How to Make Homemade Sauerkraut
Learn how simple it is to make homemade sauerkraut. With just cabbage, salt and time to ferment you can enjoy this inexpensive probiotic rich superfood daily. Sauerkraut is an easy ready-made side to add to almost any meal!
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I learned to make sauerkraut nearly 9 years ago, when my husband and I overhauled our diets after we found out he had cancer. Although that was a hard and stressful season of life, there are so many things I can look back on and be thankful for having gone through it. One of them is learning how to make sauerkraut.
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Why eat sauerkraut?
Sauerkraut is very nutritious. Fermenting the cabbage actually increases the nutritional value of the the cabbage. Because of the probiotics found in sauerkraut, eating it can improve your digestion and boost your immune system. Some other benefits are help with weight loss, reduced stress, improved brain health, decrease risk of certain cancers, heart and bone health. (source)
Sauerkraut is a quick, ready-made side to add to any meal. Our children have been eating sauerkraut since they were babies and love it. They will often be found heaping second and third helpings onto their plates. I love that I can make sure my family is getting good probiotics in their diets too.
Why make sauerkraut instead of purchasing it?
There are actually two types of sauerkraut you can purchase. One is raw, fresh and fermented to create the sour flavor and the other is canned and shelf stable. The canned version often has additives in it that aren’t good for you and it no longer has the beneficial probiotics that make sauerkraut so good for you in the first place.
Raw fermented sauerkraut can be very expensive at the grocery store. Making it at home is simple and does not involve a huge time commitment. And will cost you way less than store bought; just the cost of a head of cabbage and a bit of salt. You will also be able to be in control of all the ingredients if you make it yourself.
Equipment you will need
- 1 large bowl
- Sharp knife or mandelin slicer
- Cutting board
- 1 quart sized mason jar
- 1 fermentation lid or plastic lid
- optional fermentation weight
Ingredients you will need
The best part about this sauerkraut is it only takes two ingredients to make. Isn’t it amazing that somethings so good for you only takes just two ingredients. There are of course other flavors you can add like carrots or caraway seeds, but they aren’t necessary for creating a delicious final product.
1 head of cabbage (approximately 2-3 lbs) – The best choice is organic cabbage grown in your own garden or purchased at a local farmer’s market. But if all you can source is a store bought cabbage don’t let that keep you from making sauerkraut. Perfection can often get in the way of just taking a step forward.
1 – 2 tablespoons of natural salt (1 1/2 – 2 teaspoons salt per pound of cabbage or 0.02-0.03 lbs salt per pound) I like to use Redmond’s Real Salt, Himalayan Pink Salt or Celtic Sea Salt. Use less for fine salt and more for course salt. Be sure your salt doesn’t have any additives as this can prevent the natural fermentation process.
Optional: 1 tablespoon caraway seed (often added to traditional sauerkraut) but not necessary. Just mix the seeds in to your shredded cabbage before adding it to your jar.
Directions for making homemade sauerkraut
Step 1
Weigh the cabbage to determine the amount of salt needed. 1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons of salt per pound of cabbage is needed.
Weighing the cabbage will give the most accurate amount of salt you need to add. This step can be skipped if you don’t have a scale. Just use less salt for a smaller cabbage and more for a larger cabbage. Usually a head of cabbage is some where around 2-3 pounds. I usually just aim for about 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons (4-6 teaspoons) per head of cabbage.
Step 2
Prepare the cabbage by removing the outer leaves and rinse cabbage head under water. Save one nice whole cabbage leaf to use later. Cut in half and remove the core of cabbage. Then slice the cabbage thinly with a knife or a mandolin slicer.
Save the core if you don’t have glass fermentation weights.
Step 3
Season the cabbage by placing the thinly sliced cabbage in a bowl and sprinkle the salt over top. With you hands, massage the salt into the cabbage. After about 3-5 minutes the salt will start to pull liquid from the cabbage. Once you can easily squeeze liquid from the cabbage and have a some brine in the bottom of your bowl, you can start packing the cabbage into a quart sized glass.
Step 4
Pack the cabbage into a jar pushing it down with your hand or a kraut pounder. Pack it tight! Fill the jar until it is about 1 inch from the top. Take the outer leaf saved in the beginning and cut a piece that will fit in the jar. Place the leaf over the shredded cabbage and then place a glass fermenting weight on top. Pour the left over liquid brine in the bottom of your bowl into the jar and fill the jar so it covers over all the cabbage. Then screw on a fermenting lid (or a plastic lid) but not too tight as air needs to escape during the fermentation process.
If you don’t have fermenting weight, use the core of the cabbage on top of the leaf to help keep everything submerged. This will help to keep the cabbage below the brine as it ferments reducing the risk of mold forming on top.
Step 5
Ferment the cabbage. The sauerkraut will bubble up as it ferments and leak out the excess brine. Make sure to place the jars on a rimmed tray to catch the excess liquid. You may need to empty the tray a few times in the first couple of days. You may need to add some extra brine to the sauerkraut to keep it submerged (see step 6). Keep the sauerkraut at room temperature until it reaches the desired flavor. I find that in 2-3 weeks it reaches a great sour flavor.
Step 6
Store the sauerkraut. Once your sauerkraut has finished fermenting, place the jar in the fridge. The liquid will usually shrink back down once placed in the fridge. Adding 2% salt water to the top will keep all the kraut “juicy”. This equals about 1 teaspoon salt to 1 cup salt.
Printable Instructions
How to Make Homemade Sauerkraut
Step by step instruction for how to make homemade sauerkraut
Ingredients
- 1 head of cabbage approximately 2-3 lbs
- 1-2 tablespoons natural salt 1 1/2-2 teaspoons salt per pound of cabbage or 0.02-0.03 lbs salt per pound)
- 1 tablespoon caraway seeds optional
Instructions
-
Step 1 – Weigh the cabbage to determine the amount of salt needed. 1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons of salt per pound of cabbage is needed.
Weighing the cabbage will give the most accurate amount of salt you need to add. This step can be skipped if you don't have a scale. Just use less salt for a smaller cabbage and more for a larger cabbage. Usually a head of cabbage is some where around 2-3 pounds. Since 3 teaspoons equal 1 tablespoons, I usually just aim for about 1 tablespoons to 2 tablespoons per head of cabbage.
-
Step 2 – Prepare the cabbage by removing the outer leaves and rinse cabbage head under water. Save one nice whole cabbage leaf to use later. Cut in half and remove the core of cabbage. Then slice the cabbage thinly with a knife or a mandolin slicer.
Save the core if you don't have glass fermentation weights.
-
Step 3 – Season the cabbage by placing the thinly sliced cabbage in a bowl and sprinkle the salt over top. With you hands, massage the salt into the cabbage. After about 3-5 minutes the salt will start to pull liquid from the cabbage. Once you can easily squeeze liquid from the cabbage and have a some brine in the bottom of your bowl, you can start packing the cabbage into a quart sized glass.
-
Step 4 – Pack the cabbage into a jar pushing it down with your hand or a kraut pounder. Pack it tight! Fill the jar until it is about 1 inch from the top. Take the outer leaf saved in the beginning and cut a piece that will fit in the jar. Place the leaf over the shredded cabbage and then place a glass fermenting weight on top. Pour the left over liquid brine in the bottom of your bowl into the jar and fill the jar so it covers over all the cabbage. Then screw on a fermenting lid (or a plastic lid) but not too tight as air needs to escape during the fermentation process.
If you don't have fermenting weight, use the core of the cabbage on top of the leaf to help keep everything submerged. This will help to keep the cabbage below the brine as it ferments reducing the risk of mold forming on top.
-
Step 5 – Ferment the cabbage. The sauerkraut will bubble up as it ferments and leak out the excess brine. Make sure to place the jars on a rimmed tray to catch the excess liquid. You may need to empty the tray a few times in the first couple of days. You may need to add some extra brine to the sauerkraut to keep it submerged (see step 6). Keep the sauerkraut at room temperature for a least 3 days or until it reaches the desired flavor. I find that in 2-3 weeks it reaches a great sour flavor.
-
Step 6 – Store the sauerkraut. Once your sauerkraut has finished fermenting, place the jar in the fridge. The liquid will usually shrink back down once placed in the fridge. Adding 2% salt water to the top will keep all the kraut "juicy". This equals about 1 teaspoon salt to 1 cup salt.
Recipe Notes
The best choice is organic cabbage grown in your own garden or purchased at a local farmer’s market. But if all you can source is a store bought cabbage don’t let that keep you from making sauerkraut. Perfection can often get in the way of just taking a step forward.
I like to use Redmond’s Real Salt, Himalayan Pink Salt or Celtic Sea Salt. Use less for fine salt and more for course salt. Be sure your salt doesn’t have any additives as this can prevent the natural fermentation process.
Q&A – for how to make homemade sauerkraut
Lots of questions arise when learning a new skill, like making sauerkraut for the first time. Below are some common question and answers. If you have other questions you don’t see answered here, be sure the drop the question below in the comments section and I’ll try and answer it for you.
What kind of salt should I used to make sauerkraut?
If you are going to the trouble to make homemade sauerkraut, it is best to use a really good quality salt. Using natural mineral rich salts like Celtic Sea Salt, Himalayan Pink Salt, Redmond Real Salt, will not only add great flavor but also naturally occurring minerals that our bodies need.
Some salts are fine and others are course. You will need more salt if you are using a course salt and less if you are using a fine salt.
Here is a great source for discovering more about all the different salt options available.
How long does sauerkraut take to ferment?
Sauerkraut can ferment for as little as 3 days to as long as 6 weeks or more.
When I started fermenting sauerkraut, I would only ferment it for a few days. But the more I’ve eaten it the more I love the taste of the longer fermentation and the same with my family.
I usually leave mine out for 3 weeks. This will vary on the temperature of your house. Fermentation typically goes faster in the summer than in the winter.
What additions can you add to sauerkraut?
There are some great additions to add to your sauerkraut for more flavor and color. Here is a list of some tasty options to try.
- Caraway Seeds used in traditional sauerkraut (1-2 teaspoons per quart of sauerkraut)
- Beets
- Carrots
- Garlic
- Dill
- Juniper Berries
If you are adding in another vegetable like beets or carrots but sure not to add more than 25% to your ferment. Otherwise you will take away from the sauerkraut flavor. But you can also ferment beets and carrots on their own for another tasty probiotic rich food.
Stronger flavors like garlic, dill, caraway seeds, and juniper berries should be added in much smaller quantities.
It there another way to massage the cabbage without using my hands?
There are two ways to reduce the amount of massaging you need to do when making sauerkraut.
One is to layer in the salt as you fill your bowl with shredded cabbage. Then mix it in a bit and let it sit for 15-20 minutes, this will start to draw out the water. Next message the cabbage for just a minute and this will release a bit more liquid.
Another to avoid massaging is to use a kraut pounder. A kraut pounder made from wood and will allow you to pound rather than massage your cabbage.
Combining the resting time and the kraut pounder will help to reduce or eliminate massaging the cabbage by hand.
Can I use plastic to ferment my sauerkraut?
This is not recommended as it can leach harmful chemicals into your healthy homemade probiotic rich sauerkraut.
It is best to use glass jars. Using a plastic lid on the top is fine. Metal tends to rust when it come in contact with the salt water. Fermentation lids are great too.
Another fermenting option besides glass is a fermentation crock. Personally I have never used one but I would love to try it someday. This usually works better if you are fermenting a large amount of sauerkraut at once.
How do I make a 2% salt water brine?
Add 1 tablespoon salt to 1 quart of water. This can be kept on hand to top off ferments as they age in the fridge.
