How to Make Sauerkraut

Sauerkraut is an incredibly simple gateway into the wonderful world of fermented foods. Once you understand the process, you will have the confidence to dive deeper into fermentation.

This is a basic sauerkraut recipe that can be followed exactly... if that's your thing... or loosely... if you hate "going by the book." Experiment with different spices and complementary veggies!

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Prep Time 1 10

Fermenting Time 14

Course Side Dish

Cuisine German

Servings people

Calories 25 kcal

Equipment

2 Mason Jars
2 Weights

Ingredients

1 2 lb Cabbage
2 tbsp Salt, divided
1/4 cup Onion, sliced optional
3-4 tbsp Fresh Ginger, sliced optional
3-4 Garlic cloves, sliced optional
1 tbsp Mustard seeds optional
2 tsp Cumin seeds optional
3 cups Filtered Water

Instructions

Finely shred the cabbage and place it in a heavy glass bowl. If using any of the optional ingredients, add these to the cabbage. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of salt.
1 2 lb Cabbage, 2 tbsp Salt, divided, 1/4 cup Onion, sliced, 3-4 tbsp Fresh Ginger, sliced, 3-4 Garlic cloves, sliced, 1 tbsp Mustard seeds, 2 tsp Cumin seeds
Massage the salt into the cabbage (and optional ingredients) for about 5 minutes until the cabbage gets soft and starts to sweat. Cover with plastic wrap, and place the bowl inside the fridge overnight.
The next day, remove the bowl from the fridge and pack contents into two quart size Mason jars evenly.
In measuring cup or bowl, make brine by mixing 3 cups of filtered water with 1 tablespoon of salt. Stir until salt dissolves. Pour enough brine over the cabbage until everything is submerged. (You will likely end up with extra brine that you can simply discard.)
3 cups Filtered Water, 2 tbsp Salt, divided
Secure your ferments by placing a weight on top (see blog post for weight ideas) to keep everything submerged so it doesn't mold. Next, top with a lid (I prefer the plastic lids linked in blog post).
Let the sauerkraut sit out on your counter for 10-14 days, checking it for mold or low water (brine). Add a touch of water if needed to keep everything submerged.
Once it's fermented roughly two weeks - taste it. It should be sour and delicious. Remove the weight and store it in the fridge for months. It's our favorite side dish and goes with so many meals!

Nutrition

Calories: 25kcalCarbohydrates: 5gProtein: 1gFat: 0.2gSaturated Fat: 0.04gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.05gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.1gSodium: 1180mgPotassium: 151mgFiber: 2gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 79IUVitamin C: 28mgCalcium: 39mgIron: 1mg

Keyword cabbage, fermentation, fermented food, probiotic, sauerkraut

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