This homemade and fermented sauerkraut recipe tastes yummy, it’s really healthy and is supper easy to make. It's a great way to preserve an abundant cabbage harvest and eat tasty nutritional food on the homestead.
Sauerkraut may sound a little daunting to make at first glance, but it's really very easy. Let's jump right in!
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Sauerkraut Recipe:
What You Need:
Shredding The Cabbage...
Shred the cabbage. You can do that either with a cheese grater or use a food processor with the shredding attachment (my preferred method :) ).
Put the shredded cabbage into a large bowl. Sprinkle salt on the top. Mix it together a little with your hands.
You can let the cabbage sit on the counter for a while (about 30 minutes) or you can start right in with the kneading. Letting it sit makes it easier to squeeze the juices out of the cabbage and brings the cabbage to room temperature. It can be pretty painful to squeeze the juice out of cold cabbage if you are making a lot of kraut.
I have made it both ways. Which ever I have the time for, or feel like doing at the time.
Kneading The Cabbage...
Next you’er going to knead the cabbage. Squeeze out as much of the juice as possible. When you think you’ve squeezed out all the juice (there should be a few inches in the bottom of the bowl), it’s time to pack it into jars.
Note: After making it a few times you’ll get the hang of how much juice you need to squeeze out. Don’t worry about working it too much the more juice squeezed out the better.
Packing The Jars...
Pack the sauerkraut into the jars (a funnel is helpful) and press it down so that the juices are covering the cabbage completely. Once it starts fermenting It will rise and that’s ok. Just start with the juices covering the cabbage.
It needs to be able to have some room to ferment. Leave about an inch or two of “headspace” (usually a canning term--it is the unfilled empty space in the top of the jar).
Clean Off The Jars...
Clean off the rim of the jars with a clean wet washcloth. You don’t want any cabbage in the seal where the lid is going to be. Screw on the lids with a firm hand but don’t make them too tight.
I like to rinse of the jar with cool water if there is a lot of cabbage on the outside of the jar. Let the sauerkraut sit in a cool dry place in the kitchen for about two weeks.
Ferment & Enjoy!
While it is fermenting the jars may overflow a little. I sometimes like to have a towel under the jars to catch any spilling.
Place the jars of sauerkraut somewhere out of direct light but in a place that is easy to clean.
In about two weeks your sauerkraut should be done. You may eat it any time before that though, whenever you’d like.
You can refrigerate the sauerkraut jars then or you can leave them out. They should last about a year sitting on the counter. Just know that the sauerkraut will continue to ferment when it is out and might get pretty sour. :) We've had some batches go bad (moldy) when we leave them to sit out so we like to refrigerate them now.
Every batch of sauerkraut we have made seems to turn out a little (to a quite a bit) different than each other! It is quite amazing the differences between batches sometimes.
I hope you enjoy your healthy and yummy sauerkraut!
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FAQs
Procedure:
- Prepare cabbage: Discard outer leaves, then rinse heads under cold water and drain. ...
- Salt cabbage: Layer cabbage with salt in large mixing container. ...
- Pack container: Using clean hands or optional tamper, pack a handful of the cabbage into the fermenting container(s). ...
- Ferment: ...
- Store: ...
- Enjoy!
For a small-sized batch (quarter cabbage head) like the one we're making today, the minimum time needed for fermentation is approximately three days. If you leave the sauerkraut after those three days, it will continue to ferment and become yummier!
What is the ratio of salt to cabbage for sauerkraut? ›
The most widely used ratio of 2.00%–2.25% weight of salt to weight of cabbage gives the best results. This means you add 2g to 2.25g of salt for every 100g of finely sliced cabbage in your recipe.
How do you make sauerkraut easier to eat? ›
The best way to eat sauerkraut is to enjoy it as a side dish or topping. It can be served cold or hot, and can be added to salads, sandwiches, burgers, or even tacos. It can also be used as a topping for pizza or nachos. Sauerkraut can also be cooked with other ingredients such as sausage, bacon, onions, and potatoes.
What is the most essential step of making sauerkraut? ›
To make sauerkraut, shredded cabbage is mixed with salt and allowed to ferment. The amount of salt added is critical to assuring food safety, and should not be adjusted. Fermentation takes three to six weeks depending on the air temperature. During this time, the acidity in the product will increase.
Do you use vinegar when making sauerkraut? ›
These are the simple ingredients you'll need to make this homemade sauerkraut recipe:
- Water and vinegar: This sauerkraut recipe starts with water and distilled white vinegar.
- Vegetables: You'll need a half of an onion and a head of cabbage.
Step 5: Seal and Store in a Cool, Dark Place
You have some wiggle room here, but somewhere around 65 to 70°F (18 to 21°C) is good for sauerkraut. Because light can degrade foods over time, as mentioned above, keeping your vessels—especially clear glass ones—in the shade or dark is best.
How do you know when homemade sauerkraut is ready? ›
If you use jars as weights, you must check the sauerkraut two to three times each week and remove scum if it forms. Sauerkraut should be to desired tartness, with firm texture, have brine that is not cloudy, and be free of any sign of mold or yeast growth.
How long should I leave sauerkraut to ferment? ›
Temperature range needed for fermentation
Store the container at 70 to 75 F while fermenting. At these temperatures, the sauerkraut will be ready in 3 to 4 weeks. At 70 to 75 F, kraut will be fully fermented in about 3 to 4 weeks. At 60 to 65 F, fermentation may take 5 to 6 weeks.
What happens if you use too much salt when making sauerkraut? ›
The amount of salt you use determines the rate at which fermentation takes place. Too much salt is a “Go away.” sign for the beneficial bacteria, the lactobacillus that you want living and multiplying in your jar. Fermentation slows way down or doesn't happen at all.
The proper amount of salt is critical for success. Salt is what inhibits bad bacteria but still allows the good fermentation bacteria to flourish. Never try to make a low-salt sauerkraut, all you'll end up with is a crock of inedible rotten cabbage and you sure don't want that stinky mess anywhere near your kitchen.
What kind of salt is best for sauerkraut? ›
Sea salt works well, or rock salt. Watch out for the salt labelled 'pickling salt', it often has anti-caking agents in it which can negatively affect your fermentation. If you're not sure, read the ingredients, there should just be one! A fine grind of salt is required for this type of pickling.
Why do I feel good after eating sauerkraut? ›
Sauerkraut promotes healthy gut flora and may increase the absorption of mood-regulating minerals from your diet. Both of these effects help reduce stress and maintain brain health.
What happens if you don't burp sauerkraut? ›
If you are using a completely sealed container (like a jar with a screw on lid), with no means of releasing the built-up gas created during the fermentation process, you run the risk of having the container explode from pressure.
Why is my homemade sauerkraut mushy? ›
The texture of your sauerkraut can vary from crisp and crunchy to soggy and soft and is dependent upon the amount of salt used, the temperature you are fermenting at and how long you ferment. There is a personal preference here.
Does sauerkraut need brine? ›
Two things preserve the sauerkraut - the salt and the fermentation. If the sauerkraut gets dry I can't imagine that it would taste as good… and it may well spoil. If you're just keeping it a week or two it shouldn't matter, but sauerkraut preserved in its brine will easily keep 6 months, probably longer.
Do you add water to cabbage when making sauerkraut? ›
If you did not get enough juice from salting and pounding your cabbage, you can moisten it a little with a brine, using a 1/2 tablespoon unrefined sea salt with 1 cup of filtered water.
How to make old fashioned sauerkraut in a 5 gallon bucket? ›
Instructions
- Remove outer leaves, wash, core and slice cabbage.
- Add cabbage to a 5-gallon bucket and massage in 6 Tablespoons of salt.
- Tamp down until the juices start to come to the surface. ( ...
- Use a plate and some weights to press the cabbage down underneith the liquid.
- Store in a dark, cool space for 5-6 weeks.
History of Sauerkraut
In the 16th century, the Germanic peoples began dry curing cabbage with salt to extract the water from the vegetable and allowed the mixture to ferment, turning the sugars in the cabbage into lactic acid which served as a preservative. The process remains the same today.
