

1. Peel the cabbage and carrots, chop them on a grater and mix. Squeeze with your hands until the cabbage releases juice.
2. Boil water, cool until warm and add honey (preferably linden). Stir until it dissolves.
3. Pour the marinade over the vegetables and leave under pressure for two days.
4. Divide into jars. Before serving, garnish with fresh dill or parsley.

Storage Features

Store cabbage at temperatures from 0°C to +4°C. If the temperature is higher, the fermentation process intensifies and the vegetables become acidic; if less, the cabbage turns out bland. Store jars in a cellar or basement at an air humidity of no more than 85%. At home, the snack is kept in the refrigerator. Shelf life - up to 1 year. After opening the jar, it is recommended to eat the vegetables within 5-7 days.

Before storage, make sure that the container does not have chips or cracks, which will reduce the shelf life of the product. This applies to any containers: enamel pans, wooden barrels, glass jars.

This is interesting:

Delicious recipes for the winter: crispy pickled cucumbers in jars.

Simple and quick recipes for pickled watermelons.

How to properly cook pickled eggplants stuffed with carrots and garlic.

Conclusion

To ferment delicious cabbage, choose elastic, compact heads of cabbage. The leaves should be light green, crisp, and free of black and brown spots. For piquancy, carrots, cranberries, mushrooms, honey, and spices are added to the recipe.

First, the ingredients are washed, wiped dry with a clean towel, and the dishes and jars are prepared. Food without salt, sugar and vinegar is good for health and strengthens the immune system.