Fermentation of the Yugoslavian Pickled Cabbage1

In Yugoslavia, cabbage is preserved by fermentation using a variety of methods. Bacteriological study of these fermentations has shown that the relative influence of the various lactic acid producing bacteria varies somewhat with the method of preservation. The heterofermenters, Leuconostoc mesenteroides and Lactobacillus brevis , exert a greater effect when cabbage is shredded than when the whole heads are packed in salt brine. Whole heads of cabbage preserved by fermentation in salt brine are a good source of ascorbic acid and provide a flavorful food.