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Easy Homemade Sauerkraut Recipe

Who doesn’t love a pork roast simmering in the crock pot, waiting to be served with a side of sauerkraut? This easy homemade sauerkraut recipe is the best way to turn plain old sliced cabbage (which I think is great just the way it is) into a superfood filled with enzymes, probiotics, and healthy acids. (Source)

Finished sauerkraut in a glass anchor hocking jar.

Why I Love This Recipe

I love lacto-fermentation because your food actually gets healthier as it ferments. (Source) Superfoods generally come with a super price tag in the grocery stores, but making your own sauerkraut is an inexpensive method for long-term food preservation, provides health benefits to strengthen your immune system, and is EASY, making it one of the best beginner foods to ferment.  

There are other variations of sauerkraut, such as this apple jalapeño sauerkraut recipe or traditional Curtido. Once you master this homemade sauerkraut recipe, you’ll be hungry to try more. You can go to my fermenting archives to check out all of my favorite recipes. 

It’s important to note that I am not a certified medical practitioner. This post is not intended to diagnose or treat but is for informational purposes only. Please contact your healthcare professional before introducing new herbal and natural remedies into your wellness routine.

What Is Lacto-Fermented Sauerkraut

It is a common misconception that the term lacto-fermentation comes from the addition of whey as a starter culture in order to reduce the amount of salt used (which I show you how to do in my easy fermented cranberry sauce).

However, lacto-fermentation is traditionally done with salt only, and the term “lacto” refers to the lactic acid produced by the lactobacillus bacteria that are being cultured.  

Fermented sauerkraut is a traditional German food, but people all over the world love it. The name “sauerkraut” means “sour cabbage,” which fits its taste. Lacto-fermentation has been a reliable method for keeping cabbage fresh in cold European winters. Still, even with modern refrigeration available, it’s loved for its taste and health benefits.

Homesteading Hack – When buying sauerkraut from the grocery store, make sure it’s coming from the refrigerated section, as shelf-stable canned sauerkraut will have lost all its probiotic benefits.

Finished Sauerkraut in colorful bowls.

Tips for the Best Sauerkraut

There are a few tips that will help you make this the best homemade sauerkraut recipe including fermentation conditions, temperature, and customized ingredients. Use this handy chart for reference:

ParameterOptimal ConditionComments
Fermentation Temperature65-70°F (18-21°C)Consistent temperature fosters proper fermentation.
Fermentation Duration3 days to 6 weeksVaries based on desired flavor intensity.
SubmersionFully submerged under brinePrevents spoilage and maintains texture.
Additional IngredientsCaraway seeds, juniper, peppers, or shredded carrotsOptional for flavor enhancement, if desired.
Sauerkraut ingredients on a wooden cutting board.

How to Make Sauerkraut

Supplies Needed

  • Large Bowl – Choose a bowl large enough to hold a full head of cabbage after shredding.
  • Kraut Pounder – If you do not have a kraut, or cabbage pounder, a heavy wooden spoon or a wooden meat hammer will work just as well. The pounding process is critical because it extracts the water needed for the fermentation process. If you simply add water without extracting the water from the cabbage, you will end up with an imbalance of water-to-salt ratio, which will result in your ferment failing.
  • Large Mason Jar – Clean your jar with hot, soapy water. Do not sanitize with bleach. If any trace of bleach is left, it will stop the lactobacillus from multiplying.
  • Fermenting Lid Fermenting lids are nice to have but not necessary. If you don’t have a fermenting lid, you could use a storage lid made for quart jars or even a two-part canning lid. The storage lids are not airtight, but two-part canning lids can be, so if you use a two-part canning lid, make sure it’s on loosely to allow for airflow and off-gassing.
Sliced cabbage and large knife on a wooden cutting board.

Ingredients Needed

  • Cabbage – It will roughly take a medium-sized head of green or red cabbage to fill a quart jar. This is purely subjective, and it’s not necessary to weigh the cabbage for an exact measurement. Just pick a head of cabbage that seems “medium” size to you.
  • Sea Salt – I recommend using Redmond Real Salt or kosher salt. (Using that link for Redmond Salt will automatically give you 15% off your order!) The ratio of salt to cabbage should be two tablespoons for every head of cabbage. Salt has more than one purpose. It draws the moisture from the cabbage to create the liquid needed for the fermentation process, and it also preserves the cabbage from breeding bad bacteria while the beneficial bacteria are forming.
Cabbage being shredded by a kitchen aid attachment.

Step-by-Step Instructions

  1. Inspect the cabbage, and remove any outer leaves of the cabbage that show signs of decay or bruising. These leaves can be fed to your livestock or added to your compost pile
  2. Remove a second leaf, keeping it as whole as possible, and set this leaf aside for later. 
  3. Remove the core and set it aside to make stock later, or put it with the leaves that will go to your livestock or compost pile. 
  4. Finely shred the remaining cabbage by cutting it against the grain. 
  5. Place shredded cabbage in a large bowl and sprinkle salt over the cabbage. 
  6. Toss the cabbage with clean hands to incorporate the salt evenly throughout the cabbage. 
  7. After thoroughly combining the cabbage and salt, allow the cabbage to sit for about 10-15 minutes. After sitting, you will notice that the salt has started to work, drawing the moisture out. 
  8. With the cabbage pounder, wooden spoon, or wooden meat hammer, pound the cabbage to extract the rest of the water from the cabbage. This step should take at least 10 minutes. Homesteading Hack: If it seems the cabbage isn’t breaking down after 10 minutes, let it sit for another 30 minutes, and come back to pound it some more. Your final product should have about ⅓ of the volume as when you began. 
  9. With clean hands, transfer the cabbage from the bowl to the quart glass jar, packing with your wooden cabbage pounder to remove any air bubbles. 
  10. Once the cabbage is packed tightly in the jar, you will have leftover juice in the bottom of your bowl. You will use this, but first, tear off the soft part of the reserved cabbage leaf and tuck it into the jar on top of the cabbage to help weigh it down so the cabbage remains submerged underneath the surface of the liquid. It is critical that all of the cabbage stays under the surface of the liquid, or it will mold. 
  11. Top off the jar with remaining cabbage juice, leaving about an inch of room at the top. This will avoid any spillage that may happen during any movement caused by the fermentation process. 
  12. Leave on the counter at room temperature for an average of 3 days to ferment (give or take, depending on how warm or cool your kitchen is). You should notice the fermentation activity (or bubbling), and the smell will change to sour or acidic. 
  13. At this point, you can move the jar to long-term cold storage in your refrigerator or root cellar. It has a shelf life of up to a year.

Did you make this homemade sauerkraut recipe? If so, we’d love for you to leave a star rating in the recipe card below, then snap a photo and tag us on social media @homesteadingfamily so we can see!

FAQ

What is sauerkraut?

Sauerkraut is fermented cabbage. It’s been a key part of German food for ages. The fermentation makes it full of good bacteria, and it has a tangy flavor.

What ingredients do I need for the best sauerkraut?

For delicious sauerkraut, all you need is fresh cabbage and sea salt. You can also add caraway seeds and juniper berries for extra flavor.

What are the health benefits of sauerkraut?

Sauerkraut is full of probiotics. These help your digestion and immune system. It also has nutrients that make you healthier.

What are some tips for making the best sauerkraut?

For the best sauerkraut, keep the temperature steady. Taste it often to adjust the flavor. And, don’t let it ferment too much to keep the right texture.

How can I serve sauerkraut?

Sauerkraut goes great with pork, sausage, kielbasa, and potatoes. You can cook it in a crockpot for a hearty meal. It’s a great addition to many dishes. We put one bite of sauerkraut on our children’s fork at mealtime so they get a small serving of probiotics every day.

What can I add to sauerkraut before serving to make it taste better?

To make sauerkraut taste better, add apple slices for sweetness. Onions add depth, and spices can change the flavor to your liking.

Why do you put vinegar in sauerkraut?

If you’ve purchased store-bought sauerkraut in a jar (not refrigerated), you may be eating pickled cabbage (also referred to as sauerkraut). Vinegar in sauerkraut balances flavors and adjusts acidity for canning purposes. However, it’s not needed for lacto-fermentation.

How do I store and preserve homemade sauerkraut?

Keep homemade sauerkraut in the refrigerator or in a root cellar to keep it fresh and full of active probiotics.

Finished sauerkraut in a glass anchor hocking jar.

Homemade Sauerkraut Recipe

Learn to take two simple ingredients and turn it into a healthy, probiotic superfood in this homemade lacto-fermented sauerkraut recipe.
3.82 from 115 votes
Print Pin
Course: Condiment
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Fermentation Time: 3 hours
Total Time: 3 hours 15 minutes
Servings: 16 servings
Calories: 14kcal
Author: Carolyn Thomas

Equipment

  • Large Bowl
  • Cabbage Pounder
  • Quart Mason Jar
  • Fermenting Lid

Ingredients

  • 1 head cabbage medium-sized
  • 2 Tablespoons sea salt
  • optional seasonings black pepper, caraway seeds, etc.
  • optional mix-ins shredded carrot, diced onions, cilantro, etc.

Instructions

  • Inspect cabbage, and remove any outer leaves that show signs of decay or bruising. These leaves can be fed to your livestock, or added to your compost pile. 
  • Remove a second leaf, keeping it as whole as possible, and set this leaf aside for later.
  • Remove the core, and set it aside to use later to make stock, or put it with the leaves that will go to your livestock or compost pile. 
  • Finely shred remaining cabbage by cutting against the grain. 
  • Place shredded cabbage in a large bowl, and sprinkle salt over the cabbage. 
  • Toss the cabbage with clean hands to incorporate the salt evenly throughout the cabbage. 
  • After the cabbage and salt have been thoroughly combined, allow the cabbage to sit for about 10-15 minutes. After sitting, you will notice the salt has started to go to work drawing the moisture out. 
  • With the cabbage pounder, wooden spoon, or wooden meat hammer, pound the cabbage to extract the rest of the water from the cabbage. This step should take at least 10 minutes. If it seems the cabbage isn’t breaking down after 10 minutes, let the cabbage sit for another 30 minutes, and come back to pound it some more. Your final product should have about ⅓ of the volume as when you began. 
  • With clean hands, transfer the cabbage from the bowl to the quart glass jar packing with your wooden cabbage pounder to remove any air bubbles.
  • Once the cabbage is packed tightly in the jar, you will have leftover juice in the bottom of your bowl. You will use this, but first tear off the soft part of the reserved cabbage leaf and tuck it into the jar to help weigh down the shredded cabbage to keep it underneath the surface of the liquid. It is critical that all of the cabbage stays under the surface of the liquid, or it will mold. 
  • Top off the jar with remaining cabbage juice leaving about an inch of room at the top. This will avoid any spillage that may happen during any movement caused by the fermentation process. 
  • Leave on the counter at room temperature for an average of 3 days fermentation time (give or take depending on how warm/cool your kitchen is). You should notice the fermentation activity (or bubbling), and the smell will change to sour/acidic. 
  • At this point, you can move the jar to long term cold storage in your refrigerator or root cellar with a shelf life for up to a year.

Notes

  • Feel free to add in any other seasonings or ingredient mix-ins as noted above in the recipe. One of my favorite flavor combinations is this sweet and spicy sauerkraut recipe or this Latin-American Curtido recipe.
  • The flavor of sauerkraut continues to deepen and get better over time. If you find after 3 days that your kraut is too salty, just give it more time and the salty profile will mellow. 

Nutrition

Calories: 14kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 882mg | Potassium: 97mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 56IU | Vitamin C: 21mg | Calcium: 23mg | Iron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?We want to see! Tag @homesteadingfamily on Instagram.
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Josh and Carolyn bring you practical knowledge on how to Grow, Cook, Preserve and Thrive on your homestead, whether you are in a city apartment or on 40 acres in the country. If you want to increase your self-sufficiency and health be sure to subscribe for helpful videos on gardening, preserving, herbal medicine, traditional cooking and more.

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