LIVEN UP YOUR MEALS WITH THIS HOMEMADE KRAUT RECIPE

A quick homemade sauerkraut recipe. It ferments for only 4-8 days! It’s cut in small pieces and turns out like a fine relish used for topping various dishes. It delivers tangy taste, probiotics when eaten raw, and loads of flavor when you cook the fermented cabbage with your meal.

sauerkraut with caraway seeds
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SAUERKRAUT, IS IT GOOD FOR YOU?

Cabbage provides us with vitamin C and vitamin K among many other nutrients. If you make fermented cabbage, and consume it raw, you get the added benefit of a multitude of gut-friendly probiotics.

Plus, it provides a quick vegetable option for days when I drop the ball on making vegetables for dinner again. Ugh, third time isn’t the charm here, I know. Does consistency count for anything?

  • HELPFUL EQUIPMENT

  • Canning Jars: Grab a wide mouth canning jar. This recipe uses a quart size jar. Sometimes I double the recipe and use a ½ gallon jar instead.

  • Waterless Airlock Lids: Airlock lids make the recipe easier. They let the carbon dioxide escape and still help keep out unwanted oxygen and bacteria.

  • Glass Weights: Glass weights make it easier to keep the cabbage under the brine and prevent spoilage.

  • Wood Tamper: Pack the cabbage in tight with a wood tamper. Use it to press the cabbage down until it releases cabbage juice.

  • SAUERKRAUT RECIPE INGREDIENTS

  • Sea Salt: Do not use table salt. Choose a high-quality fine sea salt.

  • Cabbage: A head of organic green cabbage works best for this recipe. Just remove the core.

  • Filtered Water: Use high quality filtered water not tap water.

  • Grape Leaves (optional addition—highly recommended): Place two fresh (or frozen) grape leaves in your sauerkraut. They help it stay crunchy.

  • Caraway Seeds: Traditional sauerkraut recipes often contain caraway seeds. Try one batch with caraway and one without.

whole green cabbages

PREP BEFORE MAKING

Clean all your jars and utensils with hot soapy water before preparing this sauerkraut. Or, take it to the next level and sterilize everything. Either way, make sure everything is clean before you start including your hands (and the food processor if you’re using one).

REMINDER:
Always, always, always, keep the cabbage covered by its own juice as it ferments!

HOMEMADE SAUERKRAUT RECIPE OVERVIEW AND FAQ'S

Skip to the recipe card if you just want to get to it.

  • This sauerkraut recipe makes 1 quart. Sometimes I double it and make a half gallon.
  • This recipe takes 4-8 days. Prep day takes the most time, but is still relatively quick. Days 2-8 are mostly about waiting and checking.
  • Before you start shredding the cabbage, remove the outer leaves of the cabbage and then rinse the cabbage. After removing and discarding the outer leaves, remove one additional cabbage leaf and save it to use in the recipe. It will help hold the small pieces of cabbage under the brine (its own juice).

So, you’ll basically clean everything. Shred the cabbage. Salt the cabbage. Stuff the cabbage in the jar. Hold it down with a grape leaf, a cabbage leaf, and a weight. Close the jar. Let it sit for days. Test it. Refrigerate it. Eat it. And, voilà, you successfully made a recipe of sauerkraut!

sauerkraut in a ball jar with wood pounder

LET'S BREAK IT DOWN A LITTLE MORE WITH SOME FAQ'S

The airlock lids make the process easier. They allow the carbon dioxide gases to escape and keep the oxygen out. It helps prevent the growth of bad bacteria.

If you don’t have the lids, you can use a wide-mouth plastic canning jar lid. Just don’t seal it. Set it on top and leave it loose. Or, use a cloth. You’ll just have to watch for spoilage more closely with these options.

No, you can fill a small plastic sandwich bag with water and place it on top of a whole cabbage leaf. Just make sure the shredded cabbage stays pressed down under the brine.

Most likely. You just need a food safe quart sized container and a food safe weight to keep the cabbage under the brine.

This sauerkraut recipe produces a kraut that’s more like a fine relish. The “s” blade I use in the food processor cuts the cabbage small. I enjoy the small pieces as toppings for tacos, grain bowls, eggs, etc. You can slice the cabbage a bit thicker using a knife or use a different food processor slicing blade if you prefer it.

Put the cabbage in a large bowl and using the wood tamper to press the cabbage a bit more. Or, use your hands to massage the salt into the cabbage. Then, let the cabbage rest for 20 minutes or so and see if it produces more juice. It’s best to ferment it in its own juice.

Yes, it is.

Eat sauerkraut as a condiment or as a small side dish with meals.

HOW TO SERVE

A little goes a long way when it’s served. Even one to two tablespoons per person makes a big difference in a meal. Use it as a side dish, or serve it up in grain bowls, on hot dogs, in tacos, or on a flatbread sandwich. Don’t be surprised if you begin to add it here and there and everywhere when at first you might have pulled your nose up at the mention of it. It has a way of changing your mind. Sometimes I keep it plain. Sometimes I add caraway for a little more traditional taste. It’s nice to change it up. In fact, make one jar of each.

Chopped whole green cabbage for sauerkraut

WHAT TO AVOID WHEN YOU MAKE THIS SAUERKRAUT RECIPE

  • Don’t let kraut, or any ferment, sit in a hot room. A room temperature of 65°-75° works better.
  • Don’t let the cabbage rise above the brine/juice. Press the cabbage down and submerge it in its own juice.
  • When you serve sauerkraut, get what you need and then seal the jar. Place it back in the refrigerator rather than leaving it out on the counter.
  • Don’t can it or cook it if you want all the beneficial probiotics.

STORAGE OPTIONS

  • I keep this nutritious sauerkraut in the refrigerator in the jar I made it in with either the airlock lid or a regular lid on it.
  • Once fermented, this sour cabbage side dish keeps well in the refrigerator several months.
  • There’s no need to cook or can this cabbage, unless you want to.
sauerkraut in a ball jar
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Quick Homemade Sauerkraut Recipe

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  • Author: Erika
  • Total Time: 4-8 days
  • Yield: 1 quart
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Description

This quick homemade sauerkraut recipe ferments for only 4-8 days. It’s cut in small pieces and turns out like a fine relish used for topping various dishes. It delivers tangy taste, probiotics when eaten raw, and loads of flavor when you cook the fermented cabbage with your meal.

Ingredients

  • 1 medium head cabbage
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons sea salt
  • Filtered water
  • 1 large cabbage leaf, left whole

Optional Additions:

  • 2 fresh grape leaves (recommended)
  • 1/2 - 1 teaspoon caraway seeds

Instructions

  1. Rinse the head of cabbage and remove the outer leaves. Remove one additional leaf and set it aside to use later in this recipe. Remove the core before shredding the cabbage.
  2. Shred 1 medium cabbage using the multipurpose “s” blade of a food processor (or use a cheese grater or knife).
  3. Place the shredded cabbage and 1 ½ tablespoons fine sea salt in a large mixing bowl. Add the optional ½ – 1 teaspoon caraway seeds. Stir to mix salt in evenly.
  4. Wait 5 minutes for the sauerkraut juices to release. If it’s still dry, use a wood tamper to press the kraut for a couple minutes. Let it rest again until the juices release.
  5. If using a grape leaf (optional), place it in the bottom of a clean quart size glass jar. Add the shredded cabbage to the quart sized jar by the ½ cupful.
  6. Use your fist, or a wood tamper, to press the cabbage down as you place each ½ cupful in the jar. Stop when the cabbage reaches the jar shoulder. Pack the cabbage in super tight. Pour any cabbage juice left in the bowl into the jar.
  7. Make sure the cabbage juice covers the cabbage. If it doesn’t, let it rest a few minutes and press down again until it does.
  8. Top the cabbage with a grape leaf (optional), then a large cabbage leaf, and then a glass weight. The weight will help hold the cabbage under the liquid.
  9. Seal the jar with an airlock lid and set it out of direct light at room temperature (65°-75°) for 4-8 days.
  10. If the ph is at 4.6 or below and you’re satisfied with the sour taste after 4-5 days, it’s done.
  11. If you’re not satisfied with the taste, cover it with the lid again. Let the jar ferment outside the fridge 2-3 more days and then taste it again.
  12. Once fermented, store the finished sauerkraut in the refrigerator. It can store in the refrigerator for several months.

Notes

Clean all utensils, bowls, lids, and canning jars well with soap and water. Or, sterilize them before making this ferment if you prefer.

I usually use waterless airlock fermenting lids and glass canning jars for my quart and ½ gallon ferments. A wood tamper also helps with pressing the cabbage into the container. Glass weights help keep the cabbage beneath the brine.

The optional grape leaves keep the kraut crunchier. Place one on the bottom and one on top. The top leaf (along with an additional whole cabbage leaf) helps keep the small pieces of kraut in place.

Double this recipe to make ½ gallon of sauerkraut at a time. Sauerkraut is quite salty so add less salt to whatever meal you serve it with. Keep in mind, the salt is necessary for a safe ferment.

*If you are concerned about the ph levels of your ferment, you can purchase a ph tester to verify the acidity levels. According to Clemson Cooperative Extension, “Kraut fermentation, if done properly, will bring food to the “safe” acid level – pH 4.6 or below.”

  • Prep Time: 30 minutes
  • Category: Ferments

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