UPDATE 7/26/12: I no longer use Mason jars for my ferments (learn why here). I use Fidos and Pickl-Its exclusively and the improvement in the taste and texture of my ferments is unbelievable! I encourage everyone to take a look at the information regarding Mason jar ferments and come to a decision that best fits their family. I will be releasing updated versions of these recipes soon, as it applies to the Fido and Pickl-It jars.
Sauerkraut has to be one of the easiest ferments to make. It only requires two ingredients: cabbage and salt. You can, of course, add in other ingredients to suit your tastes, but if you want pure, unadulterated sauerkraut, then just stick to those two ingredients and you won’t be disappointed. It is most likely the very first ferment for newbies who are just starting out on their fermenting journey. I know it was for me.
I know some of my ferments may be considered a little boring, but my mission with this series is to master some of the basics and as I gradually increase my confidence, I will branch out into more creative recipes. I also want to keep it simple because I want to encourage people to start fermenting in their kitchen, no matter their comfort level. Just pick an easy recipe and do it. Sauerkraut is a great place to start! BTW, I cracked open by jar of pickled Brussels sprouts yesterday for lunch and they are wonderful, so I highly encourage you to try them if you haven’t already!
I have only made sauerkraut a couple other times before and both times, they didn’t turn out that great, so I didn’t try it again until just a couple weeks ago. After thinking back on what I did the past two times, I decided that the first time I made kraut, I didn’t like the texture because I chopped the cabbage finely, rather than shredding it. I much prefer shredded kraut. The second time, I used whey and it had a slimy texture, similar to my first experience with lacto-fermented ginger carrots.
After spending many hours reading and re-reading Wild Fermentation, I decided that there was a reason sauerkraut was the first recipe in almost any lacto-fermenting book out there. It’s because it’s easy and virtually foolproof! So, I embarked on my third kraut making venture and after this round, I can confidently say, I think I have a much better handle on the process! It turned out great — crunchy and tangy — and I know it will only continue to get better with age. I completely forgot to take a picture of my own kraut in time for this post, so a big thanks to my sister and brother-in-law from Mighty Grow Organics for letting me use the picture of their recent sauerkraut batch instead!
Sauerkraut (aka. Sour Cabbage) Facts
- Sauerkraut made its first appearance in China approximately 2,000 years ago, and is suspected to spread to Europe by Genghis Khan.
- Sauerkraut was renamed “Liberty Cabbage” during the World Wars because Americans wouldn’t buy a product with a German name.
- Americans consume approximately 387 million pounds of kraut each year.
- Every year, there are around 330 million pounds of cabbage grown in the US.
- Kraut is very high in vitamin C, iron, calcium, niacin, phosphorus, riboflavin, phosphorus, beneficial bacteria, and fiber.
- Cruciferous veggies (cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, dark leafy greens, turnips, etc.) have been shown to help fight colon cancer.
Homemade Sauerkraut
inspired by Wild Fermentation
Makes approx. 2 quarts
Ingredients
2 large heads of cabbage (white or red)
sea salt
Tools
2 wide mouth Mason jars
2 glass cups that just fit inside the Mason jar (or something else that you can use for a weight)
1 (or 2) large bowls
Food processor (for shredding … or, you can do this by hand)
Note: I prefer to shred my cabbage, like I mentioned above. You can chop, shred, or tear your cabbage for kraut. It just depends on what you like.
Instructions
1. Pull off the outer layer or two of the cabbage. I bought organic cabbage and chose not to rinse it because I wanted to keep as much of the dirt intact to help start the ferment. Sounds weird, I know. Check out this post for more info. Since I didn’t rinse it, I just peeled off the outer layer or two of the cabbage and proceeded to shred. You will, of course, want to be on the lookout for black mold. If you see any, you’ll want to trim those sections out.
2. As you shred the cabbage, layer it in the large bowl with salt. I would do a layer about an inch thick, sprinkle some sea salt over it, layer more cabbage, sprinkle more salt, etc. I didn’t measure the salt, but I used roughly two tablespoons for the entire batch. My sea salt is super fine grind, so a little goes a long way.
3. Once you have your cabbage shredded and salted, let it sit out for a few hours. The salt will help pull some of the moisture from the cabbage.
4. After it has sat out for a few hours, you can add whey if you want want to use that as a starter. Add 4-6 tbsp. of whey to your cabbage and stir to mix. I don’t use whey as a vegetable starter, but it is perfectly fine if you want to add some in.
5. Next, with very clean hands, start packing the cabbage into the Mason jars. Really pack it in there. I used my fist and packed it as tight as I possibly could. When I first started, I didn’t think there would be enough water released from the cabbage to cover it, but by the time I got it all packed in the jar, I had well over an inch of brine on top.
6. You’re almost done. The last thing you need to do is take a clean glass (or something else that you can use as a weight) and place it in the jars so that it’s pushing down on the cabbage. I used one of our drinking glasses and filled it with water. This ensures that the cabbage stays submerged under the brine during fermenting. Our drinking glasses fit perfectly inside the wide mouthed jar, leaving about 1/32 of an inch around the edge (yes, I actually measured!).
7. Now, you’re ready to let nature work its magic. I placed my kraut in an out-of-the-way place on my kitchen counter and covered the jars with a tea towel to keep any dust or particles out. You can store them on the counter, a bookshelf, in a cupboard, etc. Make sure you stick a plate under the jar to catch any brine that bubbles up and out, and keep it out of the sun. Then, I just left it there for 7 days. I checked on it a couple times, just to make sure it was all still submerged, but I didn’t remove the glasses because I wanted to limit the amount of oxygen it was exposed to.
8. After 7 days, I moved it to cold storage and let it sit for another full week before trying it. Keep in mind that it’s only going to get better the longer it ages.
Now it’s your turn! Have you made kraut before? How does your recipe differ from mine? There are so many different techniques that people use when fermenting and I love hearing everyone’s tips and tricks, so let’s get the discussion started below!
Sources:
“Sauerkraut” image from MightyGrow Organics
“Sauerkraut” Wikipedia
“Cruciferous Vegetables” Wikipedia
“Sauerkraut Facts” Bubbies Products
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Delicious Obsessions was founded by Jessica Espinoza in 2010. Jessica is passionate about real food, natural living, and more. She helps people see how to eat nourishing food, without breaking the bank. Her motto is "baby steps" -- making small, lasting changes, one at a time, is the best way to ensure long-term success. This website contains "affiliate links" where appropriate, on which, I may earn a small commission or referral fee on your purchase. This has no effect on your price. The monies earned help maintain and support this website's hosting, maintenance, and the development of free content. The content shared on this site is for informational and educational purposes only. Statements/products discussed have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and are not intended to diagnose, cure, treat, or prevent any disease or illness. Please consult your own health care practitioner before making changes to your current diet or before beginning any herbal or vitamin supplement regimen or exercise program.
2 quick questions.
When you moved your kraut to cold storage, did you leave the glass of water in the top or did you put a lid on? Also…are roaches attracted to the kraut as it sits on the counter?
Thank you
Great post! Good idea using the glass in the jar. I agree, also, about chopping the cabbage in larger pieces instead of fine shredding. I like the nice crunch I get from thick pieces!
I think the hardest part of making kraut is finding two appropriate containers that fit together to keep the cabbage submerged in the brine. I usually make large batches. Once, I used my crock pot inserts. I have two that fit the same pot, so they nest together perfectly. For my last batch, I used two ENORMOUS heads of cabbage and used two 5 gallon buckets. It worked great!
That is a tricky thing. I had a couple food-grad buckets, but because of the lip around the sides of the buckets, they didn’t fit far enough down to really keep the kraut pushed down. The beauty of it is finding a method that works for you with whatever supplies you already have! Thanks for the photo!
See, now you make me want to try sauerkraut again. I’ve always hated it but I’d only had storebought until last year. I’ve tried making it two or three times since then. No matter which recipe I tried, it always tasted like butt. Maybe a combination of gym socks and sweaty butt. And salt. I’ve tried with just salt & water. I’ve tried with salt & water & whey. I’ve tried with just a tiny bit of salt.
I so want to like sauerkraut. I really do. *sigh*
HAHA! Funny description (but, you’re right!)
You know, I don’t love sauerkraut. I like it, but I don’t go out of my way to eat it. I have to remind myself to have a small little dish with dinner each night. Defintiely not my fave. I need more flavor, like the kimchi or Brussels sprouts. Those are fantastic!
I tried sauerkraut once, but it did not go well. Most of my kraut turned a sickly brown, none of which I would eat so we pitched it. I did have some jars stay a nice, perky green and those were okay but a little too salty. not sure what I did wrong; my recipe was quite similar to yours.
Could be that it was exposed to too much oxygen? Or, perhaps that jar got contaminated somehow. I have been experimenting with the salt amounts and I’m getting away with using less and less. I know that it needs a certain amount of salt to work its magic, but some of the recipes I’ve tried have pretty much been inedible! I like Sandor’s method of salting the cabbage as you go along. I feel like you get a more even dispersal of the salt and you can use a little less than other recipes call for.
I love adding spices when I make sauerkraut, like peppercorns, juniper berries, cumin, etc. as the cabbage is bland and picks up the flavors so well. I’ve tried with salt brine only and also using my kefir whey. Now I’d like to try your method of salting first and using larger shreds.
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My recipe is 5 lbs shredded cabbage and 2 Tbls of Canning Salt. Mix it together in sections and pack in a crock. Cover with Doubled Ziploc bags on top of a plate to weigh it down and cover with towel. Check every two days and mix. Let stand 12 days in a cool place. I made 8 gallons last month. So good.
Forgot the ziplocs has water in then.
Just a question, I have watched a few different ways of making sauerkraut and isn’t it really important to beat the cabbage down for several minutes, breaking down all the cell walls so that the good bacteria can go to work right away? One woman whom I like to learn from is in New Zealand and I have watched her videos on youtube called Back to Basics.
Or is that stage not really necessary?
Thanks
The reason that I have always been told that we need to beat it down is to release the juices from the cabbage, so that there is enough self-brine, but your explanation does make sense. The process of packing it into the jars does that for me, so I skip the pounding. By the time I have the jars backed. I have a ton of liquid. This is actually an older recipe where I followed the steps that Sandor Katz outlined in his Wild Fermentation book. I need to go back and update this recipe, so I will double check on that when I do! Hope that helps!
I make saurkraut lots all my life we are german I just use salt prefer sea salt and water. great put in big mouth jars. turns out OK but last year turned brown i’m ready to do it again this year, so i’ll not put as much in jar this time.