Carrot Ginger Sauerkraut Recipe 475

CARROT GINGER SAUERKRAUT RECIPE - (4.7/5)

Steps:

• Combine the sliced cabbage, carrots, ginger, and salt in a large glass bowl. With clean hands punch down, squeeze, and manipulate the cabbage mixture. You'll notice more liquid in the mixture as the salt draws water out of cabbage. Continue this for another 10 or so minutes until the mixture is soft. When you push the mixture down, you should notice juice rising to the top. Ladle cabbage mixture and brine into clean Mason jars, leaving about 2" headspace. If you need extra brine, mix 1/2 cup filtered water with 1/2 tsp sea salt and use as needed. Below brine is key! Veggies exposed to oxygen will grow mold. The brine protects the veggies so you want to weigh the mixture down under the brine. A spare cabbage leaf sprinkled with a pinch of sea salt will help keep any of the determined tiny shreds below the brine. Place this down first, then add a Crock Rock weight over the cabbage leaf, and press down until fully submerged. The brine should cover the mixture by at least one inch. During the fermentation process, gases are created - they need a place to go. Covers that let the gas escape while keeping oxygen exposure minimal are ideal. Kraut Kaps are fantastic for eliminating oxygen exposure but also letting the gas out. Let your ferment sit at room temperature {68-72 degrees F, warm but not humid} dark location. Be sure to occasionally check for signs of mold. Kahm yeast {white in color, no dark color /black or fuzzy growth it it} is NOT the same as mold. The sauerkraut can ferment for 3-4 weeks even upwards of 12 weeks - it depends on where you live, and even to your taste. Store in the fridge where it will keep well for several months, if it lasts that long...

EASY HOMEMADE SAUERKRAUT

Steps:

• Carefully clean all equipment to be used. You can pour boiling water into glass jars or place dry jars in oven at 200 'F for 10 minutes to sterilize. Place lids and utensils into large glass bowl and pour boiling water over them.
• Shred cabbage in food processor or cut by hand into thin shreds with a sharp knife. Place into large glass bowl. (save a couple of the big outer leaves to cover kraut in the end)
• Shred carrots and add to cabbage, along with grated ginger.
• Sprinkle with sea salt and mix well.
• Pack mixture into large glass jar or crock. Press firmly down to release juices.
• Cover the mixture with a couple of outer cabbage leaves. This will help prevent the cabbage from floating above the liquid. Place airtight lid on jar that is fitted with an airlock. Cover to block out light.
• After 24 hours, press down again. If the liquid that is released does not cover the top of the kraut, make a brine and pour it over the kraut until it is covered. (see directions below)
• Seal with airlock lid and allow to sit, covered, for 2-5 week, until done to your liking. Start tasting at 2 weeks.
• Store in fridge after it is done

GINGER CARROT SAUERKRAUT

Steps:

• SET UP. Gather Supplies and Set Up ScaleUsing the right amount of salt makes for consistent, repeatable batches and establishes an environment for fermentation to unfold properly.You don't want to include the weight of your bowl in your measurements, so either zero out the scale (usually done with a button on a digital scale or a knob under the tray on a mechanical scale) or write down the weight of your bowl (tare).
• CHOP. Prep Your Vegetables and CabbageWhen making sauerkraut, you first prepare the flavoring ingredients - carrots, ginger, garlic - then add sliced cabbage. This allows you to add only as much sliced cabbage as necessary to hit 1¾ pounds (28 ounces, 800 grams) on your scale.This is the amount that fits perfectly into a one-quart (liter) jar. Peel and grate carrots, grate or finely mince ginger, finely mince garlic and place in your bowl. Discard the limp outer leaves of the cabbage, setting aside one of the cleaner ones for use during the SUBMERGE step.Quarter, then slice cabbage crosswise into thin ribbons. I leave the core in because I find it helps to hold the layers of cabbage together making the slicing job easier.Add sliced cabbage to your bowl until weight of vegetables and cabbage is 1¾ pounds (28 ounces, 800 grams).
• SALT. Create Your BrineSalt is the workhorse in your ferment. It pulls water out of the cabbage to create an environment where the good bacteria can grow and proliferate and the bad bacteria die off. Just what we want!Sprinkle vegetables and cabbage with 1 tablespoon of salt and mix well. To create the brine without a lot of work, let the bowl of salted cabbage rest for 20 minutes to an hour. Then, massage the vegetables with strong hands until moist, creating the brine. You should be able to tilt the bowl to the side and see a good-sized puddle of brine, about 2-3 inches in diameter. This process can take anywhere from 2 to 5 minutes.
• PACK. Pack Mixture into JarNow that you have a puddle of brine, it's time to pack the cabbage mixture into your jar.Grab handfuls of the salty, juicy cabbage mixture and pack them into your quart-sized wide-mouth canning jar, periodically pressing the mixture down tightly with your fist or a large spoon so that the brine rises above the top of the mixture and no air pockets remain.Be sure to leave at least 1 inch of space between the top of the cabbage and the top of the jar. Because we weighed out just the right amount of cabbage to fit in your jar, this should happen automatically.Pour any brine left in your mixing bowl into the jar and scrape out any loose bits stuck to the sides of the bowl or to the side of your jar.
• SUBMERGE. Hold Ferment Below BrineNow make sure your fermenting mixture is in a safe anaerobic (no air) environment. This means that you need to keep the cabbage mixture submerged in the brine while it ferments. Insert your Floaties Trap. Take that cabbage leaf you saved during the SETUP step, tear it down to just fit in the jar, and place it over the surface of the packed cabbage. Forgot to save a cabbage leaf? No problem. You can fold a narrow piece of parchment paper to size or even cut an old plastic lid to size. Place the 4-ounce jelly jar - or other item you're using as a weight - on top of the cabbage leaf, right side up with its lid removed. Lightly (to allow for escape of CO2 gases), screw on the white plastic storage lid.I like to label my jars using green or blue painter's tape and a permanent marker. I note the flavor of sauerkraut I made and the date I started fermenting.
• FERMENT. Ferment for 1 to 4 WeeksTime now for the Mighty Microbes to work for you while you watch and wait. Can you wait 7 days to sample the tangy crunch? The jar on the left is on Day 1; the right, Day 14. Notice how the colors have softened and the brine level has dropped. Place your jar of fermenting sauerkraut in a shallow bowl (to catch the brine that may leak out during the first week of fermentation), out of direct sunlight. Wait for 1 week before opening to sample.For what to expect as your sauerkraut ferments, see SALTY Cabbage to SOUR Sauerkraut: Fermentation Signs to MonitorShould the brine level fall (very unlikely) and remain below the level of the sauerkraut during this first week,dilute 1 Tbsp of salt in 2 cups of water and pour some of this brine over the sauerkraut (removing the little jar first) until it just covers the mixture. Put the little jar back in, screw the lid on lightly and let the fermentation continue.Don't worry if the brine disappears after the 7- to 10-day mark. By this time, you've created a safe environment in which the bacteria that would cause mold or slime has been chased away by the beneficial bacteria produced during the fermentation process.You can ferment your sauerkraut for up to 4 weeks. The longer you ferment it, the greater the number and variety of beneficial bacteria that can be produced.
• STORE. Store in Refrigerator for Up to 1 YearAfter fermenting your sauerkraut, it's ready to go into the refrigerator and ready to be tossed into a salad, spread on a hot dog and eaten straight from the jar!Rinse off the outside of the jar. You can take the little jar out. Clean the rim if necessary (sometimes it can get sticky from the brine that overflows), and screw the lid back on tightly.Add to your label how long you fermented the contents.Enjoy a forkful or two of your sauerkraut with your meals. It will continue to ferment - aging like a fine wine - but at a much slower rate that before. If the flavors are too intense, leave it the jar for a month or two and then eat it. You will be amazed at how the flavors have changed.If successfully fermented (tastes and smells good), your sauerkraut can be kept preserved in your refrigerator for up to a year.

POLISH SAUERKRAUT AND CARROT SALAD

Steps:

• Place sauerkraut in a colander and squeeze out all excess liquid using your hands; chop well.
• Combine sauerkraut, onion, apple, and carrots in a large bowl and mix. Add oil and sugar and toss to combine. Season with caraway seeds, salt, and pepper. Refrigerate 30 minutes before serving.

GINGERED CARROTS

Steps:

• In a large skillet, cook carrots in a small amount of water until almost tender; drain. Add the butter, sugar and ginger; cook over low heat until carrots are heated through and evenly coated with butter mixture. Sprinkle with parsley.

CARROT GINGER CREME

Steps:

• Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Cook and stir onion until translucent and tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in carrots, ginger, and vegetable broth, and simmer for 20 minutes, or until carrots are tender. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.
• Transfer to a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Return to soup pot, add half and half, and heat until warmed through. Season with salt and pepper, and serve.