If you have had the good fortune of trying fresh, homemade German sauerkraut, you'll know it tastes so much better then store bought canned varieties. It is crunchy, slightly acidic, yet sour, and full of flavor.
Luckily, making your own sauerkraut at home is incredibly simple, and doesn't require much in the way of supplies, or ingredients. You actually only really need two ingredients!
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The basics - How is sauerkraut made?
In it's most basic form, sauerkraut is made by mixing raw cabbage and salt to create a natural brine, which then ferments the cabbage through a process called lacto-fermentation.
Fermentation helps preserve the cabbage for long term storage, and prevents the growth of mold and bacteria that would otherwise make the cabbage go bad.
The great thing about this type of natural fermentation is that it does not destroy any nutrients in the vegetable itself, creating a nutritious fermented product full of vitamin C , pro-biotics, and enzymes beneficial to your health.
Other vegetables can be fermented in this way as well such as carrots, beets, or turnips preserving their taste, and texture.
What Is Lacto-Fermentation?
Lacto-fermentation is the process of thousands of tiny live little beneficial bacteria (specifically Lactobacillus), that work to convert the natural sugar present in cabbage, into lactic acid creating an environment void of bad bacteria.
Lacto-fermentation has been used for thousands of years to naturally, and safely preserve foods, and increase your overall health. A battle between good and bad bacteria, lacto-fermentation requires only three ingredients to do its job:
- Salt
- Water
- and your vegetable of choice.
How does lacto-fermentation work?
First the cleaned vegetable of choice is mixed with salt in a non-reactive container (such as specialized glass jars, or in a specialized stone crock (affiliate link)), creating an environment unsuitable to bad bacteria.
These bad bacteria would otherwise spoil food and make us sick if they where allowed to multiply. The salt helps draw out the natural water in the present in the vegetable creating a brine in which the fermented food is kept.
After all the bad bacteria have died off, live Lactobacillus bacteria which is naturally present in most foods, gets to work, converting the natural sugars into lactic acid, thereby preserving the vegetable.
The process of lacto-fermentation can take anywhere from 2 to 3 weeks to complete depending on the temperature the fermentation container is kept at. In warmer conditions the bacteria will work faster then in cold temperatures.
While the fermented product will keep fermenting even once the desired acidity is achieved, the fermented food is usually placed in a cold or refrigerated spot to slow down the fermentation process once the desired taste is achieved.
Make your own German style sauerkraut.
To make your own German Sauerkraut you only need two ingredients and a fermentation vessel. Stone fermentation crocks work beautifully, and come in two styles.
Those with a water lock, and open fermentation style containers. Which you choose is entirely up to you, but both work on the same principle that the cabbage is submerged in a brine using a weight of some kind and then fermented for extended periods of time.
The only real difference is that the water lock style containers have a special lid that creates an anerobic environment, only allowing the gas' from the fermentation process to escape, but no air can enter back into the vessel.
Ingredients
To make your sauerkraut you really only need two ingredients, salt and cabbage,(though we are adding a third here for color!).
Any cabbage can be used, but in general regular green cabbage is the most commonly used variety.
The amount of salt you need to make sauerkraut is determined by the amount of cabbage used. You want to aim for salt content of 2% of the weight of the cabbage. So for the 2 kg of cabbage we use here you'll need about 40 grams of salt.
Make sure the salt is iodine free, pickling salt is my go to option.
For our small batch of sauerkraut (which fits in a 1.5L glass mason jar), we used:
- 1 large head of green cabbage (Roughly 2kg or 4.5lbs of cabbage)
- 40 grams of salt
- 1 shredded carrot - to add some color to the sauerkraut
If you are using a larger 1 gallon or even 5 gallon stone crock you'll need to use more cabbage. For a 1 gallon stone crock, you'll need about 3 - 4 lbs of cabbage.
Step-By-Step Instructions
Prepare the Cabbage
Start by removing the outside leaves of the cabbage and the core. To do this, cut the head of cabbage in half, and then into quarters. I have found this to be the easiest way to remove the core. Cut out the core sections and discard.
Next cut the cabbage into small strips or a roughly chopped square shape. How small you cut the cabbage is ultimately up to you.
The easiest way to 'shred' the cabbage when making homemade sauerkraut is to separate the quartered cabbage into "stacks" and then, using a very sharp chefs knife, julienne the cabbage.
The cuts don't need to be perfect, but you do want the cabbage to be somewhat uniform in size. This helps create a more appealing texture and easier to eat end product!
Once all of the cabbage is cut to your satisfaction, dump it all into a large bowl or bucket. This is not the final container you will ferment/store the sauerkraut in.
Mix in the 40 grams of salt and thoroughly mix it in with your hands. At this point in the process, many recipes will call for adding water or brine, but this is unnecessary with our method.
While you do need liquid to submerge the cabbage, you can extract enough natural water present in the cabbage by pounding it with the salt mixed in. The pounding action and the salt work together to release the water creating the brine needed to lacto-ferment the sauerkraut.
You can use a specialized tool called a pickle packer (affiliate link), fashion your own stamper out of wood, or use anything else you may have around the house as long as it's cleaned first of course! I have in the past used an empty wine bottle( though I must admit I was worried of it breaking), and as you can see in the pictures here a meat mallet does a fine job!
Expect to stomp your cabbage and salt mixture for a good twenty minutes before you have enough liquid to submerge the cabbage in. You will know you are done stomping when you can push the cut cabbage down and the liquid brine rises up covering the surface of the cabbage.
You'll notice in the above image that I have added a shredded carrot to my cabbage. I like adding one carrot in to add color and some visual appeal. It will not noticeably change the flavor of the sauerkraut. - Chef Markus Mueller
Once the cabbage can be pressed down and submerged under it's own liquid, the hard part is done. Pack the sauerkraut into your final fermentation jar or vessel, and place a weight on top of the sauerkraut to keep it submerged in the liquid brine.
As I generally make small batches like this one (instead of 10-20L at a time as you would in a large stone crock), I use a clean glass bottle filled with water as my weight. Wine bottles work great and just fit inside of the mouth of the 1.5L Mason Jar.
Otherwise these mason jar fermentation lids are cheap and work splendidly!
Fermenting The Sauerkraut
After two or three days you should start to see some foam, and a little bubbling action on the surface of the liquid. This is a good sign and means that the good bacteria (the Lactobacillus) is starting to do it's job, converting naturally present sugar into lactic acid!
Your sauerkraut is now starting to ferment! Ferment the cabbage for 2 to 3 weeks, taking a small taste test at the two week mark to check the flavor and acidity.
Troubleshooting
- If you see mold starting to grow on the sides of the jar ABOVE the liquid, simply wipe it away with a clean cloth. This may happen since brine may splash up on the sides of the container as you are filling it creating spots for mold to feed on. Rest assured that anything submerged in the brine, will be safe to consume!
- If you don't see any bubbles or frothing, this is ok. Lacto-fermentation is not as active as say wine making can be. Let the sauerkraut sit for 2 to 3 weeks and simply ensure the liquid stays above the cabbage, completely submerging it.
- If your brine starts to evaporate, you can add fresh water to the fermentation vessel to top it up. As only the water evaporates and the salt stays behind, do not top up with brine as you will increase the salt content.
How to store your German sauerkraut.
Once the sauerkraut has reached the desired amount of acidity, pack the kraut into smaller jars (with brine), and refrigerate, or move the entire fermentation vessel into a cold location such as a cold garage, porch, or cold cellar. This will slow down fermentation and also help keep the sauerkraut tasting fresh.
Refrigerated, the homemade sauerkraut will easily keep for 3 months, but you may find it gone long before then!
What do you eat sauerkraut with?
Growing up with a German background, I was inevitably introduced to sauerkraut by my father who loves the stuff and will eat it on anything! It goes to show just how versatile good sauerkraut can be, especially when eating on a budget, or wanting to preserve cabbage you grew in your own back yard.
Sauerkraut can be eaten cold on sandwiches (think in a bun with a Oktoberfest Sausage), as a side to a hearty meal, or simply on it's own for a refreshing and healthy snack. It can also be eaten hot, and is delicious sauteed with onions and bacon, creating a slightly sour vegetable side dish great with a pork roast, or red meat!
Tried the recipe? Take a picture and tag me on Facebook & Instagram: @earthfoodandfire . For more from scratch recipes follow me on Instagram & Pinterest
Looking for more cabbage dishes? Try this blueberry braised red cabbage!
Recipe
How To Make German Style Sauerkraut
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 kg green cabbage shredded
- 40 grams pickling salt
- 1 whole carrot shredded
Instructions
- Clean and quarter the cabbage, then remove the core. Peel the carrot. Shred the carrot and cabbage or cut into desired size.
- Mix the pickling salt and shredded carrot into the cabbage.
- Pound the cabbage mixture until there is about 1 inch of liquid, enough to cover the cabbage when it's pressed down.
- Place a weight on the cabbage to submerge it in the brine, and store in a cool, dark area for 2 to 3 weeks to ferment.
- Check the cabbage daily to asses fermentation and remove any possible mold growth.
- Store fermented sauerkraut in mason jars in the fridge for up to 3 months after fermentation is complete.
Notes
- If you see mold starting to grow on the sides of the jar ABOVE the liquid, simply wipe it away with a clean cloth. This may happen since brine may splash up on the sides of the container as you are filling it creating spots for mold to feed on. Rest assured that anything submerged in the brine, will be safe to consume!
- If you don't see any bubbles or frothing, this is ok. Lacto-fermentation is not as active as say wine making can be. Let the sauerkraut sit for 2 to 3 weeks and simply ensure the liquid stays above the cabbage, completely submerging it.
- If your brine starts to evaporate, you can add fresh water to the fermentation vessel to top it up. As only the water evaporates and the salt stays behind, do not top up with brine as you will increase the salt content.
Nutrition
Nutrition info is auto-generated. This information is an estimate; if you are on a special diet, please use your own calculations.
This post contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated if a purchase is made through the links provided. For more information please read my affiliate disclosure.
MJ Rowlandson
Hello Markus: I am what people would call a late life child to my parents. When I was born both sets of grandparents had already passed on. As a child around 4-5 years old I remember in the fall the big crock pots (some were taller than me) sitting out back in the old summer kitchen brewing. Mom had them filled to their brims with pickles, sauerkraut and all sorts of yummy things for the winter season (lol it was really stinky out there, I was only 4 -5 yrs old after all). But, unfortunately by the time I was old enough to start really remembering and learning the old school art of the "how-to craft" of preserving and canning my mother had passed on. I'm a complete newbie to the canning process. Sauerkraut has been one of my favourite foods since childhood. A couple of years ago my husband gave me a complete utensil set of items to make homemade fermented foods (ie: sauerkraut) as a Christmas gift. LOL, I have yet to put these items to use. I have been doing research off an on for awhile on the subject of "how to ferment and can food items". There seems to be as many opinions as there are chefs out there as to the best way to proceed in food fermentation. To date your info listed above has been one of most expletive that I've come across (very much appreciated thank-you). However, all the info I've studied including yours says that a fermented product only last tops 3 months in a fridge. Though my very first thought after reading this article/recipe recommendations is this; why do you state the standard line of your recipe's finished product will only last for two - three months after it is canned, sealed and refrigerated? However; when you talk about your dad making a years worth of sauerkraut in one go. WOW! What is the difference between his process, your recipe above and most of the other posted recipes? Why does your father's finished product last for 10 to 11 months(assuming one - two months to ferment yearly batch)? I don't want the hassle of having to do a batch every three months or so. Is there something more to do/to add during the actual fermenting stage itself to add longevity to the fermented items? Yes, I'm aware the fermenting time period has its affect on quality of flavour but does a longer length of fermentation time also extend the shelf life without compromising taste to much and food consumption safety?
This fermenting process as you said has been around for thousands of years and in the beginning there were no grocery stores for people to buy their fresh carrots and cabbages from every couple of months as needed or refrigerators to store their finished canned products. How is the shelf life of fermented food extended to include a whole season of storage for use? Thank-you.
OH: You recommend a minimal top up of water if to much natural moisture/water evaporates during fermenting process in your "trouble shooting section". Then you recommended to a commenter not to do that (?) because of tap water contaminants?? Just asking for my own future reference. Your thoughts; do you think the use of bottled distilled water(with next to zero contaminants) could be used as a minimal fluid top up if really needed as opposed to tap water?
Chef Markus Mueller
Hi Mj, I'll try and answer all your questions as best as I can! The storage guideline of 3 months in the fridge is meant to protect all my readers from any potential food poisoning. As I have no control over how readers store their sauerkraut, whether or not they use clean containers and utensils to remove sauerkraut from the main batch, varying refrigerator temps, varying bacteria levels etc, there are simply too many variables that come into storing the kraut longer and I don't feel comfortable telling folks it will last forever.
That said, if properly stored in a dark, cool/even cold location (my fathers kraut freezes almost semi solid over the winter months sometimes) , kept under the brine with a weight, and covered with a breathable cheesecloth to keep out debris, the sauerkraut 'should' not go bad, it will just slowly keep fermenting. The brine is key here as it protects the kraut from any bad bacteria. Care still needs to be taken to prevent mold growth on the edges and sides of the crock, which can lead to spoilage long term. That said if at any point your sauerkraut smells off, is slimy, or looks weirdly colored, use the age old mantra 'if in doubt, throw it out'.
In regards to topping up the brine, I have recently updated the post to say, yes it can be topped up with fresh water. The key is not to use chlorinated city water, which can inhibit the fermentation process. If in the city where chlorinated water is standard in most taps, fresh bottled water should be fine.
I hope that answers your questions. If there is anything else I can help with please feel free to email me at [email protected]
Chef Markus
Gay McDonald
Hi Chef Markus, some time back, I found a recipe that included dried rose petals in sauerkraut. It's an amazing addition, and also looks nice. Just add around 2tbsp to your standard recipe. And, when serving, I sprinkled over some pomegranate. We love to eat it with Shio Koji Chicken Breast and a tomato salad
Chef Markus Mueller
That sounds delicious! I will have to try it!