03.07.2023

Georgian sauerkraut - recipes from the chef. Georgian sauerkraut with beets


I reviewed all similar recipes here. This is definitely not the case. This is probably a recipe from that series when real secrets are passed on only to loved ones. More than 25 years ago, my mother-in-law, who lived in Georgia all her life, taught me how to cook cabbage this way. I declare with complete responsibility: pickles simply don’t get any tastier than this cabbage! And the main thing is that everything is very simple and there is nothing superfluous in the ingredients: no oil, vinegar, etc. It’s prepared quickly and eaten even faster. True, I’ve been cooking “by eye” all my life...

Ingredients for “That Georgian Cabbage”:

Recipe for “The Same Georgian Cabbage”:

Let's start with choosing vegetables. It is important. The cabbage should be small. You can use a large one, but it will crumble, and the beauty of this pickle is in the pieces. The beets should be bright and sweet and have good coloring. From greens - ONLY celery! Don't add anything extra, at least for the first time.

Now the brine. It should be cold, so let's prepare it in advance. Boil water in a saucepan and dissolve salt in it. It should taste saltier than sea water. I used sea salt, you can use any salt. Cool completely. The starting amount of salt is written. Most likely, you will then have to add it to the pickle itself: cabbage quickly takes up the salt.

Cut the cabbage into small slices along with the stalk. I cut small heads of cabbage in half, and then each half into 3 parts. You can cut it larger, but the cabbage must be well colored, and this is more difficult for large pieces

Cut the beets into thin slices. I do this on a grater.

Peel the garlic and cut the cloves into 2 or more pieces. This will give off more flavor. We clean the pepper and cut it into rings. For the first time, residents of Russia, and not the Caucasus, can add less pepper, you never know...

We take a deep container for pickles, I take jars and a large saucepan. We lay out our preparations in layers: a little beets on the bottom, cabbage, beets, sprinkle with garlic, pepper rings, put celery crumpled in your hands (a couple of sprigs)...

So fill the entire pan. On top - beets.

Fill with cold brine to cover. Close the lid and forget about it for three days. If possible. I guarantee to constantly open the lid and dip your fingers in the brine. By the way, since you're dipping your fingers anyway... The solution will become less salty. Sprinkle a little salt directly on top of the brine and stir with your finger. The cabbage is just sitting in the kitchen.

The cabbage is almost 5 days old. The brightest pickle! You can already try it. And at the same time, put it in the refrigerator. Everything is delicious - cabbage, beets, peppers, garlic... This slow salting contributes to the perfect mixing of different tastes.

To serve, simply place the cabbage on a plate. Can be cut into smaller pieces. And some are cut finely and poured with oil. But the special charm is to eat it just the way it is. With potatoes, mmmmmmm, and just like that... It's SOOO delicious!

Few people know that fresh cabbage inferior in usefulness to sauerkraut: paradoxically, when fermented, cabbage does not lose its properties at all, but also acquires additional ones useful qualities, since during the fermentation process, which occurs thanks to lactic acid bacteria, new substances are synthesized.

This product, obtained by natural fermentation, contains the most valuable substances for the human body: phytoncides, enzymes, vitamins, micro and macroelements, fiber. The vitamin range contained in sauerkraut is very wide: A, B1, B2, B3, B6, C, K, P, U. The latter belongs to the category of rather rare vitamins, it has an amazing property - it prevents the appearance of ulcerative lesions on the walls of the stomach and duodenum .

The minerals contained in sauerkraut make it practically a record holder among similar products. It contains: iron, potassium, iodine, calcium, magnesium, manganese, sodium, phosphorus, chlorine, cobalt, fluorine, silicon, arsenic, boron, copper, zinc, sulfur, selenium, etc.
And if you consider that 100 g of the product contains only 27 calories, then this is an ideal food product for those who are struggling with extra pounds.

And this cabbage also contains beets, garlic, pepper, and celery... It's just a vitamin bomb!

Bon appetit to you and your family!


This recipe is part of the "Cooking Together - Culinary Week" campaign. Discussion of cooking on the forum -

There are many recipes for sauerkraut that are popular in different countries world, and the secret ingredients and subtleties of preparing this dish are passed down from generation to generation. In this article we will look at one of the delicious recipes Georgian-style sauerkraut, which is increasingly being prepared by housewives as a preparation for the winter or for immediate consumption.

About the taste of Gurian cabbage

Georgian cabbage is called “mzhave” in Georgia; the recipe consists of several ingredients, thanks to which the dish turns out very tasty. It is prepared through natural fermentation processes without the addition of vinegar, so the taste of the snack is softer and more pleasant.

Did you know? Exist various options sauerkraut, which are considered national dishes in different countries. For example, in Germany, sauerkraut is consumed almost every day and is added to various dishes; the Germans call this dish “sauerkraut,” and in Korea they prepare sauerkraut, which is called “kimchi.”

The addition of beets gives the dish a bright pink color and a pleasant sweetish flavor. Often, lovers of a more piquant, bright taste add hot pepper to Georgian cabbage. But even if you don’t like it spicy, it is recommended to add garlic to the main vegetable, which will not only add an excellent spicy garlic flavor, but also make the dish more piquant. Celery and other spices finally complete the picture; mixing with each other, they create a bouquet of a unique pleasant aroma.

Only salt is added to the dish; sugar is not contained in the recipe, so the taste of cabbage is often characterized as salty, without sweetness, but after brewing, sweetness still appears thanks to additional ingredients.

If the technology for preparing the dish in question has been followed, the vegetables will turn out a little soft on the outside and crispy on the inside.

Kitchen tools and appliances

To prepare sauerkraut in Georgian style, you need to stock up on the following equipment:

  • knife for chopping ingredients;
  • a board on which the ingredients will be cut;
  • scales to measure the amount of ingredients for the most balanced taste;
  • a saucepan for boiling the filling;
  • a container with a lid for storing ingredients where the marinating process will take place;
  • plates for intermediate storage of chopped vegetables;
  • plates so that they press down the contents of the container during the marinating process.

Important! To simplify and speed up the process of chopping ingredients, you can use a food processor with suitable attachments.

List of ingredients

To prepare tasty dish, you need to stock up:

  • white cabbage in the amount of 1 kg;
  • - 400 g;
  • - 60 g;
  • leaves - 50 g;
  • - 1 piece (small);
  • salt - 50 g;
  • water - 1 l.


Step-by-step cooking process

Let us consider in detail all the stages of preparing sauerkraut in Georgian:

  1. First, let's prepare the filling. To do this, pour water into a saucepan and add salt in accordance with the recipe. Mix the liquid thoroughly and put it on the stove so that the salt is completely dissolved and the pouring boils.

  2. In the meantime, you need to start preparing the main ingredients. First of all, take care of the cabbage. The head of cabbage is washed and dried with a paper towel to get rid of excess moisture.
  3. Next, the head of cabbage is cut in half, the stalk is removed and cut into squares of average size 7 by 7 cm. To prevent the sheets from falling apart, but at least somehow holding together, it is recommended to first cut half of the head of cabbage into “slices”, from the edge of one side to the center of the back side. Then each “slice” is divided into three more parts with a knife.

  4. After the main vegetable is chopped, you should start preparing the beets. It is first peeled, washed thoroughly and cut into the thinnest possible rings (1-2 mm thick) using a knife or a food processor, if you have the necessary attachment.

  5. Next, you need to chop the well-washed celery leaves. It is necessary to chop coarsely so that after the dish is ready, the celery can be easily removed from the finished snack.

  6. Hot peppers cut into small rings so that later it can also be quickly removed from the dish at any time.

  7. The garlic must be peeled and cut into small pieces, small slices cut in half, large ones into 4 pieces.

  8. When all the ingredients are prepared, you can begin placing the vegetables in the container where the ripening will take place. To do this, it is convenient to use a small plastic bucket with a lid or any plastic container that is suitable in volume.
  9. Place beet rings in one layer at the bottom of the selected container. Carefully place the main vegetable on top, so as not to disturb the integrity of the pieces, in one layer. Next, sprinkle a little garlic, hot pepper and celery on the cabbage. It is necessary to continue laying out the layers one by one until the ingredients run out. The last layer must be beets; it will allow the layer of cabbage, which is located below, to be well colored.

  10. Boiling sauce is poured over the vegetables. Take your time, try to ensure that all the vegetables are treated with the boiling mixture.

  11. Next, a plate is placed on top so that a slight pressure is formed on the vegetables, and the filling completely covers them.

  12. After this, a deep bowl is placed on top of the plate so that when its convex bottom comes into contact with the lid of the bucket, there is a slight constant pressure on the vegetables. It is not recommended to completely seal the lid; leave it slightly open on one side to allow air access to the vegetables. Only in this case the ripening process will occur correctly.

  13. Leave the container in this state for 4 days, during which time the vegetables will be completely ready for consumption.

Important! If you want to speed up the process of mowing Georgian cabbage, add 30 ml of 9% vinegar to it while preparing the filling. Thus, cabbage can be eaten after 2 days.

What to serve with

Cabbage in Georgian is great snack, which warms up the taste buds and promotes better appetite. This dish You can serve separately, after pouring oil and sprinkling with herbs to taste. The appetizer goes well with meat dishes.
In Georgia, this snack is often eaten with lobio. Pickled vegetables are also complemented by fish and vegetable dishes. Pickle lovers can devour such vegetables just like that, without any additional dishes. Given the excellent taste of Georgian cabbage, part of the preparation is often eaten immediately after cooking.

Where and how much can you store

After the snack is ready for consumption, it must be transferred to a convenient container that can be tightly closed with a lid. You can store pickled vegetables in the refrigerator or cellar for 2-3 months. Storage temperature should not exceed +8 degrees. Over time, the cabbage becomes saturated with aromas and flavors. additional ingredients and it becomes even tastier.

Vegetables become softer during storage, so if you prefer a crispy snack, prepare enough to use within 3-4 weeks.

Did you know? Ancient Russian recipes for sauerkraut contain secret ingredient- . This berry not only adds a special sourness ready-made dish, but also contributes to more long-term storage fermented vegetables due to the high content of benzoic acid - a natural preservative.

Video: recipe for cooking cabbage in Georgian style

Despite the fact that sauerkraut is considered a traditional Slavic dish, it has many replicas in other national cuisines. And today I will tell you about how to ferment cabbage in Georgian style, how it is prepared and stored.

Georgian sauerkraut

High, high in the mountains, in a distant village, we ran out of lamb for barbecue and it was decided, under the gaze of mighty eagles, to prepare a dish, although not meaty, but not inferior in taste.

Okay, just kidding. I don’t know the true history of the re-release of sauerkraut in Georgia, so I’ll just explain what happened.

Georgian sauerkraut – recipe

For classic cabbage in Georgian, then bish, mzhave, you need to take:

  • White cabbage – a couple of kilograms
    Beets - three hundred grams
    Celery - a bunch of petioles
    Chili pepper - one medium pod
    Vinegar 9% - tablespoon
    Water - two liters
    Salt - two tablespoons
  • Prepare the cabbage and cut into large pieces. Peel the beets and cut them into medium cubes. Cut celery and garlic into large pieces. Grind the chili pod.

    Mix this mixture and place it in a fermentation container, either a jar, a tub or a pan.

    Mixed vegetables need to be poured with marinade. To obtain it, you need to add salt to the water, wait until it boils and add vinegar. Pour the boiling marinade over the cabbage, wait until it cools down and put it in the refrigerator. After a couple of days you can eat.

    Sauerkraut It is considered a traditional Slavic dish, but it has many replicas in other national cuisines. And today I will tell you about how to ferment cabbage in Georgian style, how it is prepared and stored.

    How to sauerkraut in Georgia

    High, high in the mountains, in a distant village, we ran out of lamb for barbecue and it was decided, under the gaze of mighty eagles, to prepare a dish that might not be meaty, but would not be inferior in taste.

    Okay, just kidding. I don’t know the true history in Georgia, so I’ll just explain what happened.

    Classic recipe

    For classic Georgian cabbage, then bish, mzhave, you need to take:

    White cabbage – a couple of kilograms
    Beets - three hundred grams
    Celery - a bunch of petioles
    Chili pepper - one medium pod
    Vinegar 9% - tablespoon
    Water - two liters
    Salt - two tablespoons

    We prepare and cut the vegetable. Peel the beets and cut them into medium cubes. Cut the celery and garlic into large pieces. Grind the chili pod.

    Mix this mixture and place it in a fermentation container, either a jar, a tub or a pan.

    Mixed vegetables need to be poured with marinade. To obtain it, you need to add salt to the water, wait until it boils, and add vinegar. Pour the boiling marinade over the cabbage, wait until it cools down and put it in the refrigerator. After a couple of days you can eat.

    Recipe without vinegar

    To ferment without using vinegar, take:

    White cabbage - approx. three kilograms
    Beets - one and a half kilograms
    Celery - a couple of bunches of cuttings
    Garlic – two medium heads
    Hot chili pepper - three pods.
    Salt – 4 tablespoons
    Water - a couple of liters

    We clean the vegetable from withered and dirty leaves. We cut the head of cabbage into large pieces so that they do not fall apart. Peel the beets and chop them into thin circles.

    Peel the garlic and divide it into cloves, then cut them in half. Chopped garlic will better impart its flavor to cabbage. Wash the chili pepper, remove the stem and cut into circles.

    It is better to ferment in a large saucepan under pressure. Layer layers of beets, cabbage, and beets again. Sprinkle garlic and pepper on top of this thing, then add celery, previously mashed. So we lay out layers after layers. Remember, the beets must be the final layer, otherwise the cabbage will not acquire an appetizing burgundy hue.

    It is necessary to fill the workpiece with brine so that it is completely hidden under it.

    By the way, about the brine, it’s terribly simple. Pour water into a saucepan, add salt and bring to a boil. After boiling, leave to cool. Afterwards, pour the cold brine into the container with the cabbage and cover with a lid.

    The appetizer should be marinated for at least five days at a temperature of twenty to twenty-two degrees. After this time, the cabbage can be put into jars with a plastic lid and stored in the refrigerator.

    Cabbage in this version ferments for a long time, due to this it acquires rich taste, which you will appreciate.

    Spicy cabbage

    Georgian cuisine is distinguished by the spiciness of many of its dishes, and there is also an option with
    Mzhave. Let's see what we need for the thrill:

    Cabbage - a large fork, about three kilograms
    Beets – one kilogram
    Fresh chili pepper – five pods
    Garlic – two heads
    Salt - one hundred and fifty grams
    Sugar – two hundred grams
    Greens (Dill, cilantro, basil and parsley) - only 30 grams each.
    Water - three liters
    Vinegar - two tablespoons

    To many, this recipe may seem too extreme, but don’t be scared, the ingredients in it combine perfectly and complement each other, so that after trying it you won’t be pulled away from this dish by the ears.

    We clean the forks and cut them into large pieces. Cut the peeled beets into circles, about half a centimeter thick.

    Cut two chili peppers into fine crumbs, the remaining three will be whole. We peel the garlic, chop each clove in half, as I already said, this will help better convey its taste.

    Now the vegetables need to be placed in a container; a bucket or large enamel pan will do just fine. Place beets as the bottom layer and cabbage mixed with whole pepper on top. Next, evenly distribute half of the available garlic and place the greens on top. Place the beets on top again and cover them with a mixture of chopped pepper and garlic.

    This method of laying layers will allow the spiciness to be evenly distributed throughout the cabbage and will not make it overly spicy.

    Next, let's prepare the marinade. Add sugar and salt to the water, add vinegar, put it on the stove and wait until it boils. Next, pour the brine into the cabbage and put it in a warm place for four to five days. Then you can transfer it to jars, after removing the top layer of pepper and garlic, and put it in the refrigerator.

    Recipe with carrots

    Ingredients:

    White cabbage – two kilograms
    Beets - three hundred grams
    Carrots – two hundred and fifty grams
    Chili pepper - one pod
    Garlic - one middle head
    Sugar – one hundred grams
    Salt - two tablespoons, without top
    Water – one liter
    Vinegar 9% - a couple of tablespoons

    We cut the cabbage prepared earlier into large fragments, cut the beets into slices, about two centimeters thick. We grate the carrots on the so-called “Korean carrot” grater.

    Cut the pepper into small cubes, peel the garlic and cut into quarters. Mix everything well and put it in jars.

    The brine is the same as in the previous recipe, boil water with sugar and salt, add vinegar and, before it cools, pour it into the cabbage. We screw the lids on the jars and send them to cool under the blanket. After that we put it in the refrigerator, after a couple of days you can eat it.

    With horseradish


    And finally, I will present to you an unusual, but very tasty option. It is called Gurian cabbage. To prepare we will need:

    White cabbage - three to four forks, eight kilograms in total
    Beetroot – four large root vegetables
    Hot chili pepper - a couple of large pods
    Parsley - one medium bunch
    Sugar – two hundred grams
    Salt – two hundred grams
    Garlic – one hundred grams
    Horseradish root - one hundred grams
    Water - four liters

    We cut the forks into large slices, the beets into thin slices. Cut the pepper into rings. Horseradish must be grated.

    Place all the cuttings in a bucket or large pan in layers.

    To obtain a brine, mix sugar, salt, and optional spices in water. Bring to a boil and wait until it cools a little. Pour warm brine over the cabbage, press it with a weight, and send it to ferment in a warm, dark place for three to four days.

    My article has finished, I hope you like the presented ones. Enjoy your meal!

    IN Georgian cuisine Great importance is attached to salted vegetables მჟავე - exact translation sour. Pickles are made in Georgia from cucumbers, peppers, cabbage, garlic, john jolie, etc. At Georgian feasts, even if it is a modest dinner in a family circle or a banquet, the obligatory dish on the table will be მჟავე. Since Georgians love to snack on something sour and green. And wash it all down with Wine! Now I will tell you how to make cabbage.

    Ingredients:

    • Cabbage
    • Beetroot 1 piece
    • Black pepper 0.5 tsp.
    • Red pepper 1 piece
    • Garlic 1 head
    • Celery and dill
    • Bay leaf 5 pcs

    How to cook

    Cut the cabbage into 4 or 8 pieces depending on the size of the cabbage. Beets mode in circles. In a large enamel saucepan (you can use a large glass container) Place the cabbage in one row, put some beets on top, celery (you can also use dill), a couple of cloves of garlic, a couple of bay leaves and a little black and red pepper Bell pepper. Place a second layer of cabbage on top and repeat all the ingredients again. Until we run out of cabbage.
    Put water on gas (depending on the size of your pan), dissolve salt in it. For a liter of water use 1 tablespoon with a large heap of salt and let it boil. And pour hot brine over the cabbage. Place a plate or lid on the cabbage and place a weight on top. Place the cabbage in a cool place for 5-7 days.
    BON APPETIT!