Learn how to make easy homemade sauerkraut right in your kitchen. This delicious, gut healthy, nutrient dense superfood is good for you and will keep you feeling great! You will love it and so will your family.
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This easy homemade sauerkraut recipe is a great way to add gut healthy probiotics to your daily diet without breaking the bank! Why take store bought probiotics when this delicious, nutrient dense, gut healthy food can be easily added to any meal!
This homemade sauerkraut recipe is one of my favorite ways to improve gut flora, along with fermented beets or kvass, milk kefir, and instant pot raw milk yogurt. If you are new to fermenting and want to learn more about it, check out my post on the benefits of fermented foods.
Why You Will Love This Recipe
Inexpensive: this recipe requires a minimum of two ingredients! Cabbage and salt are all you need to make this delicious side. The other items you will need, a glass jar and a large mixing bowl, you probably already have laying around your kitchen.
Versatile: once you get the hang of this basic recipe you can mix things up! Herbs and seasonings are fun to add for different flavors. And my favorite take on this basic recipe is red cabbage kraut with ginger.
Nutrient dense: homemade sauerkraut is not only a great way to improve gut health, but fermenting cabbage also increases vitamins and minerals. Sauerkraut is a great source of vitamin C, K, and B6, iron, copper, and potassium.
Tools You May Need
Although it is not necessary to buy a fermenting kit (I will tell you how to do this recipe without one), if you plan on doing a fair amount of it, it might be worthwhile. I recommend this one because it is made of stainless steel which is non-reactive.
I also recommend this muddler because it makes it easy to pack the cabbage in the jar. This is important so that mold does not form on exposed veggies.
Additional items:
- Glass jars
- Large mixing bowl
Ingredients
Cabbage and salt. Yep, that’s all you need to make this delicious and healthy dish!
Variations and Optional Add-ins:
- Garlic
- Red cabbage with ginger and/or raisins
- Caraway seeds
- Dill
- Fennel or fennel seeds
- Shredded carrot
Tips For Making Homemade Sauerkraut
- Check your sauerkraut as it is fermenting at least once a day. If you notice a white film on the surface of the liquid, discard it. This is called kahm yeast and it is harmless, but it will spoil the flavor of your ferment and can lead to mold if it is left to grow.
- At first, let your sauerkraut sit for 3-5 days to ferment. If you like the flavor, let the next batch sit for a day or two longer. build up to two or more weeks for flavor development.
- It is important that any lacto-fermented vegetable or fruit contain a salt ratio that is no less than 0.5% and up to 3%. This will prevent harmful bacteria from growth by creating an environment that is inhospitable. To learn more about this check out this post.
Steps On How To Make Homemade Sauerkraut
Step 1: Remove any old or dirty leaves from the cabbage. Wash and drain well.
Remove the stem and fibrous core of the cabbage.
Step 2: Weigh the cabbage (this will determine the amount of salt you will need).
Step 3: Thinly shredded the cabbage and place in a large mixing bowl.
The smaller or thinner the slices, the easier the cabbage will produce liquid. The thicker or bigger the slices the crunchier the texture in the end.
Step 4: Measure salt and add to the mixing bowl.
Step 5: Massage the salt into the cabbage until the cabbage starts to release its juices.
If you need to rest during this time you can let the mixture sit for up to 30 minutes and then resume massaging.
Step 6: Once the cabbage softens and releases its juices, fill the jar by pressing each addition of cabbage firmly down.
Make sure to leave up to 1″ of space at the top. As fermentation continues, carbon dioxide will release and push the liquid up.
Step 7: Top the cabbage with a fermenting weight, or a clean discarded cabbage leaf, cover with a lid, and place out of direct sunlight for 3 days – 3 weeks.
What To Look For When Sauerkraut Is Ready
Bubbles will form at the top of the liquid. This is the carbon dioxide releasing as the lactobacilli digest the sugars in the cabbage. If bubbles form in the first day or two, move the container to a cooler place to continue fermenting.
Check daily and remove any white film, the kahm yeast. Ensure all pieces of vegetable are fully submerged in the liquid and check for overflow.
The contents of the jar will change color. If using green cabbage, it will lighten to a greenish yellow. If using purple cabbage it will turn pink.
When Is Sauerkraut Ready?
You will know it is finished by tasting it. After about day 4 you can start tasting the sauerkraut. When it achieves a sour and acidic taste that you like, place the jar, with the lid on, in the fridge.
The longer you let a lactose-fermented food ferment the more acidic it will become. Some suggest that the closer the acidity level comes to matching that of the stomach, the better the chance of the bacteria surviving digestion and making their way to the large intestine.
How To Serve Homemade Sauerkraut
Homemade sauerkraut is a great side to add to any meal! Serve it alongside eggs for breakfast, or as a topping to your favorite sandwich. For dinner check out my recipe for sausage and sauerkraut, or serve it alongside and meat and vegetable to round out a meal.
Easy Homemade Sauerkraut
Equipment
- Large mixing bowl
- Knife
- Large glass jar
- Fermenting kit or weights (optional)
- Muddler (optional)
Ingredients
- 3 lb. Cabbage (green or purple)
- 1 oz. Salt (I like Redmond Real Salt)
Instructions
- Remove any old, damaged, or dirty leaves from the cabbage.
- Chop the cabbage to the thickness of your liking and place in a large mixing bowl.
- Sprinkle salt over the cabbage and massage until juices begin to release, approximately 15 – 20 minutes.
- Transfer cabbage and juices to a large glass jar, pressing the contents down as you go.
- If you are using fermenting weights, place one or two on top of the cabbage to hold the contents down below the level of the liquid. If you are not using weights, simply fold up on of the clean discarded cabbage leaves.
- Place a lid on the jar and place the jar in a cool dark place and check daily.
- Once the sauerkraut has reached a taste you like move the jar, with lid on, to the fridge.
- When you are ready to eat, always use a clean utensil to remove a portion of sauerkraut. Do not return any unused portion to the jar.
- Enjoy!
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