Fermented Cabbage Heads (Homemade Sauerkraut Heads, Kiseli Kupus) [Balkan Recipe, Three Ingredients] - Balkan Lunch Box (2024)

Making fermented cabbage heads (sour cabbage) is a treasured Balkan tradition. This versatile (and super easy!) pickling (fermenting) method makes whole homemade sauerkraut heads, as well as kraut juice (rasol), for use in a variety of dishes. Shall we?

Background

Almost every household in the Balkans pickles, ferments, or makes preserves for zimnica, aka winter food. Everyone's favorite is kiseli kupus.

Known in the rest of the world as fermented cabbage, sour cabbage, or sauerkraut, this tangy delicacy is a winter must!

Fermented cabbage comes in different shapes. From shredded sauerkraut to whole cabbage heads, there is no wrong way to do kiseli kupus!

Our easy recipe will teach you how to pickle the whole cabbage head. As a bonus you'll also get the amazing kraut juice (rasol), long considered a fermented superfood.

What's more, this is a simple, centuries-old method for fermenting cabbage, and one you can master from the first batch.

Why You'll Love This Recipe

1. More Options! Fermented whole cabbage heads are perfect for sarma rolls, salads, baked sauerkraut, or by themselves!
2. Minimal Equipment! Only 2-3 things are needed, and you probably already have them!
3. Probiotic from Heaven! Research is showing fermented foods to be the key to fortifying our antioxidant defense systems.
4. Kraut Juice or Rasol! The main by-product of fermented cabbage heads is the superfood called kraut juice (brine, rasol)!
5. Long Lasting! A big batch of fermented cabbage heads can last you through the winter!

Pickled vs Fermented

So, is this a recipe for pickling or a recipe for fermenting cabbage? Let's clarify the difference. According to Spicesinc:

Pickling involves putting food into an acidic brine to produce a sour flavor, whereas fermenting gives food a sour flavor without any added acid.

In the case of Balkan fermented cabbage heads (sauerkraut), fermenting and pickling definitions overlap.

Salt is added to cabbage heads to help create brine, something done for pickling. However, the cabbage helps co-create the brine as well, by fermenting.

What's more, the current local verb used for this method is "ukiseliti", translated as "to make sour," a catchall phrase for both pickled and fermented foods.

We'll use both terms throughout the text.

Conditions

Although not technically equipment, you'll need to meet two conditions to be able to make fermented cabbage (kiseli kupus).

1. Cold Weather. Wait for the weather to cool down when you attempt to ferment cabbage.
   - Think October through November in the Northern Hemisphere.
   
2. Good Fermenting Spot. A cold (but not freezing), dark, airy, space to leave your barrel to ferment.
   - Some options are the shed, basem*nt, storage with windows, an outside shaded kitchen, garage, shaded balcony, or a terrace in the shade, etc.
   - Ideally, it's a drafty space that has a stream of air coming through relatively frequently. (Sauerkraut smell is powerful!)

Equipment

Here's all the 'fancy' equipment you'll need to make sour cabbage (kiseli kupus):

1. A Barrel. One 14-16 gallon (50-60 liter) plastic bucket, barrel, or container, with a lid. (Two 7-8 gallons also work, but it's easier to do it all at once.) This size produces enough fermented cabbage for a smaller family to use over winter.
   
2. Weights. To hold cabbage submerged in water (brine, rasol) you'll need to put something heavy on it. Examples: plastic bottles filled with water, weights, a big, cleaned rock (or a few), or a similar heavy waterproof object. (It has to fit under the lid.)

Ingredients

Only three ingredients are needed to make fermented cabbage (kiseli kupus). Everything else is optional.

• Green Cabbage Heads: about 60-65lbs (about 27-30kg) whole green cabbage heads. Check that they have been recently picked, that they're healthy, hard, sturdy, and have no visible damage, or black spots.

• Salt: regular white table salt works best. Substitute with sea salt. You'll need about 2 pounds (1 kilogram).

• Water: If your tap water is drinkable, use it. Otherwise, substitute with filtered or bottled non-carbonated (regular) water.

Optional Ingredients

• Corn: one corn on a cob thrown into the fermenting barrel gives sour cabbage a nice yellow hue.
• Different seeds like peppercorn (this one is very popular), mustard seed, etc add to the taste, but only slightly.
• Then again, you can opt to do a whole fermented salad by adding peppers, carrots, broccoli, etc. This is called turšija, and here's our recipe.

Instructions

There are several ways to ferment whole cabbage heads (make kiseli kupus). Our recipe follows the simplest, classic method.

Step 1. Prepare the Cabbage. Before fermenting cabbage, check that your cabbage is actually good for fermentation. It needs to be fresh, recently picked, and sturdy. Remove outer leaves. Check there are no dark spots. Cut out the roots. Fill the root holes very, very generously with salt.

Step 2. Find Fermenting Space. Transfer the barrel to a dark, cool, airy place where it can be undisturbed for at least 6 weeks. (The easiest method is to transfer it to the fermenting spot when it's empty, and fill it up with ingredients on the spot.)

Step 3. Assemble Cabbage in the Barrel. Place the cabbage heads in the barrel. Push as many together as it will fit. They should be positioned extremely tightly together. (You can quarter a few cabbage heads and place them in between whole cabbage heads, also.) Place a heavy object(s) on top of the cabbage. Fill the barrel with water until it reaches 1-2 inches (2-4 centimeters) above the cabbage. Fasten the lid.

Step 4. Add More Water and Wait. About 2-4 days after placing the cabbage heads in the barrel, open it. The water level will lower by now (cabbage absorbs it). Add more water, so that it reaches about 1-2 inches (2-4 centimeters) above the cabbage (just like at the start of the process). Close the lid back up.

Step 5. Open the Barrel. About 6 weeks (40 days) later, open the barrel. Remove heavy objects, and check out the cabbage. The fermenting should be done by now. If the cabbage is not quite there yet, return the heavy objects, close the lid, and let the heads ferment for a few more days.

Optional step. You can check the cabbage before the end of 6 weeks, or once or twice in between. However, always make sure to return the heavy objects on the cabbage and to close and fasten the lid.

Signs Cabbage is Fermented

• The best method to check whether cabbage is fermented is to taste it. Kiseli kupus should be tangy, salty, and crunchy. If it's still not salty enough, let it ferment longer.
• In looks, fermented cabbage (kisseli kupus) should be sturdy, heavy with kraut juice, translucent, almost plastic-y, and just slightly yellow. (If it's mushy, or too yellow, it's gone bad!)
• Finally, the water (brine, kraut juice, rasol) should be a cloudy white, kind of like lemonade. (If you added corn on the cob, in color it'll be a little bit more yellow.)

Kraut Juice or Rasol

Kraut juice, or rasol, has been consumed (in moderation) in the Balkans for decades, if not centuries. It's believed to:

• Be a great source of Vitamin C. (Perfect to fortify immunity during the long winter months.)
• Act as a bone fortifier. (Containing Vitamin K2 which is great for bone strength.)
• Be a great hangover cure. (We can vouch for this!)
• Be a good constipation cure. (Can't go? Drink a cup of rasol and wait.)
• Finally, it's thought to aid weight loss. (Like ACV, it is believed that sauerkraut juice helps prevent huge insulin spikes.)

Handling

Taking fermented cabbage out of the barrel:

- Whole Sour Cabbage Heads. Take the lid off the barrel, remove heavy objects, and take out however many heads of fermented cabbage you need. Transfer them to a big bowl right away as they'll be dripping with kraut juice (brine, rasol).

- Kraut Juice (Rasol). If you need kraut juice, you can use the kraut juice that drips out of the fermented cabbage into the bowl. Alternatively, grab as much juice as you need from the barrel, and transfer it to a bottle that you'll keep in the fridge.

- Close the Lid. Once you're finished taking out sour cabbage or kraut juice, return heavy objects on top of the remaining cabbage, and close the lid. (Sometimes cabbage heads 'swim up' and they need to be submerged.)

Serving and/ or using fermented cabbage for a dish:

- But First! Before using sour cabbage for a dish, taste it. If it's too salty, or too tangy, wash it out under lukewarm water. (We like kiseli kupus really sour, but you may not.)

- Salads. If planning to serve fermented cabbage as a salad, or eat by itself, remove one to two outer leaves and discard them. Shred the rest with a knife or a grater.

- Sour Cabbage Rolls (Sarma). If using it for sarma, use whole sour cabbage leaves. Again, discard one or two outer leaves.

- Leftovers. If you have leftover fermented cabbage, place it in an airtight container and keep it in the fridge for up to 2-3 days. Kiseli kupus smell packs a punch, so be warned!

Freezing fermented cabbage:

A big batch of sauerkraut (kiseli kupus) will last you throughout the winter. If you want to keep some for later on in the year, this is how to freeze it.

-Big Freezer. If you have a big freezer, freeze the whole fermented cabbage head (or more), in a sturdy freezer bag. Freeze them for up to 6 months.

-Salads. If planning to use sour cabbage for salads, and baked sauerkraut, shred or grate one or two sour cabbage heads, and place them in a freezer bag. Transfer to the freezer for up to 6 months.

-Sour Cabbage Rolls (Sarma). If freezing sour cabbage for sarma, freeze the entire leaves. Remove leaves from a cabbage head, stack them in piles of 5-10, and then roll the stacks up. Place rolls in a freezer bag. Transfer to the freezer for up to 6 months.

Thawing fermented cabbage:

- A few hours before you plan to use fermented cabbage, take it out and let it thaw at room temperature. Use it for the recipe. Keep leftover fermented cabbage (kiseli kupus) in the fridge in an airtight container or a freezer bag.

Recipe FAQs

Cabbage Dishes

Additionally, here is a collection of other cabbage dishes we love.

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Prijatno, Dobar Tek, and Bon Appetit!

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