Pickling

Souring (Ukrainian kvashennia) is a traditional Ukrainian technique of preserving vegetables (and not only) by natural lactic-acid fermentation. It is one of the oldest, healthiest, and best-loved ways of preserving in Ukraine, at whose heart is sauerkraut.

The mechanism of souring is natural and elegant. Vegetables (cabbage, cucumbers, tomatoes, beetroot) are packed tightly into a container and sprinkled with salt or covered with brine, and then left in an oxygen-free environment at room temperature. The salt restrains putrefactive bacteria, while the salt-tolerant beneficial lactic-acid bacteria begin to process the natural sugars of the vegetables into lactic acid. This acid gradually acidifies the environment, giving the product a characteristic pleasantly sour flavour and a crisp texture, and at the same time reliably preserving it, making it unfit for harmful microbes. Unlike pickling (where the acid — vinegar — is added from outside), in souring the acid forms by itself, naturally. Soured products are not only tasty but also exceptionally wholesome: they are rich in vitamins (especially C) and living probiotics for gut health. Souring is a cornerstone of authentic Ukrainian cuisine and of the wise tradition of winter preserves.