Sauerkraut: Begin Your Journey into Home Fermentation

Sauerkraut. Before I began fermenting foods at home, I associated this word with a vinegary, bland mess of cabbage served exclusively with German sausages. I decided to try to make it myself because after paying for probiotic supplements for awhile, I realized that home-fermented foods present a much more cost effective way to support my gut microbiome. I think that I can tempt you to give homemade sauerkraut a try too! Cost aside, homemade sauerkraut is absolutely delicious, and can be made to your tastes with any number of seasonings.

Sauerkraut History

I spent some time doing some research into the origins of sauerkraut here. I was surprised to learn that sauerkraut is not actually German in origin, though they did give it it’s name, which means “sour cabbage”. (A very literal language, German). Sauerkraut was invented in China about 2,000 years ago, when cabbage was soured in wine to preserve it through the winter so that the slaves building the Great Wall of China had something to eat.

The lacto-fermented sauerkraut I’ll show you in this post does not involve wine-just cabbage, salt and optional seasonings! When sauerkraut was brought to Europe, the recipe was changed to be made with salt instead of wine, to allow for fermentation of the natural sugars present in the cabbage. Lacto-fermented sauerkraut is not what you’ll find in a jar or bag of Frank’s Kraut from the grocery store, however: store bought sauerkraut has to be pasteurized, and this heating process destroys bacteria and enzymes.

Benefits of Homemade Sauerkraut

I think it is safe to say that fermented and probiotic foods are having a moment among the health-conscious, and for very good reason! Your gut microbiome–the millions of teeny organisms that line your intestines–are enormously important to your overall health. Tons of medical research, papers, articles and books have been written on the many different functions of the body that the microbiome performs & contributes to. Your gut health matters!

For millennia our ancestors supported their health through the consumption of fermented foods. Most cultures have their own traditional ferments. To those of us who grew up eating something resembling the Standard American Diet, fermented foods may look less familiar, but it’s never too late to begin including them and to reap the benefits.

Sauerkraut specifically features a slew of positive attributes. For example, it is high in vitamins C and K. It also contains digestive enzymes, which assist your body to break down your food for its nutrients. All this in addition to the beneficial lactic acid bacteria!

For more on the health benefits of lacto-fermentation and of sauerkraut, see this article.

Tools & Equipment for Homemade Sauerkraut

• Glass jars: any size you wish to use or have on hand will be fine. I tend to prefer a quart jar or similar size
• Cheesecloth
• Cutting board
• Knife: a sharp knife! No one wants to hack away at cabbage
• Large mixing bowl
• Kitchen scale
• Wooden spoon, optional: I sometimes use it to push down on the sauerkraut to make sure the bubbles are out.

Ingredients for Homemade Sauerkraut

• Cabbage: green may be the more traditional option, but red works great too!
• Salt: fine sea salt or kosher salt are preferred over iodized table salt
• Optional seasonings: coriander seeds, garlic, black pepper, turmeric, beets, ginger, dill, caraway seeds, fennel seeds

The Process: How to Make Homemade Sauerkraut

Prep

Wash your jars, then sterilize them by pouring boiling water over them. Set aside to cool while you prep your cabbage.

Prep your head of cabbage: remove the tough outer leaves and set them to the side, you will use at least some of them later. Slice off the base as well. (Is it the base or the top of the cabbage? The root? You know what I mean)

Slice cabbage as thinly as you prefer. I like the texture best when it is very thinly sliced-if you have a mandolin, it may work well for this.

Add Salt

Zero your kitchen scale with a large bowl on it and set it to grams. Add your cabbage.

To add 2% salt by weight, take the weight of your cabbage (in grams) and multiply by .02. I sometimes go up to 3% salt by weight.

For reference, for every 1 pound of cabbage, you will use about 1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons of salt-so definitely not too much salt, especially considering that only a small amount of sauerkraut packs a big punch in terms of beneficial bacteria.

2-3% salt by weight is optimal for the growth of lactobacillus bacteria, which is what we’re trying to promote here, as well as maintaining the sauerkraut’s crunchy texture.

Release the Brine!

Using clean hands, massage the cabbage and salt. This serves to release the liquid that will become the brine. It takes awhile-up to ten minutes! You really want to make sure that enough brine releases, since the sauerkraut will need to be fully emerged in its own brine in the jar.

Once the liquid has released and the cabbage has reduced in volume, add any seasonings you wish to use. My favorites are garlic and coriander seeds. A little can go a long way here.

Make sure your jars have cooled fully to room temperature, then transfer the cabbage mixture into them. Press the cabbage down to compact, avoiding any large air bubbles. The brine should rise above the level of the cabbage. Fully submerging the cabbage prevents mold growth.

Fold the outer leaves of the cabbage, place on top and press down to keep the cabbage submerged. Leave a little space in the top of the jar, there may be a little expansion. If you have a fermentation weight, you can add that as well. Cover the top of the jar with your cheesecloth and secure with a rubber band.

Alternatively, you can cover the jar tightly, with a plastic lid or other canning jar lid: but if you do this, make sure to burp the jar daily (remove the lid to let out excess carbon dioxide).

Place the covered jar in a shallow bowl or on a plate-if you have lot of brine there may be a little overflow, and the bowl will catch it.

Ferment

Leave the jar to ferment in a cool place on the counter. (Room temp is fine, but not overly warm). I prefer to keep ferments out of direct sunlight, though it doesn’t have to be a totally dark place. Check every day for signs of the fermentation process-within three days you should see little bubbles appearing. After three days you can begin to taste test your sauerkraut.

Continue checking and tasting your sauerkraut daily until you like how it tastes! As the fermenting process continues, the sauerkraut will get less sweet and a more tangy flavor, because the bacteria eat the sugars in the cabbage.

Sauerkraut can take three days to two weeks to ferment, depending on your climate. I usually find five to six days to be the sweet spot. When it’s done, remove cheesecloth and replace it with a cover. Store in the fridge.

How Should I Serve & Store Homemade Sauerkraut?

Add it to your sandwich, burger, hot dogs, or salad.

Use it as a topping on avocado toast (my personal favorite!)

Scoop it out with a fork and eat it plain.

Toss it with scrambled eggs.

Serve some alongside any meal.

Pin for later:

What Should I Make Next?

Fermented Shaved Carrots & Ginger Salad

Fermented Bean Dip

Did you make this recipe? Let me know how it went in the comments! If you share on Instagram, please tag me at @sisuhomemaker. And I always love to hear from you- send questions, comments, concerns, etc to carol@sisuhomemaker.com!