Every year somewhere in the mid fall, Ilya and I make a batch of Russian style sauerkraut. It is called Kvashenaya Kapusta and tastes significantly less tart than regular sauerkraut. It is made only of shredded white cabbage, salt and carrots that are tossed together and then the nature does the rest with the lactic acid fermentation. You can eat it as it is, only lightly drizzled with unrefined sunflower oil, or use it for soups, salads, stews, and fillings for dumplings and pies.
For Kvashenaya Kapusta you will need white cabbage, a light-colored type of green cabbage with very tightly packed leaves that can be found in some stores and street markets in September-November (my last “catch” was at Central Market). If you cannot find it, take the most-lightly colored green cabbage very heavy for its size.
For 1 large cabbage head (a size of a regular soccer ball) you will need 1 medium carrot and salt to taste. Cut the cabbage into several pieces and slice each thinly. Place the sliced cabbage into a bowl and add several pinches of salt. Toss and squeeze the cabbage with your hands until it starts to release juices. It is easier to this in small batches and then transfer them to a larger container where the cabbage will be tossed with carrots and fermented. In our home, I do the slicing and Ilya does the squeezing part. Like for my mom and dad, for us it’s a family activity.
After all the squeezed cabbage batches are in a large container, add more salt and mix well. It should taste a bit more salty than you would normally eat. Don’t worry: the saltiness will disappear once the cabbage gets fermented.
Grate a carrot on a medium grater into thin strips about 1.5 inch long and add to the cabbage. Give another good stir so the carrot strips get evenly distributed.
Put a plate, upside down, on top of the cabbage. The plate should be large enough to cover almost all the surface leaving only thin rims around. Put some weight on top – a large jar filled with water or a bowl with weights or a heavy rock inside. Cover the bowl and the weight with light kitchen towel, napkin or a piece of cheesecloth and leave on the counter at room temperature for 3 days. The room temperature range should be within 65-85F. If your room temperature is too high, find the coldest place in your house and keep the cabbage there.
Usually, the next day cabbage releases lots of juice and the plate gets at least partially submerged in it. If this doesn't happen, it may mean that the cabbage was too dry or you didn't squeeze it enough or the weight is too light. Wait another day or two and if the juice doesn't appear, toss and squeeze the cabbage once again, add a bit more salt and put a heavier weight on top.
When you see that bubbles have appeared on the surface, the fermentation process has started.
Each day remove the weight and poke the cabbage several times all the way to the bottom with a long skewer or a chopstick to release gases produced during fermentation. On the fourth day check the taste. If the cabbage is sour enough, transfer to a storage container and put into the refrigerator. If it doesn’t taste tart yet, give it another day at room temperature.
You can start eating the cabbage after at least a day in the refrigerator. The most traditional would be to toss it with some thinly sliced sweet onions, ground black pepper, and unrefined sunflower oil (check in Russian stores or HT Market on Aurora).
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