How To Ferment Cabbage. Bigos Recipe

2024 Author: Sebastian Paterson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:47

The middle of winter is the time for sauerkraut. The autumn supply of fresh vegetables and fruits has come to an end. Jams and frosts no longer seem attractive. The early spring greenery is still far away. And cabbage, rich in vitamin C, is exactly what you need now.

Traditionally for Russian cuisine, sauerkraut is the queen of the winter table: salads and cold snacks, rich cabbage soup, side dishes for main courses - nothing is complete without her participation. Before the appearance of potatoes, it was cabbage that occupied the place of the "main vegetable", and not only in Russia.

By the way, traditional "sour cabbage soup" should be cooked without potatoes at all, which migrated to the "Russian pot" for thickness, although potatoes saturated with starch do not harmonize so well with acid.

× Gardener's handbook Plant nurseries Stores of goods for summer cottages Landscape design studios

Of course, experienced housewives have stocked up on this tasty and valuable product in the fall. Each has its own recipe for sauerkraut. If you did not have time or do not know how to do this, we will offer the most popular recipe.

So, the cabbage is finely chopped or chopped, mixed with salt (the salt must be clean, not iodized), tightly packed into a barrel or glass jars, tamped down, a clean cabbage leaf is placed on top, a wooden circle and oppression. Optionally, carrots or halves of apples are added to cabbage, as well as various spices - bay leaf, caraway seeds, coriander, anise. Salt is taken at the rate of 2.5% of the mass of cabbage, that is, for 10 kilograms of cabbage - 250 grams of salt. The oppression should be 10% of the weight of the cabbage (kilogram weight per 10 kg of cabbage). After a few hours, the cabbage should produce juice that will cover it completely. If there is not enough juice, it is necessary to increase the oppression. The favorable temperature for fermentation is 18-20 degrees, and it lasts 10-12 days.

Together with cabbage, you can ferment Antonov apples and plums; cranberries, peppers, cloves, cumin and other spices can be added to the finished cabbage.

If, when fermenting, add thinly sliced beets and a pod of hot red pepper to the cabbage, you get "Georgian cabbage" - a rich red color and with a pungent aftertaste.

Cabbage dishes are known all over the world, and the most interesting of them are sauerkraut dishes.

The gourmet cuisine of Alsace is not only Strasbourg sausages and goose liver, choucrut is also popular, when sauerkraut is stewed in white wine and goose fat - with smoked meats, onions and juniper berries. And the most famous dish of German cuisine is icebahn, pork legs, which must be served accompanied by stewed sauerkraut.

Bigos is still popular in Poland, and once it was the main food of the Polish peasant. Bigos is somewhat reminiscent of our daily cabbage soup, firstly, sauerkraut is the basis of its recipe, and secondly, in order to feel all the charm of Bigos, it must be allowed to brew. Its best option is after the fourth warm-up. In ancient times, a cast iron pot with bigos just stood in a peasant oven constantly, and products were added to it as it was emptied - it became watery - let's add the meat, it became fresh - you need to add cabbage. Here is one of the recipes for this delicious dish.

× Notice board Kittens for sale Puppies for sale Horses for sale

Bigos recipe

Take equal parts of sauerkraut, fresh cabbage and meat. Moreover, the meat should be of different types. Everything is suitable for bigos - lamb ribs, pork shoulder, veal cheeks, goose neck, turkey wings, chicken legs, beef tails, tongues, as well as high quality tenderloin, various smoked meats, hams and sausages. In the traditional bigos there were "meat trimmings", which is not enough in quantity for a full meal, but quite suitable - in the "common pot".

If you decide to use meat with bones for bigos, first boil the broth with roots (celery, parsley, parsnip, carrots) and spices (black and sweet peas, nutmeg, cloves, barberry is possible). Separate the meat from the bones, strain the broth, and then season with fresh cabbage.

Sauerkraut - boil separately, changing the water twice, then combine everything - and simmer for two hours, adding various meat "stuffing" (it is clear that raw meat takes more time than smoked sausages or brisket). Leave on the stove overnight.

The next day, heat over low heat and simmer further, the bigos should be thick enough - so that it does not resemble soup, but, nevertheless, mixes easily. Simmer the bigos for two or three hours, make sure that it does not stick to the bottom of the pan, add tomato puree or paste during the process (1-2 tablespoons per liter of bigos). And also apple jam or mashed potatoes or sweet and sour apple like Antonovka. Be sure to add a glass or two of Madeira or dry sherry to the bigos.

Bigos is best served the next day and hot. On a cold cloudy day, there is nothing better than a very fragrant, rich, well-infused bigos, the ingredients of which are so simple - meat, cabbage and again - cabbage.

Bigos - one of those dishes that are cooked in large quantities and eaten for a long time, the cooled bigos can be stored in the refrigerator and reheated as needed, or even rolled up as canned food.