Contents
How to store sauerkraut at home and is it possible
Sauerkraut is considered a source of vitamin C, as well as useful minerals that the body especially needs during the winter season. In the market, you can try and buy any of the types of this snack. After its preparation, the question arises: how to store sauerkraut at home? It must be understood that this product is produced by fermentation. Thus, if you do not follow the rules for storing sauerkraut, it will quickly deteriorate.
Can sauerkraut be stored?
Autumn and winter varieties are usually chosen for sourdough. This is because they have denser leaves that do not deteriorate longer. The finished product contains:
- in wooden barrels – here it can stay for up to 8 months at temperatures from –1 to + 4 ° C;
- in an enameled bucket or pot without chips – this option is more suitable for apartments;
- in glass jars – cabbage is stored there at the same temperature as in barrels, but only for 2 weeks;
- in plastic film – the snack remains in its original form for up to 6-7 days at a temperature of + 4 ° C.
Remember that cabbage is not fermented using aluminum and plastic containers. The lactic acid released by the vegetable during fermentation will oxidize aluminum. Thus, the product will have an unpleasant metallic taste.
How to store sauerkraut: rules
It is believed that such cabbage is healthier than fresh, since all useful substances disappear over time if the product is not prepared in a special way. Vitamins remain in sauerkraut due to lactic acid. You just need to know the basic rules for storing it:
- Feel free to freeze your sauerkraut if the need arises. After thawing, it should be eaten immediately, because after a while the useful substances will evaporate from there.
- Tiny should be kept in a container filled with brine. Without it, the specific flavor of cabbage disappears, and vitamin C is destroyed. Get the vegetable out of there before eating, otherwise it will lose its value.
- The shelf life of cabbage is increased by adding cranberries to it. You can sprinkle 1-2 tbsp of cabbage on top. l. sugar, which then turns into vinegar. The latter is an additional preservative.
- The mold formed on the crumb is carefully removed. Then mustard powder is added to the cabbage. He acts as an antiseptic.
The easiest way is to remove the container with sauerkraut in the refrigerator, where the optimal temperature regime has already been created to preserve the useful properties of the product. In some cases, the vegetable is kept on a glazed balcony. So, following all the recommendations, you will provide yourself with vitamins for the whole winter.