What's the difference between pickling and fermentation in cabbage?
I was discussing various "cabbage things" on Cooking chat, including coleslaw, sauerkraut, and kimchi.
One thing I noticed that confused me was that coleslaw Wiki page mentioned "pickling" the cabbage; while most other products mention fermentation.
But they all seem to follow similar process (salt and/or vinegar on cabbage).
So what's the difference between pickling and lactic-acid fermentation in cabbage?
Best Answer
It is no different in cabbage than other vegetables.
Pickling is preserving a food with a salt brine. Fermenting is to allow tasty bacteria to work in a food to change its flavor and often to acidify it.
They are not the same thing but there is overlap.
Some pickled foods are also fermented. The salt inhibits bad bacteria. These tend to have more complex flavor and be more sour. Cucumber pickles, for example, can be made in just a brine or fermented.
Kimchi and sauerkraut are both fermented. The cabbage is packed in salt and let age until sour. Technically they are pickled but they aren't usually referred to that way because they are their own thing.
I've never seen a coleslaw recipe that was fermented. It also isn't really pickled because it doesn't have enough salt in it and it isn't aged. Coleslaw is usually made with just an acidic dressing.
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Quick Answer about "What's the difference between pickling and fermentation in cabbage?"
The difference between pickling and fermenting is the process of how they achieve a sour flavor. Pickled foods are sour because they are soaked in acidic brine, while fermented foods are sour because of a chemical reaction between naturally present sugars and bacteria.Is pickled cabbage the same as fermented?
Store-bought pickles are usually NOT fermented. Sauerkraut, which is technically pickled cabbage, is pickled via fermentation. And that famous miso we all know and enjoy is naturally fermented soybean that is prepared using salt and fungus.How is fermentation different from pickling?
Here's what you need to remember: Pickling involves soaking foods in an acidic liquid to achieve a sour flavor; when foods are fermented, the sour flavor is a result of a chemical reaction between a food's sugars and naturally present bacteria \u2014 no added acid required.Is pickling a fermentation process?
To add to the confusion, \u201cpickling\u201d is a term used by many folks to refer to food preservation by either canning or fermenting. But not in this article. Pickles will mean they've been preserved unfermented in hot brine. Fermented foods, even cucumbers, will be called fermented.Is sauerkraut fermented or pickled?
Sauerkraut is a pickle! The naturally high water content in cabbage, mixed with salt, makes a brine, which therefore makes sauerkraut and kimchi a pickle as well as a fermented food. But like we said, not all fermented foods are pickles - for instance, you wouldn't call kefir a pickle!what. (Bo Burnham FULL SHOW HD)
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