Georgia, one of the oldest settlement areas of mankind, is a mountain country with access to the Black Sea. Due to the different climatic zones and the resulting variety of cultivated products, a seasonally delicious and diverse cuisine developed, which was considered the haute cuisine of Soviet cooking. Today it is experiencing a renaissance among gourmets from all over the world. Georgian cabbage is my small contribution to this fabulous aroma.

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White wine vinegar and the use of spices and fresh herbs play a central role: pepper, shabbats clover, mint, tarragon, parsley, condari (wild thyme), basil, my much-loved dill and, above all, cilantro. Cilantro is the king of Georgian herbs.

Sour and herbs? It made ping in my head!

Sauerkraut with the herbs of Georgian cuisine

The best thing about sauerkraut is that you can always rediscover it simply by changing the herbs and spices. The preparation is and remains simple, so that sauerkraut is a good ferment for beginners - only you have to be patient, 8 weeks fermentation time make the taste really well balanced. And Georgian cabbage is an absolute taste explosion.

If you're interested in sauerkraut, be sure to check out the page for Classic German Sauerkraut. I have not only written down this super traditional cabbage, but also many different variations. Fermented white cabbage simply never gets boring!

Georgian Kraut

Georgian Kraut

Course: Side dish, Snack, AppetizerCuisine: GeorgianDifficulty: easy
Servings

6

Prep time

40

minutes
Fermentation time

8

weeks

Equipment

  • 1 liter bail-top jar (1)

Ingredients

  • 650 grams cabbage

  • 150 grams carrots

  • 3 garlic cloves

  • 100 grams white onion

  • 2 % salt

  • 12 pieces Basil, cilantro and peppermint leaves (10-15 each)

  • 1 sprig rosemary (about 10cm)

  • 1 sprig fresh dill or ½ tsp dried dill tips

  • ½ tsp fresh or dried marjoram

Instructions

  • Because you will need to determine the salt at the end based on the weight of all the other ingredients, first weigh a large bowl in which you will later process the ingredients and write down the weight.
  • As with any sauerkraut, start with the white cabbage. Neatly strip off the outer 2-3 leaves and set aside. Then quarter the cabbage and cut the quarters into fine slices. This can be done with a knife, but it's faster to use a vegetable slicer on the finest setting. The finer you cut the strips, the softer the cabbage will be and the faster and easier it will be to knead enough brine (sometimes I feel like coarse farmer's cabbage, then I cut the slices thicker - and if I can't generate enough brine, fill up with 2% readymade salt brine).
  • Coarsely grate the carrots on the grater, roughly chop the garlic cloves and cut the onion into fine slices. Again, the vegetable grater on level 1 is suitable for this. Chop the herbs.
  • Mix everything together in the bowl and weigh. From the weight subtract the previously determined weight of the bowl. Take 2% from the result - this is how much salt is sprinkled on the vegetables in the bowl. If this is difficult, why not take my salt ratio calculator to the rescue.
  • Then the fun begins! It's time for the kneading. To do this, press and knead the cabbage with your hands or a masher until the cell walls of the cabbage burst and a lot of liquid comes out. In total, you need enough brine (that's the name of the salty liquid) to cover the cabbage well in the jar.
  • Put the vegetables in a suitable vessel and cover them with the outer cabbage leaves prepared earlier. To do this, trim them a bit. The goal is to create a protective barrier so that the fine shreds of vegetables do not drift over the brine. A weight or another barrier is a good idea to prevent bouyancy.
  • The brine should end about 2-3 cm below the edge of the jar. Then there is neither spilling, nor is there too much air to favor mold. The first week is best to place in the dark between 18° and 24° C, after a week a little cooler, between 16° and 18° C.
  • I always let sauerkraut ferment for at least 8 weeks. Then the flavors are well developed, the acidity is balanced and the characteristic carbonic phase is over.

Notes

  • The herbs taste best when they are fresh. I have quite a few pots of herbs among the flowers and plants on the windowsill and in the garden, so I actually always have something in the house. Basil, cilantro and peppermint have to be fresh (or frozen), they lose too much flavor if you dry them. All other herbs you can use dried.

Nutrition facts

  • Calories: 52kcal

Did you try this ferment?

Tag @fermentation.love on instagram and hashtag your post with #fermentationlove .

The ingredients for Georgian cabbage?

Best fresh! Especially with highly aromatic herbs, freshness makes all the difference and turns your herb into a culinary delight. This sauerkraut has no reason to hide behind fine dining!

3 Comments

  1. Bombeninformation, danke sehr. Ich weiß trotzdem nie, ob man nach dem kneten und der entstandenen Salzlacke, das Weckglas zusätzlich mit WASSER bis zum Rand auffüllen muss, damit kein Gemüse drüberschaut….?
    P S. ich suche auch ein gutes Rezept für selbstgemachtes Sauerteigbrot, aber nur suf Basis einer Mehlsorte, und Glutenfrei ( könnte aber auch allein HAFER od BUCHWEIZEN sein)

    • Moin Paul,

      danke, dass es Dir gefällt!

      Bis zum Rand ist nicht nötig, zwei Finger breit kannst Du ruhig Platz lassen, dann läuft nichts über. Das Ziel ist, vorher soviel Lake erkneten, dass das Kraut mindestens 1-2 cm bedeckt ist. Nur, wenn das überhaupt nicht klappt, weil der Kohl zum Beispiel Lagerware ist, kann man sich helfen und mit 2%iger Lake auffüllen.

      Ein Rezept für ein glutenfreies Buchweizen-Sauerteigbrot habe ich tatsächlich 😊
      Ich schreib es die Tage mal auf.

      Liebe Grüsse und weiterhin viel Erfolg beim Fermentieren!
      Katsu

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