Cabbage is a traditional product in the beds of domestic agronomists. The plant has a huge amount of vitamins and minerals that contribute to the normal functioning of all organs. Cabbage is also indispensable in the winter, when colds are a common occurrence.
There are a huge number of dishes, the main ingredient of which is cabbage. This is borsch, pickle, a variety of salads and zrazy. But first place can rightfully be given to sauerkraut. The dish has an excellent taste and goes well with a variety of side dishes. However, many ask why sauerkraut is bitter. This article will help you find the answer to this question and teach you how to properly prepare this tasty and healthy product.
Great benefit
Cabbage is one of the few products that retain beneficial properties after processing. The main secrets of sauerkraut are to increase the amount of vitamin C during cooking. That is why the product is considered indispensable in the winter cold. Lactic and acetic acids, which are contained in a huge amount of leaven, perfectly protect against many pathogenic bacteria.
Sauerkraut is an excellent prevention of constipation. Daily use of the product improves the gastrointestinal tract. In addition, cabbage helps strengthen the heart muscle, so it should be a mandatory component of the daily diet of the elderly.
If you had to wonder why sauerkraut is bitter, this does not mean at all that the product is not cooked correctly. Bitterness in this vegetable can be present for several reasons. For example, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts, if improperly grown, namely with a lack of moisture, can have a bitter taste. In addition, cabbage quality may deteriorate if there is an excess of nitrates in it.
Essential Food for Weight Loss
A diet based on the use of sauerkraut is considered simple and quite effective. The product in any form has a reduced calorie content.
100 g of cabbage contains only 19 kcal. Even if you additionally season the salad with vegetable oil, the energy value will not exceed 50 kcal.
In the process of losing weight, there is no need to limit yourself to eating a delicious product. Sour cabbage can be enjoyed in any quantity. And if you had to wonder why sauerkraut is bitter, then either the technology was not followed during its preparation, or the vegetable itself is unsuitable for consumption. A quality product should have a pleasant taste and aroma.
Contraindications
Despite the huge number of useful properties, sauerkraut also has contraindications.
These include primarily acidity and peptic ulcer. People with an ulcer should generally refrain from weight loss diets. Nutrition should be complete, but sparing.
Unpleasant consequences of eating sauerkraut can also appear in healthy people. Bad signs include stomach pain, flatulence, swelling. If the kidneys can not cope with the removal of fluid from the body due to the use of sauerkraut, the product will have to be abandoned.
How to ferment cabbage
There are several options for making excellent sauerkraut. But before you cook the dish, you should learn how to select the starting components. For sauerkraut, only ripe cabbage is suitable. A young vegetable will not give a rich aroma and taste. An overripe product will not work either.
Every housewife should know how to cook excellent sauerkraut. The most popular recipe is quite simple. In addition to the main ingredient, you will need components such as carrots, currant and horseradish leaves, dill, salt and pepper. For 10 kg of fresh cabbage, you need to take 200 g of salt.
Cooking begins with cleaning and chopping cabbage in small strips. The width of the finished pieces should not exceed 5 mm. In order not to wonder how to remove the bitterness from cabbage, you need to fully follow the recipe.
The vegetable must necessarily let the juice. Coarse coarse salt allows you to speed up this process. The liquid begins to stand out due to mechanical stresses, so the cabbage needs to be well wrinkled.
It should be noted that this vegetable can be fermented in several ways:
1. sprinkled with salt;
2. pouring hot or cold brine.
The most common additives in sauerkraut are:
- berries (lingonberries, cranberries);
- fruits (plums, apples);
- pickled or salted mushrooms;
- celery, bell pepper;
- cloves, caraway seeds, hot pepper, bay leaf, horseradish.
As a rule, you need to take as many additional products as salt.
Kvassim cabbage in a jar
If you have a small family, this recipe will come in handy, as the cooking process does not take much time. As a container for souring, a three-liter glass jar is suitable for us, in which we will lay out the following ingredients in layers:
- white cabbage (5 kg);
- large beets (1 pc.);
- garlic (2 heads);
- hot pepper (3 pcs.).
Cooking brine:
- water (1l);
- salt (2 tbsp. l.);
- sugar (0.5 tbsp.);
- vinegar 9% (1/3 st.);
- allspice (8 peas);
- bay leaf (3-5 pcs.).
It should be noted that up to three liters of brine must be taken on a three-liter can of cabbage. In order for the product to ferment, it should be kept at room temperature for 5 to 7 days. Attention! Do not close the jar with a lid, since during the fermentation process gases are formed that must freely exit. To accelerate their selection, it is recommended to periodically pierce the cabbage with a wooden stick to the very bottom and remove excess foam protruding on the surface. Following these simple rules, you will never wonder why sauerkraut is bitter.
Why is sauerkraut bitter?
Not only non-compliance with technology can cause poor taste of sauerkraut. Improper harvesting also matters.
Quite often, sauerkraut made from heads of cabbage, which were cut before the onset of frost, becomes bitter. Therefore, for pickling, you should choose only well-ripened vegetables.
Many people wonder why sauerkraut is bitter, if all the ingredients were selected correctly. In this case, the dish can remain bitter only temporarily. If the cooking was done correctly, an unnatural taste may indicate that the cabbage has not yet been thoroughly fermented.
The bitterness of cabbage can be removed. Before packaging the product in banks, you need to let it infuse in the clear. In addition, the tree is well absorbed by the bitterness. It is no coincidence that many cook cabbage in special wooden barrels.
What to combine sauerkraut with?
Sour cabbage is considered a universal product that fits perfectly with absolutely any side dish. This can be potatoes, buckwheat, pasta, rice, etc. With the help of ready-made sauerkraut, you can create many delicious dishes.
Soups and borschs, which are based on this common vegetable, are popular. And its fermented version gives any dish an unusual aroma and taste.