How to make pickled apples and cabbage at home?

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Prepared by: Katerina

10/05/2020 Preparation time: 10 days. 7 hours 0 minutes

I’m sharing a simple recipe for cabbage with pickled apples. It makes an incredibly delicious snack! Crispy sauerkraut and sweet carbonated apples are perfect for any main course.

What is pickling?

The definition of the word fermentation implies a biochemical method of canning . The basis for it is the formation of a natural preservative - lactic acid. This substance gradually accumulates during the fermentation period and permeates the products, giving them a special taste and aroma.

ATTENTION : In addition, lactic acid prevents the development of any foreign microflora. For comparison, this function during pickling is performed by vinegar, which prevents the development of other microorganisms in the product.

During fermentation, the following physical and chemical processes occur:

• penetration of cell juice into the brine;
• diffusion of salt into the cell.

Classic winter preparation

The traditional method of preparing soaked apples in a bucket is the simplest, so every housewife can make this delicious fruit preparation.

• ripe apples - 1 bucket;
• granulated sugar – 400 g;
• rock salt – 3 tbsp. spoons;
• raspberry, mint and cherry leaves.

The manufacturing process takes place in the following sequence:

1. Work begins by discarding crumpled and rotten fruits, then they are washed and dried with a towel or naturally, if time permits.
2. Place mint, cherry and raspberry leaves at the very bottom and cover the entire surface with them.
3. Next, the harvested fruits are packed tightly and again covered with leaves.
4. The marinade is prepared by dissolving the bulk components in water and bringing the solution to a boil, after which the liquid is allowed to cool to room temperature.
5. The cooled solution is diluted with water to a volume of 5 liters.
6. Pour the cooled brine over the apples and set the pressure.

Throughout the week, you need to constantly monitor the process, periodically adding marinade to prevent the apples from drying out. After 7 days, remove the container in a cool place for 1.5 months.

Peculiarities

For those who decide to try fermenting these fruits for the winter for the first time, you should choose them correctly. Not all varieties of apples are suitable for this type of canning. Often, fruits of winter or autumn varieties are used for pickling :

1. anise;
2. Lithuanian;
3. saffron;
4. pippin;
5. golden

In order for the preparation to turn out not only tasty, but also to last longer, you need to rely on the following parameters of the fruit:

• sweet and sour apples with a distinct aroma;
• fully ripened, without starch and dense;
• apples must have a perfect surface without any damage;
• Before fermenting with cabbage, the fruits are kept in the dark and cold for 14 days.

When fermented, all the beneficial properties of the products are preserved . The fermentation process allows all the vitamins and elements to remain in apples and cabbage. These substances promote the health of all organs responsible for the digestive process, and also significantly improve immunity.

The technology for sauerkraut with apples is based on the fermentation of sugar. The duration of this process is from 21 to 28 days. It is necessary to ferment only at room temperature. When fermentation reaches its climax, the finished mixture is moved to a colder room. The temperature in it should not exceed 0 degrees.

Tips for selecting and preparing ingredients

Domestic apple varieties with sweet and sour dense pulp should be soaked, such as Antonovka, Papirovka, Pepin, Anise. Cabbage should be of medium or late varieties, with dense heads. For conservation, do not take wormy specimens, those with damage or signs of rot, or carrion. Fruits collected from the garden should be kept for a week until the desired ripeness before cooking. Then they should be sorted and washed.

Important! Sea or iodized salt should not be used for pickles. Because of this, the cabbage is not crispy, and the apples become limp.

Benefits and harms

As a result of repeated studies, the undeniable benefits of sauerkraut with cabbage have been proven. This dish is often consumed during the cold season, when a person suffers from a deficiency of vitamins, sun and heat.

100 g of fermented mixture contains as much vitamin C and P as each person needs to consume daily. These two vitamins are interrelated. C, a vitamin that does not accumulate and must be constantly supplied to the body, and P, which helps the previous one to be absorbed.

Pickled fruits are an ideal source of complex carbohydrates necessary for digestion, proper metabolic process, removal of waste products from the body and prevention of cancer. Eating this dish benefits the following parts of the human body:

1. the cardiovascular system;
2. digestive system;
3. the immune system;
4. nervous system.

With all its tangible advantages, recognized by doctors and experienced nutritionists, sauerkraut with apples has a number of serious contraindications :

• High glycemic index. Achieved by adding sugar and the natural sweetness of apples.
• Significantly increases appetite, which is contraindicated for people with extra pounds.
• Salt contained in high concentrations in the finished dish and brine leads to an increase in blood pressure and weight gain.
• Fermentation and the presence of a large amount of fiber leads to increased formation of gases - bloating.

It is strictly forbidden to consume sauerkraut with apples for people with the following diseases:

1. urolithiasis disease;
2. period of exacerbation of gastritis;
3. ulcer;
4. pancreatitis;
5. flatulence;
6. excessive stomach acidity;
7. renal failure;
8. hypertension;
9. swelling caused by heart disease.

Important Details

The purpose of soaking apples with cabbage is to obtain high-quality and tasty preservation while preserving the beneficial properties of the ingredients:

1. For this purpose salt and sugar are used. Thanks to these seasonings, the finished product becomes more than just tasty. The main thing is that when cabbage is soaked, pathogenic microorganisms do not develop, although the fermentation process is in full swing.
2. By adding currants, mint, savory or lovage, you can achieve a variety of flavor and aroma characteristics for soaked apples and cabbage.
3. Bay leaves, allspice peas, mustard seeds, coriander or caraway seeds have the same effect. If you want a spicy snack, you can add horseradish root or cloves of garlic, wild garlic or hot pepper when soaking apples and cabbage.
4. And oak, cherry, blackcurrant or grape leaves will add crunch to the cabbage.
5. To make soaked apples even healthier, soaking is not complete without orange carrots.

Preparation in a jar

To prepare the fermented mixture, enamel and glass containers, as well as wooden barrels, are used . To ferment cabbage with apples in a 3-liter jar, you need the following ingredients:

• autumn harvested cabbage, white – 2 kg;
• apples - 3 kg;
• carrots - 500g;
• pepper, peas - 5-10 pieces;
• bay leaf - 3-5 pieces;
• sugar - 2 tablespoons;
• salt - 2 tablespoons.

First you need to prepare the products for fermentation:

1. Remove the top leaves from the cabbage. Remove the core and divide the head of cabbage into 4 parts. For slicing, you can use a special chopping board or a knife. However, the knife must be cut quite thinly.
2. Wash carrots and apples thoroughly. Remove the top part from the vegetable and cut into small strips. It is better not to use a grater, since only a straw gives off less color and does not stain the ingredients. There is no need to peel the apples; they are cut into slices.
3. Next, mix the cabbage and carrots in a large container and sprinkle with the specified amount of sugar and salt.
4. Place fresh cabbage leaves in a clean, sterilized jar. Then place the cabbage-carrot mixture on it in a 3-4 cm layer.
5. Next, place apple slices, a bay leaf and a few peppercorns on top. In this way we fill the jar, leaving a distance of 5 cm to the edge of the neck. This is necessary for the fermentation process, during which the juice is released.
6. Next, cover the jar with a cloth and leave in a warm room for 5 days.

Since the volume is small, the fermentation procedure will occur faster. For 5 days, it is necessary to pierce the mixture in the jar with a wooden stick to enrich it with oxygen. After a week, cabbage and apples can be consumed .

Watch a video about making sauerkraut with apples:

Which apples to choose

Only light-colored apples of late varieties are suitable for soaking:

• "Antonovka";
• "grandmother's";
• "hero";
• "Golden Delicious";
• "pepinka".

The ideal choice, of course, is the Antonovka variety. This is one of the oldest Russian varieties; it has been used for urinating for a long time. “Antonovka” is known for the fact that it can be stored for a long time without losing its taste.

It is advisable to pick apples directly from the tree; carrion will not work in this case. The fruits must be strong, whole, free from worms, and without signs of any damage. After picking, it is better to leave the fruits for one or two weeks in a warm place and only then start urinating. During this time, the apples will fully ripen and gain the maximum amount of sugar.

The size of the fruit also matters - you should select only medium-sized fruits, as too large ones may cook unevenly.

By the way, you should not mix different varieties, because then the apples will have a different ripening time, and while some of the fruits are just getting ready, the rest may already turn sour.

Before soaking, the fruits must be sorted again, thoroughly washed and dried.

Recipe for fermenting in a barrel for the winter at home

The technology for preparing such preservation is identical to that given above for jars. Only the volumes of products vary. The process of preparing vegetables and fruits is the same as for sourdough in jars. After placing all the ingredients in the barrel, leave 10 cm to the top of the brine barrel.

TIP : If there is too much brine, scoop it out. But do not pour it out, but store it in a clean container in a cool place, since after a few days the brine can be poured back into the barrel.

A weight of at least 15% of the total product is placed on top of the finished mixture. The room temperature should be between 17-23 degrees. After 3-6 days, the cabbage and apples will begin to ferment. First, bubbles appear, then foam forms on the surface. You need to release gases with a wooden stick throughout the entire starter. The readiness of the dish for consumption will be indicated by the transparency of the brine . It will be sour, but without bitterness.

The lower the room temperature, the longer the fermentation process will take. Sometimes it takes more than 35 days.

Watch a video about sauerkraut with apples in a barrel:

What to soak apples in

Nowadays, it’s unlikely that anyone in their apartment will have a suitable wooden barrel or tub on hand, so now we have to look for other containers for soaking apples. If the amount of fruit does not exceed 5 kg, then you can take ordinary three-liter jars. If there are a lot of apples, then large pans and enamel buckets are suitable. The main thing is that there is no rust or chips on the enamel surface. Plastic barrels and plastic buckets intended for food products are also sometimes used. In addition, for oppression you will need a round wooden board or a large plate.

There are certain rules for preparing dishes for rinsing. First, you should wash the container with regular detergent, then wash it again with hot water and soda and immediately before adding fruit, pour boiling water over the container. This is done in order to prevent the possibility of mold or mildew.

A wooden barrel, if you have one, should be filled with water before use and left there for 5-6 hours to ensure there are no cracks. Then the barrel also needs to be washed with soda solution, and right before urinating, the inner walls should be doused with boiling water.

Storage

Sauerkraut with apples can be stored for up to 6-8 months . In order to maintain preservation for a long time it is necessary:

• maintain room temperature 0-3 degrees;
• make sure that the cabbage does not drown in the brine;
• immediately remove any mold that appears;
• oppression periodically rinse and pour boiling water over.

If it is not possible to store this preservation in a large container, then you can resort to a trick and package the ready-made starter in bags and place it in the freezer. Then, if necessary, take out the package and defrost. Sauerkraut with apples will not change its taste, aroma, or color and will remain just as healthy.

Homemade soaked apples with rye flour: recipe

This is a savory Polish recipe.

Ingredients:

• 155 g rye flour
• 155 sugar
• 155 g salt
• 11 kg apples
• 5 liters of water
• Cherry and currant leaves

Recipe:

• Wash the apples along with the leaves. Place the leaves on the bottom of the bowl
• Mix all bulk ingredients and add water. It is necessary to obtain a homogeneous fill
• Place a layer of apples and place currant leaves on them. Fill with the prepared solution
• Place pressure on top and let it sit for a couple of weeks. Move to the cellar

Homemade soaked apples with rye flour: recipe

What varieties of apples are used

The fermentation process, which results in the said product, requires the correct choice of raw materials. Apples for soaking should be moderately sour, have dense, firm flesh and hard skin.

These include most autumn and winter varieties. The fruits of the varieties “Antonovka ordinary” and “Antonovka-Kamenichka” are rightfully considered the best. The taste is light, refreshing, with a pleasant sourness.

However, other varieties are also good for soaking:

1. "Babushkino"
2. "Anise"
3. "Pepin saffron, Lithuanian"
4. "Cinnamon Striped"
5. "Ranet Semirenko" and others.

Pickled apples of the “White Naliv” variety work well, however, in the case when the fruit is slightly unripe.

Cooking with mustard

Pickled Antonovka turns out incredibly tasty if you add a little mustard to it. Such apples acquire a tart and spicy taste that will delight men.

For an 8 liter bucket you need to prepare:

• apples - 1 bucket;
• sugar – 1 glass;
• salt – ½ cup;
• mustard – 3 tbsp. spoons;
• natural honey – 2 tbsp. spoons.

The manufacturing process is carried out according to the following scheme:

1. The bottom of the bucket is covered with currant leaves.
2. Lay out a layer of fruit, again place currant leaves on them, thus filling the entire container.
3. At the next stage, the brine is prepared by pouring water into a large saucepan, adding sugar, honey, mustard and table salt.
4. Place the pan on the stove and let the marinade boil.
5. Pour the cooled brine over the apples.
6. The last layer of leaves is placed on the fruits with the marinade, oppression is installed, and the bucket is covered with gauze on top.

The container should be stored in a cold room for 1 month. Soaked apples turn out tasty, aromatic and dense.

The easiest way to prepare soaked apples

This option for preparing soaked apples can be called classic. There are no foreign ingredients in the composition, and the fruits themselves are incredibly juicy and appetizing. The cooking process does not require special knowledge and skills; it is very simple.

Ingredients:

• Apples - 1 bucket.
• Sugar – 500 gr.
• Salt – 5 tbsp.
• White cabbage leaves.

Cooking process:

1. Crumpled and rotten fruits should be removed because they can affect the cooking process. Rinse whole and firm apples under running water and dry with a towel. If time permits, you can wait until they dry naturally.
2. Place cabbage leaves at the bottom of the bucket so that they cover the entire bottom.
3. Place the cooked fruit on top of the cabbage and cover it again with foliage.
4. Start preparing the marinade. To do this, sugar and salt are dissolved in water. The resulting liquid needs to be cooled to 38 degrees, and then poured over the apples.
5. The last layer is also laid out with cabbage leaves.
6. To make the apples cook faster, put pressure on top.