Meshitsu Produced by RECRUIT How to make sauerkraut, "great person of natural fermentation" Thunder Cats taught me [only cabbage and salt]

My name is Yoshi Wada from the micro-publisher ferment books.

I published this book.

The author is Mr. Thunder Catz, a guru of American Fermented Culture.

The author of the James Beard Award (Gourmet Academy Award) bible about fermented food culture, The Technique of Fermentation, published his maiden work as a hand-made zine. It was a basic fermentation D.I.Y. guidebook.

This "Thunder Cats Fermentation Class" is the Japanese version of that ZINE.

Fermentation Class at Thunder Cats

Cats' nickname is "Thunder Kraut".

Among all the fermented foods, I really like sauerkraut, which is cabbage fermented with lactic acid bacteria.

Of course, the recipe at the top of this book...

Sauerkraut.

The only ingredients are cabbage and salt.

Unlike bread and beer fermented with yeast, or fermented foods such as sake and miso that require koji (malted rice), sauerkraut is produced naturally by microorganisms living in cabbage leaves that start fermentation. The sourness is created by the lactic acid bacteria, and it ferments deliciously.

Yes, sauerkraut, the simplest fermented food, is the basic of natural fermentation.

The fermented sourness is refreshing and profound, and the taste is completely different from pickles like pickles pickled in vinegar.

It's really delicious and makes you feel like you're alive.

I want everyone to experience the world of natural fermentation.

Mr. Katz's life work is to hold fermentation workshops and spread the techniques of natural fermentation to the world. I once held a workshop on making sauerkraut in Tokyo.

When he came to Japan, he also went on a trip around the traditional fermented food "Sunki" in the Kiso region of Nagano Prefecture.

As a special article in the Japanese version, the accompanying report was also posted.

In the article, you can also see Cats looking very happy while harvesting the red turnips that are the ingredients for Sunki.

Mr. Onomisa, a researcher and illustrator of rice malt cuisine, accompanied him and wrote a report on his trip.

Onomisa's "Everyday is the day"

Mr. Ono, who has written 5 books as a Koji cuisine researcher.

There is also a book that I collaborated as an illustrator with Mr. Takeo Koizumi, a fermentation scholar who is a master of fermentation in Japan.

This time, Ms. Onomisa, who is familiar with not only koji dishes but also fermented dishes in general, and who has participated in Cats's workshop, explained how to make sauerkraut [Cats style & Onoryu mix ver. ] Let me teach you.

Use a scale, if you have one, to get an accurate measure of the amount of salt.

Ono-san: Well, if you can make it a few times and get a feel for it, it's okay to use a rough amount of salt.

The amount of water contained in the cabbage is also relevant, so rather than nervously measuring the amount, it's better to see the condition of the ingredients and trust your instincts.

Cats also wrote:

Thunder Catz: They say sauerkraut is best fermented in a marinade with a salt content of 2-3%, but I've never measured the amount of salt. Just add a little salt after each quarter of the cabbage is chopped. Also, I add a little more salt in the summer and less in the winter. From "Thunder Cats Fermentation Class"

Yes. Making sauerkraut is also "Don't think, feel."

Varying the amount of salt depending on the season means that when the temperature rises, the activity of microorganisms increases and the speed of fermentation speeds up, so it is meaningful to suppress it.

Ono-san: However, when you make it for the first time, I recommend that you measure the salt exactly.

First of all, let's measure the amount of salt exactly to grab a can.

First, as a preliminary step, weigh the bowl itself.

541g.

Make note of the weight of the bowl.

The next step is to chop the cabbage, but don't throw away the 2-3 outer tough leaves that you would normally throw away. Save it for later use.

How to engrave is free for each person.

Thunder Cats: Cut the cabbage with a knife or slicer. Cut coarsely or finely, add core or not. (From "Thunder Cats Fermentation Class")

Once you've mastered the basics, you're free to do the rest. That's the Cats-style fermentation recipe.

Ono-san: In my case, I would divide the cabbage into quarters, remove the core, then halve it again to make it 1/8.

Ono-san: Cut this into strips.

Keep chopping like this, and put it in the bowl after chopping.

Once all the cabbage is chopped, pour it over the bowl or on the grater.

1723g.

Subtracting the 541g weight of the bowl, the weight of the cabbage is 1182g.

Assuming that the amount of salt is 2% of the cabbage, 1182g x 0.02 = 23.64g.

Since the season is winter, let's say 20g just a little less.

Weigh out 20g of salt (the displayed number is the number of grams minus the weight of the bowl).

Add some salt.

Using well-washed hands, mix the cabbage and salt together.

Ono: It's good to press firmly so that the water comes out from the cabbage.

Ono-san: It's OK if the cabbage is a little crispy and the water is floating like this.

Get a nice-sized glass jar and boil it to sterilize it. First, transfer about 1/3 of the cabbage into it.

Next, press the cabbage with a pestle, rolling pin, or any other suitable wooden stick to release more moisture.

It's a lot less bulky, like this.

Ono-san: The water will not come out unless you apply a certain amount of force, but please be careful not to press too hard and break the bottle.

Transfer 1/3 into a bottle and press. When everything was completed, the cabbage, which was quite large, was compressed into such a volume. The water is coming out in a pretty good condition.

This is where the tough outer leaves of the cabbage that you saved earlier come into play. First, fold like this.

Then press this tightly onto the surface of the cabbage to make it a lid.

That's it, you're ready for fermentation!

Ono-san: Covering the cabbage with the tough outer leaves is a method I learned in Cats-san's workshop. The recipe in The Thunder Cats' Fermentation Class is a little different, as it calls for a good-sized weight in the jar to press down on the cabbage. In any case, keep the whole cabbage soaked in water.

This is important!

If the cabbage is exposed to the air, it will be susceptible to bacteria, so soak it in water.

The photo below shows the same thing left at room temperature for 2-3 days.

Ono: Can you see the bubbles rising?

Oh! surely!

Occasionally, you can see bubbles coming up.

This is proof that cabbage is fermented with live lactic acid bacteria.

Looking at the taste, it's a little sour and delicious. Great success if that happens.

Furthermore, the photo below is about two weeks after preparation.

Ono: I already ate quite a bit (laughs), so there is only a little bit left, but it's getting yellowish. The taste is rather sour.

I tasted this too, and it was very sour and very delicious.

Ono-san: Enjoying the taste that changes with the passage of time is also quite nice. Watching the changes and enjoying them is the real pleasure of fermentation. Also, fermented sauerkraut juice is full of lactic acid bacteria, so don't throw it away.

Sauerkraut juice is very precious. The "Thunder Cats Fermentation Class" also shows how to save the pickling juice and mix it with the next sauerkraut to make it a fermented seed.

Thunder Cats: Once you learn how to make it, get the rhythm of preparation. A new batch should be made before the previous batch is completely consumed. When I make a new batch of sauerkraut, I take some of the sauerkraut and marinade from the old batch, mix it with the new cabbage, and package it. The marinade provides a starter with already active bacteria to help ferment new sauerkraut. (From "Thunder Cats Fermentation Class")

Influenced by Katz, who writes, "Don't be afraid to experiment, enjoy fermentation!"

Ono: I'm still experimenting, but it feels like the rice bran bed is fluffy and the taste is different from normal rice bran pickles.

There is only sauerkraut juice, and it seems to be a little fancy (laughs).

Sure, there are air bubbles in the cross section of the nukadoko. Is this a fluffy nukadoko?

Looking forward to the results of the experiment.

Furthermore, Katz also wrote:

Thunder Cats: I like to mix regular and red cabbage to give my sauerkraut a bright pink color. (From "Thunder. Cats Fermentation Classroom")

So, I decided to try making sauerkraut with red cabbage.

I proceeded according to the previous procedure, but here, a little trouble occurred.

Not much water comes out of the red cabbage.

Ono-san: It was sold in 1/4 cuts. It may have been a little old red cabbage, and the water had flown away.

In this case, don't panic.

Make salt water with a salt concentration of about 2%.

Just add enough salt water to cover the whole cabbage and you're good to go!

Since this kind of troubleshooting is also mentioned in "Thunder Cats' Fermentation Class", please refer to it.

This is red cabbage sauerkraut that has been fermented for several days.

Ono: Sauerkraut made with normal white cabbage turns yellow when fermented and doesn't look so good, but if you use red cabbage, it turns pink and looks really cute! There is an advantage. The taste is almost the same as white cabbage and is delicious.

Furthermore, Mr. Katz explains the freedom of making sauerkraut.

Thunder Cats: Try adding other veggies. Onions, garlic, leafy greens other than cabbage, Brussels sprouts, whole small cabbages, etc. Additionally, you can add herbs and spices such as caraway seeds, dill seeds, etc. Think of it as an experiment and put anything in it. (From "Thunder Cats Fermentation Class")

Now let's try it out.

Mr. Ono showed off an impromptu original recipe.

Ono: First, how about adding garlic, peppercorns, dill, and bay leaves to your sauerkraut.

Wow, that looks great!

As shown in the photo below, mix the unfermented cabbage with the additional ingredients and fill the bottle.

This is the finished product that has been fermented for a few days.

Ono: It has a strong garlic flavor, so it might be good to eat it with sausage or meat. Grain pepper is intense when bitten, so it seems better to put it in after catching it.

Ono's recommendation is sauerkraut prepared with cumin.

Here is the finished product.

Ono-san: It will be sauerkraut with an ethnic flavor. You might want to eat curry!

At this point, Ono-san came up with an even more original idea.

Ono: How about pickled plums?

Eh! Salted plum?

Sauerkraut and umeboshi are a combination I never thought of, but it's sour + sour, and it might be nice to add a Japanese element.

Ono-san: Hit the umeboshi with a kitchen knife...

Ono-san: Let's mix it with cabbage before fermentation. I think it would be better to put red shiso together.

Ono-san: Ah, even if it's not fermented, it's good with salted cabbage and umeboshi!

Mr. Ono starts to eat in the kitchen.

I decided to have a drink.

It goes well with Japanese sake.

Although it is quite different from the purpose of the project, even in the state of salted cabbage before fermenting, you can enjoy it deliciously like this.

And here is the finished product that has been fermented for several days.

Ono-san: When it's fermented, it's hard to tell whether it's the sourness of umeboshi or sauerkraut, but for some reason it has a Japanese-style taste. It looks good to eat this with rice.

Sauerkraut is also interesting to have in Japanese style.

Ono: Sauerkraut is versatile. It goes well with sake, and it's delicious when stewed with pork or wiener sausages. If you make it, it will be very useful. I also love sauerkraut toast for a quick breakfast.

If you ask me, it's super easy to make.

First, put cheese on the bread.

Top it with plenty of sour sauerkraut that has been fermented for two weeks.

Bake it in the toaster and

Sprinkle with pepper and you're done.

All you need is sauerkraut and you can make it in 3 minutes.

If you don't have cheese, just drizzle mayonnaise over the sauerkraut.

It's easy, it's delicious, and it's a menu that makes me think I'm glad I made sauerkraut.

Mr. Ono, who is a researcher of rice malt dishes, became interested in making sauerkraut after participating in Mr. Cats' workshop, and has been making it ever since.

Mr. Ono: Some people said, “You cheated on lactic acid bacteria from koji” (laughs), but both koji and lactic acid bacteria are minute substances that are essential for fermented foods. However, when making miso, amazake, shio koji, etc., you basically have to buy koji at a reasonable price, but sauerkraut can be made with only cabbage and salt, so it is relatively inexpensive is not it.

It's good for your health.

Ono: You also wrote a little about the positive effects on health in the Thunder Cats Fermentation Class. Since I started enjoying fermented foods such as koji and sauerkraut, I feel that my physical condition has improved in many ways.

You can also experience fermented food culture, which is cheap, healthy, and delicious.

If you are interested in sauerkraut, which is full of good things, please pick up "Thunder Cats Fermentation Class". It must be a gateway to the deeper world of natural fermentation.

Well, fermented foods are delicious and interesting!

[Caution]

Editor and writer of "ferment books". Also active under the name of "Wadayoshi". "Fermentation is delicious! (Pai International), "Thunder Cats Fermentation Class", "Aji no Kata: An Interview with Naoko Sakokawa" (ferment books), and "Taiwan Retro Ice Candy Shop" (Graphic-sha).

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