Sauerkraut with birch bark

Cabbage must be chosen juicy, sweet. In this case, the finished dish will be especially tasty and fragrant. And besides, it is also useful, which is also important when you cook for your beloved family :)

Cabbage should be thoroughly washed, dried with paper towels and cleaned of damaged upper leaves. After that, you need to chop the cabbage into thin strips and put it in a container in which we will kvass it. It is better to take a glass, enameled or wooden container.

Next, you need to boil water in a large saucepan. When the liquid boils, add salt, sugar and bay leaves, mix so that all the sugar and salt crystals dissolve. We put the finished brine to cool down to room temperature.

After the chopped cabbage pour brine, add birch bark. Birch bark, thanks to the release of special substances, will help to ensure that the finished cabbage remains crispy. In addition, the bark will bring a subtle woody note to the taste and aroma of the finished dish. But there is no need to worry, it will be more of a subtle shade of taste than a rich taste.

Then on top of the cabbage it is necessary to install the oppression. To do this, you can use a regular lid from a saucepan or a plate, and put a stone on top (or a three-liter jar of water).

When the brine finally cools down, transfer the container to a cold place. You need to keep the cabbage there for three days (you can do more if you like the cabbage more vigorous). It is advisable to pierce the cabbage with a wooden skewer once a day until the very day of the container. This action will help the gases to escape easier and faster.

In three days, sauerkraut will be completely ready for use, but if you hold it longer, it will become even tastier. Cabbage should be stored in a cold place with a high humidity level. The shelf life is up to eight months. The ideal place to store sauerkraut is a cellar.

Very tasty! Bon appetit!