Pickled Saeurkraut Recipe

[michaelswarm]

Went ahead and made pickled saeurkraut yesterday. Uses vinegar instead of salt brine. Can make salt free if desired. Some research showed at least some restaurant chefs use this method to make saeurkraut. The method is similar to how to make pickled jalapenos or pickled cucumbers.

Coming from Central Europe ancestery, I can make kraut much more freely knowing it’s low salt.

Recipe makes 1 qt mason jar of kraut.

1/4 cabbage, shredded
1/2 onion, shredded
1 tsp cumin seeds (or caraway seeds, also known as Persian cumin)
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup water

Shred cabbage and onion and crush same as fermented. Add spices. In small pot boil water and vinegar mixture. Add cabbage and onion mixture and simmer 5m. Remove from heat and cool, then pack in jar. Before serving, if desired, rinse to adjust sour and salt.

[Lyndzie]

Hi Michael. Just curious - if the supposed health benefits from sauerkraut come from the fermentation and the live cultures it contains, then what benefits does pickled cabbage have? Or is it just to have a tasty side dish without all the salt?

[michaelswarm]

Hi Michael. Just curious - if the supposed health benefits from sauerkraut come from the fermentation and the live cultures it contains, then what benefits does pickled cabbage have? Or is it just to have a tasty side dish without all the salt?

Lots of fiber and water in a tasty WFBP side dish, without the salt guilt. And much faster to prepare. Fermentation takes days or weeks. Cabbage itself is a good food. Even without fermentation it keeps unrefrigerated for a long time.

My suspicion is the supposed health benefits of fermented foods are just that, unproven. I am unaware of any study of the benefits. And that eating plenty of plant food (prebiotics) is all one needs. I suspect the historical benefit of fermentation was food preservation, with some taste benefits.

[debknott]

I have never made saeurkraut. What do you mean when you say "crush same as fermented." After shredding are you supposed to somehow crush the cabbage and onions? Sorry for my ignorance.

[michaelswarm]

I have never made saeurkraut. What do you mean when you say "crush same as fermented." After shredding are you supposed to somehow crush the cabbage and onions? Sorry for my ignorance.

With boiling in vinegar-water mixture, the squeezing, crushing and pressing that happens for fermented cabbage may not even be necessary.

For salted brine sauerkraut, most of the water comes from the cabbage juice. The food processor cabbage is already very crushed a moist, compared to hand cut cabbage. Then you further crush to squeeze moisture out of the cabbage. I put the cabbage in the bottom of a stainless steel pan or slow cooker crock, and then use with my hands or a large spoon to squeeze, press down, and pack the cabbage. There should be enough cabbage juices to cover the cabbage when it is packed into a jar.

[debknott]

Thanks Michael!