Homemade sauerkraut is amazing for the gut, as it’s packed full of healthy probiotics, and it tastes amazing on or with a variety of foods.
I have recently acquired a pallet for sauerkraut and other fermented foods. A little tangy, a lot of punch, and the benefits to my gut definitely make it more appealing as well.
Growing up, I wasn’t exposed to many fermented or vinegary foods. Jarred pickles from the store were about the only thing our house regularly experienced, and I wasn’t a huge fan. My tongue wasn’t acquainted with the powerful kick of a good home fermented food.
Now, I practically always have a jar of sauerkraut in the fridge, ready for the indulgent forkful on quiche, burgers, or straight from the jar (when no one’s watching of course!).
What’s your favorite fermented food?
Ingredients
Homemade Sauerkraut is so simple and easy to make! It only takes 2 ingredients and a little time.
- Cabbage- Organic is best, any color. Green cabbage is our default, but my kids love the color when we make the purple cabbage.
- Salt- I use Redmond’s Real Salt, but you could use a sea salt, Himalayan pink salt, or fine Kosher salt
How to Make Homemade Sauerkraut
Remove a couple outer leaves from the clean cabbage and reserve them for later. Cut out the core.
Slice the cabbage into small strips or pieces. Our family likes bigger cut strips, or you can pulse it in a food processor to your desired consistency.
Put the cabbage in a large bowl and sprinkle with salt. Toss or mix with your hands to distribute the salt.
At this point, some people mix and rub for 10 minutes or so. Personally, I let it sit for about 10 minutes, then come back for a couple minutes of hands-on mixing. You want to mix until you squeeze out a salt water brine that covers the cabbage. If you do it by hand the whole time, be patient, it will eventually produce enough water to cover the cabbage.
Using a canning filter if you have one, put the cabbage and brine into jars. I like using quart jars, but any glass jar will work. Fold up the reserved leaves and place on top of the shredded cabbage, then top with a fermentation weight. If you don’t have fermentation weights, put heavy objects like rocks into a ziplock bag. The point is to push down and submerge the cabbage below the surface of the brine to encourage fermentation and avoid mold or spoilage.
Put the lids on the jars and label them (I often misspell “sauerkraut” so I label it “Kraut” plus the date lol). Leave it on the counter until it reaches your desired level of fermentation, 5-21 days. 14 days seems to be the sweet spot for us, but factors like the temperature in your house can influence the rate of fermentation. I open the jars daily to release any gas buildup (“burp” the jars), and gently push on the weights. If you are not accustomed to fermented foods, give the sauerkraut a taste after a few days to determine the flavor you like best. I recommend putting the jars on a towel or plate in case any liquid spills out of the jar the first few days.
Once sauerkraut has reached your desired tanginess, remove the weights and folded up cabbage leaves. Tighten the lid, and store in the fridge. Enjoy as a side or on entrees. I love to put it on quiche, burgers, and breakfast bowls (eggs, beans, hash browns, etc). My toddlers love it too!
Q & A
As long as it takes to get the flavor you like and will eat! Homemade sauerkraut can be fermented in as little as 3 days, but will continue to ferment and increase in tangy flavor over 3 weeks. 14 days is about how long our family ferments it.
About 6 months. If it’s been several months, I always smell it, look for mold, and taste a small bite before serving. Trust your senses!
When you push the cabbage to the bottom of the mixing bowl, the liquid should cover the cabbage. If it doesn’t cover, keep mixing, squeezing, and rubbing the leaves until more liquid comes out.
Use what you have! As long as you have a glass jar to ferment in, you’re good to go. When I started out, I repurposed a spaghetti sauce jar, and put rocks in a ziplock bag to hold down the cabbage.
Other Ways to Support Your Gut Health
- Yogurt: How to Make Tasty Frozen Yogurt Bark
- Vinegar: Simple Get-Healthy Cough Syrup for Kids
- Sourdough: How to Make Delicious Sourdough Discard Pancakes
Ever compare parenting/children/life to sauerkraut? Neither had I until I wrote this post about Learning to Apologize!
I would love to hear your favorite way to eat your Sauerkraut! Comment below and leave a review.
Have a blessed and sunshiny day!
Simple and Healthy Homemade Sauerkraut
Homemade sauerkraut is amazing for the gut, as it's packed full of healthy probiotics, and it tastes amazing on or with a variety of foods.
Ingredients
- 1 Head of Cabbage
- 1 Tablespoon Sea Salt
- Glass Jar
- Fermentation weights or other heavy food-safe object.
- Optional fermentation lid
Instructions
- Remove a couple outer leaves from the clean cabbage and reserve them for later. Cut out the core.
- Slice the cabbage into small strips or pieces. Alternatively, pulse it in a food processor.
- Put the cabbage in a large bowl and sprinkle with salt (see note). Toss or mix with your hands to distribute the salt.
- Mix, rub, and squeeze the cabbage until it produces a salt water brine that covers the cabbage. This can be a hands-on 10 minutes or so, or let it sit for about 10 minutes, then come back for a couple minutes of hands-on mixing.
- Using a canning filter if you have one, put the cabbage and brine into jars.
- Fold up the reserved leaves and place on top of the shredded cabbage, then top with a fermentation weight to submerge the cabbage below the surface of the brine. If you don't have fermentation weights, put heavy objects like rocks into a ziplock bag.
- Put the lids on the jars and label them. Leave them on the counter until the sauerkraut reaches your desired level of fermentation, 5-21 days. "Burp" the jars daily to release any gas buildup (if you don't have a fermentation lid).
- Once sauerkraut has reached your desired tanginess, remove the weights and folded up cabbage leaves. Tighten the lid, and store in the fridge. Enjoy as a side or on entrees.
Notes
- Cabbage to salt ratio is approximate. If it's a small head of cabbage, I'll use a little less salt, and a large cabbage gets a little more salt.
- Place jars on a towel in case brine bubbles out of jar.
- Taste the sauerkraut after a few days to determine your prefered level of tanginess. Return the folded leaves and weights to continue fermenting.
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