Kyslá kapusta

Ingredients

Sauerkraut

• 3 kgwhite cabbage, shredded fine
• 60 gcoarse non-iodised salt — 2% of the cabbage weight
• 1 tbspcaraway seed
• 6juniper berries, crushed

Kapustnica

• 600 gof the finished sauerkraut, drained
• 300 gsmoked pork ribs or hock
• 200 gklobása, sliced
• 30 gdried mushrooms, soaked
• 6prunes
• 1onion, chopped
• 1 tbsplard
• 1 tbsppaprika
• 1 tbspflour
• 150 mlsour cream

Directions

1. Shred the cabbage finely, weigh it, and take exactly 2% of that weight in salt. This is the only measurement that must be right.
2. Toss with the salt, caraway and juniper, leave 30 minutes, then work it hard by the handful for ten minutes until it collapses into its own liquid.
3. Pack into the crock, pressing each layer down so the brine rises above the cabbage, and weight it down.
4. Ferment at cool room temperature, 16 to 20°C (61 to 68°F), for about four weeks, piercing to the bottom with a clean stick in the first week to release trapped gas. Skim any white film off the surface.
5. For the kapustnica: simmer the smoked ribs in water for an hour, keeping the broth.
6. Fry the onion in lard, stir in the paprika off the heat so it does not scorch, then the flour to make a roux, and whisk in some of the broth.
7. Add the drained sauerkraut, the soaked mushrooms with their liquid, the prunes, the sliced klobása and the rest of the broth, and simmer gently for 45 minutes.
8. Stir in the sour cream off the heat — added to a boiling pot it splits. Serve on Christmas Eve with bread, which is when every Slovak household eats it.

Technique

• Two percent by weight, on a scale.
• Paprika off the heat, sour cream off the heat. Both scorch or split otherwise.
• The brine is drunk cold the morning after the feast, which is half of why the crock exists.

Substitutions

• Bought sauerkraut, drained, if you want the soup without the month’s wait.
• Dried plums or apple in place of prunes.
• Mushroom-only for a meatless Christmas Eve version, which many households make.

Variations

• The Czech kysané zelí and Polish kapusta kiszona are the same preserve.
• Kapustnica varies by region — some add sausage and mushrooms, some only one.

History

Slovak households ferment barrels each autumn, and the brine is drunk as a remedy after feasting.

Frequently asked questions

What is Kyslá kapusta?

Kyslá kapusta is a fermented & pickled from Slovakia: fermented cabbage, the base of the Christmas kapustnica soup. Slovak households ferment barrels each autumn, and the brine is drunk as a remedy after feasting.

How long does Kyslá kapusta take to make?

Kyslá kapusta takes 40 min plus 4 weeks fermenting of preparation and 2 hours of cooking. The recipe makes fills a 5-litre crock, then serves 8. It is rated easy to make.

What can I substitute in Kyslá kapusta?

Yes, within limits. Bought sauerkraut, drained, if you want the soup without the month’s wait. Dried plums or apple in place of prunes. Mushroom-only for a meatless Christmas Eve version, which many households make.

What is the most important thing to get right in Kyslá kapusta?

Shred the cabbage finely, weigh it, and take exactly 2% of that weight in salt. This is the only measurement that must be right.