Smoky Chipotle Sauerkraut
Fermenting sauerkraut with chipotle is a very satisfying endeavor. This smoky chipotle sauerkraut recipe is the final culmination of a series of evolving experiments, during which I effectively zeroed in on what I consider o be the perfect spice balance. Sauerkraut lends itself well to various spice combinations and this is one I’m sure you’ll enjoy, if you like a little spice in your life.
For those who don’t know, Chipotle peppers are jalapeño peppers that have been smoked. As such, they impart a wonderful smoky, earthy flavor to dishes which include them. Although the peppers themselves are sometimes used in stews and salsas, this recipe uses a chipotle powder made from ground chipotle peppers. Chipotle peppers have some heat of course but this recipe is designed to take advantage of their flavor enhancing properties while not overwhelming the palate with heat.
A few years ago, I fell in love with a delicious smoky chipotle sauerkraut from Sonoma Brinery in California and it has persisted as one of the few sauerkrauts that I’ll buy in a store rather than making myself. Perhaps now that will change! Given the intensity that chipotle powder can have, it is important to find the right balance of spice to make this sauerkraut shine. While I often crave my basic sauerkraut recipe or my favorite Red Cabbage Sauerkraut, I love to play with different ingredients and spices, and this one hits the mark. The heat of Chipotle powders can vary by as much as 2x so the ultimate heat will depend upon your specific chipotle. If for some reason, it comes out too spicy for your tastes, you can do what I do and simply take half of the sauerkraut and rinse it off and then re-combine it with the half that you haven’t rinsed. Give it a few days for the flavors to re-meld and you’ll be in business.
Ingredients
- 3.5 pounds Cabbage
- 1 teaspoon ground Chipotle Powder
- 1 tablespoon Sea Salt
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
Instructions
- Prepare the Cabbage - lightly wash the outside of the cabbage. To cut the cabbage, I usually begin by cutting it lengthwise in quarters through the core. I'll then remove the dense core parts, turn the quarters sideways and cut into ribbons at whatever width I'd like. In this case the cuts were approximately 3/8" (1cm).
- Toss with salt - sprinkle the salt over the cabbage, trying to distribute the salt well.
- Allow it to sweat - Leave the salted cabbage for about 20 minutes or so and you'll find it will have begun to sweat.
- Add spices - Add the Chipotle Powder
- , garlic and cumin powders and toss to distribute well. Allow to sit for another 15 minutes or more.
- Place in fermentation vessel - If you like, you can place the ingredients in a 1/2 gallon Mason Jar with an airlock. This may be a good opportunity to use a Pickle Packer as seen below to make it all fit in nice and tight. Rather than a mason jar, you can of course use a 1 gallon Anchor Hocking Jar or a fermenting crock.
- Add weight - Place a weight on top. These Pickle Pebbles work very well. If using the glass jar, you'll need to figure out some sort of a weight. I've used clear plastic bags with water (be sure they don't leak) successfully.
- https://fermentationrecipes.com/wp-content/uploads/Garlic-Cumin-Sauerkraut-6.jpg
- Place airlock on - if using an airlock such as the Pickle Pipes which I used for this recipe, place it on.
- Wait impatiently - I let this ferment ferment for about 10 weeks but it was certainly good enough to eat after 3-4 weeks.. Just leave it on your counter at room temperature. The longer it sits, the more tart it will become.
- Jar it up and refrigerate - assuming you made this in a mason jar, you are all set to go., just remove the airlock and place a more permanent cap on such as these reusable mason jar lids and place it in the refrigerator.
Fermentation pH
When I started this sauerkraut, the initial pH was 5.32. After three weeks of fermentation, the pH had lowered to 3.51. I actually let this go for about 10 weeks in total and the pH lowered to 3.35. It’s not a requirement that you measure the pH of your sauerkrauts, but if you find the science aspects of fermentation as interesting as I do, you may want to invest in a nice digital pH tester like this one which I use. Besides testing your veggie and alcohol ferments, it can also come in handy with kombucha making. You can also buy these much less expensive disposable strips.
Serving Suggestions
This Chipotle Sauerkraut recipe lends itself well to Mexican, Central American or South American food. Here are a couple of meals I enjoyed with this sauerkraut.
Atop a delicious tamale with sides of salad and black beans
with softshell taco and avocado
Enjoy!
I am trying this tonight but i was noticing there isnt much brine/juice.. should i add water/salt to cover or no?
It can sometimes take up to 6 hours or so for enough brine to be released, but you also have to compress the sauerkraut well. I sometimes just press really hard with my fist, but it’s also helpful to have what is commonly called a “pounder” which you can use to compress the sauerkraut. The more compression, the more the liquid will rise up.
That being said, if there truly isn’t enough liquid being released you can add a little water to it although you’ll need to stir it all up good again to make sure the salt you’ve already added gets distributed well throughout.