Sweet and Spicy Apple Sauerkraut

A woman with four different sauerkraut recipes.

A cozy fall twist on classic sauerkraut. This apple sauerkraut is bright, crunchy, and naturally sweet, and it’s one of the easiest ferments to tuck into your winter pantry. Perfect on roast meats, sandwiches, or right out of the jar. Because you can do this, and your gut will thank you!

4.32 from 19 votes

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Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 20

Fermenting Time: 14

Total Time: 14 20

Servings: servings

Calories: 6kcal

Author: Carolyn Thomas

Cost: Varies

Equipment

Large Bowl Stainless Steel
Wooden spoon or Kraut Pounder
Half-Gallon Mason Jar or Fermenting Crock
Cutting Board & Knife Or a food processor. I like this Breville Dicing Kit.

Ingredients

1 medium cabbage about 5 pounds
2 Tablespoons ginger grated
1 small jalapeno Two if you like spicy or red bell pepper for mild.
1 medium apple diced
3 Tablespoons salt We use Redmond Real Salt. Use that link to automatically get 15% off your order!

Instructions

Inspect the cabbage, and remove any outer leaves of the cabbage that show signs of decay or bruising. Remove a second leaf, keeping it as whole as possible, and set this leaf aside for later.
Homesteading Hack: Once you remove the core, set it aside for the next time you make chicken bone broth. Alternatively, you can add the bruised outer leaves to your compost pile or feed them to your livestock.
Finely shred the cabbage by cutting it against the grain. Dice the apples and jalapeño, and grate the fresh ginger.
Place shredded cabbage, jalapeño, apples and ginger in a large bowl and sprinkle with the salt.
Toss the cabbage with clean hands to incorporate the salt evenly throughout the vegetables. After thoroughly combining the vegetables and salt, allow the cabbage to sit for about an hour to allow the salt to extract the liquid from the cabbage. Your final product should have about ⅓ of the volume as when you began.
Toss the cabbage with clean hands to incorporate the salt evenly throughout the vegetables. After thoroughly combining the vegetables and salt, allow the cabbage to sit for about an hour to allow the salt to extract the liquid from the cabbage. Your final product should have about ⅓ of the volume as when you began.
Once the cabbage is packed tightly in the jar, you will have leftover juice in the bottom of your bowl. Before adding this to the bowl, place your fermentation weight into the jar, then add the remaining liquid.
Homesteading Hack: If you don't have a fermentation weight, this is where that cabbage leaf comes in. Tear off the soft part of the reserved cabbage leaf and tuck it into the jar on top of the cabbage. This will 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. Then, add the remaining liquid.
Top off the jar with the 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. Cap your jar loosely with a two-part canning lid, but do not seal it tight. Leaving the lid loose will allow gas build-up to escape during the fermentation process.
Place your jar inside a dish to catch any overflow of the brine while it is fermenting. Leave on the counter at room temperature for about 7-14 days (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.

Notes

Recipe Tips:

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

Parameter	Optimal Condition	Comments
Fermentation Temperature	65-70°F (18-21°C)	Consistent temperature fosters proper fermentation.
Fermentation Duration	3 days to 6 weeks	Varies based on desired flavor intensity.
Submersion	Fully submerged under brine	Prevents spoilage and maintains texture.
Additional Ingredients	Minced garlic, shredded onions, cilantro, or chopped red bell pepper.	Optional for flavor enhancement, if desired.

Feel free to add in any other ingredient mix-ins, such as minced garlic, shredded onions, cilantro, or chopped red bell pepper. Some of my other favorite flavor combinations are garlic dill sauerkraut, and this 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.
The finer you shred your vegetables, the faster they will ferment.
Cover the shredded vegetables and let them sit to soften for an hour instead of pounding. The salt will break down the vegetables and do some work for you.
Always use a clean utensil every time you dip into the jar of sauerkraut to avoid introducing bacteria to your entire batch.

Storage Instructions:

You can store your apple sauerkraut in the jar you prepared it in. Just transfer it to a cool storage place like a root cellar or a refrigerator. If you are patient, this apple sauerkraut tastes the best at the 6-month mark. Once you open your jar of sauerkraut and begin eating it, store it in the fridge until it is gone.

Freezing your sauerkraut in an airtight container for up to one year is also an option. Once you bring your sauerkraut up to room temperature, the quality of the sauerkraut comes right back, and the probiotics spring back to life.

Nutrition

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