Storage
The sauerkraut and kimchi from Hjuksebø are not heat treated. The lactic acid bacteria that did the work during fermentation are still in the jar. This is what is good to know when you have a living jar in the fridge.
From cabbage to jar
The cabbage is shredded, salted and kneaded, packed tight and pressed well down. Then it is left to ferment. The gas from the fermentation gets out, but no air gets in. After fourteen days the cabbage goes into jars and into the cold.
There is no added sugar or vinegar, and the jars are not heat treated. Heat would kill the bacteria, so the sourness you taste is the lactic acid they made.
The taste keeps changing
Once the jar is cold, fermentation almost stops, but the flavour keeps developing. A new jar is fresh and sharp. After two or three months the taste has changed a little and become rounder.
When you open it
Because the bacteria are alive, a little gas can build up in the jar. It may fizz when you unscrew the lid, and the brine can push up towards the rim. Open it over the sink or a plate the first time.
Keeping it
The jars are a chilled product and belong at 0 to 6 °C, both before and after opening. Use a clean spoon, and press the cabbage back down into the brine when you have taken what you need. The best-before date is written on the label.
A jar is not spoiled by standing at room temperature, but the fermentation then carries on for as long as there are carbohydrates left in the vegetables. The cabbage gets much more sour, and more gas builds up in the jar.
With a little fat
All the jars are good with something fatty alongside: melted butter, olive oil, pork rib fat, sour cream, crème fraîche or mayonnaise. It brings out the flavour.
Wondering about a jar? Ask us at the REKO hand-over, or get in touch.
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