How to make traditional sauerkraut (easy recipe) (2024)

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Learn how to make traditional sauerkraut with this super simple homemade sauerkraut recipe. Sauerkraut is not only delicious, but is incredibly nourishing and beneficial for your gut microbiome and overall health.

I first started making sauerkraut a few years ago when my fermented-food loving habits became quite expensive. It became even more expensive when Alex figured out how good it was too! We’d go through a few jars a month and this really started to add up. I didn’t want to miss out on all the benefits of sauerkraut, and whole cabbages are generally cheap to buy, so I learnt how to make it myself. I was surprised to find how easy it is to make using three simple ingredients.

What is sauerkraut?

Sauerkraut is one of the oldest and most common methods of preserving cabbage. Traditional sauerkraut is made from finely sliced fresh cabbage that has been fermented by lactobacillus bacteria. The fermentation process produces a tangy, fizzy, peppery, pungent deliciousness whilst keeping the crunchiness of the cabbage. As with all fermented foods, the process produces billions of beneficial bacteria that act as probiotics in the gut.

Fermented foods have long been eaten by populations around the world, which makes sense considering that refrigeration is a relatively new technology. Fermentation was used as a means to preserve an abundance of food and prevent it from spoiling.

What are the benefits of sauerkraut?

With cabbage already being high in beneficial nutrients and fibre, can fermentation really make it that much better? It sure can!

• Probiotic properties – the fermentation process produces billions of beneficial bacteria per serving. Sauerkraut offers a greater diversity of probiotic strains than probiotic capsules, which has significant gut health benefits. Diversity = resilience, and when it comes to your gut microbiome, you definitely want resilience.

• Aids digestion and nutrient absorption – the high fibre content aids digestion whilst the enzymes present in sauerkraut help to break down foods and enhances nutrient absorption by the body.

• High in essential nutrients – sauerkraut offers a nice boost of important vitamins such as A, B, C, and K1. It also contains iron, folate, manganese, copper and potassium.

• Boost your immune system – fermented foods can improve the integrity of the gut lining, whilst the high numbers of beneficial microbes can inhibit colonization of pathogenic bacteria. In simple terms, the good guys help to keep the bad guys at bay.
  
• Anti-inflammatory – compounds found in fermented foods can inhibit the production of inflammatory cytokines and suppress the inflammatory response. This is especially beneficial for people who suffer from conditions that are caused or made worse by inflammation.

What to eat sauerkraut with

Sauerkraut was and is traditionally eaten alongside meats such as pork or sausages, and it is often used as a replacement for salad/vegetables in a meal.

It can be added to many meals as a condiment, it’s great in wraps, salads, toasted sandwiches or alongside pretty much any savoury meal.

Here are some of our favourite ways to enjoy sauerkraut:

• Alongside meat and veg – simply add to your plate and enjoy
• With breakfast – we often have it on the side of a cooked brekky
• On toast – add a probiotic punch to your avo toast! Check out my nutrient-dense toast toppers ideas here.
• Toasted sandwiches – a classic Reuban with sliced corned beef, swiss cheese and sauerkraut is delicious. It’s also great as a simple cheese and sauerkraut toastie.
• Straight from the jar – yep, when I’m feeling snacky it’s always a go-to.

What equipment do I need to make sauerkraut?

It’s helpful to have a few essentials when making sauerkraut. I use this Kilner fermentation kit. It’s perfect for anyone who wants to start making their own sauerkraut. If you don’t have a kit, you could pull together a few items below to make your own.

• 2-3L jar/s
• Airlock lids
• Fermentation weights
• Kitchen scales
• Cabbage, the best quality you can access
• Sea salt
• Large bowl for mixing/massaging cabbage, or make do with a couple of smaller ones
• Caraway seeds (optional)

What can I add to my sauerkraut to get different flavours?

Traditional sauerkraut calls for green cabbage, salt and caraway seeds, but the truth is that you don’t actually need to add in any flavours to make a delicious sauerkraut with complex, tangy flavours. You really only need cabbage and salt.

However, it is fun playing around with different additions to get a feel for what you and your family enjoy.

Some popular additions include caraway seeds, dill or dill seed, fennel, ginger, juniper berries, and even finely grated beetroot. My favourites are caraway and dill.

Troubleshooting sauerkraut issues

As with any fermenting or preserving, it’s important to know what to look for in terms of food safety. Using your senses is a great way to work out if something isn’t right.

When made properly, traditional sauerkraut should be crunchy with a tangy flavor, pungent (but not ‘off’ smelling), and free from any sign of mould or yeast growth.

If your sauerkraut is mushy, has an ‘off’, yeasty, or mouldy smell, shows a change in colour or patches of coloured mould, you need to throw the whole lot away. Eating sauerkraut that has spoiled can make you unwell.

How long does sauerkraut keep for?

This recipe produces unpasteurised sauerkraut, meaning that it is not heat treated, and therefore retains all the beneficial bacteria. When made correctly, the lactic acid produced by the lactic acid bacteria during the fermentation process prevents the growth of bad bacteria and keeps it from spoiling. Once the sauerkraut is ready, it goes into the fridge to send the good bacteria to sleep and stop the fermentation process. Sauerkraut can last 4-6 months in the fridge if handled correctly:

• Use clean utensils each time you take some kraut from the jar so that you don’t introduce any bad bacteria.
• It’s a good idea to push any cabbage below the surface of the ‘juice’ when finished.

A note on store bought sauerkraut

Store bought sauerkraut that is found on the shelf (not in the fridge) has been pasteurised to make it stable at room temperature. This can last a very long time, however it will not contain any beneficial bacteria and often has a more mushy texture. Once opened, this product needs to be consumed sooner as it spoils more quickly. I would steer clear of this, as you are not gaining the benefits of a true, living kraut.

How to make traditional sauerkraut

Traditional sauerkraut is made with the magic/science of fermentation, which simply requires raw cabbage, salt, caraway seeds and time.

Source and slice your cabbage

With the best quality cabbage you can source, remove a couple of the good outer leaves and set aside. I like to use a whole head of cabbage, but you can use as much as you like to get started. I like to bring my cabbage to room temperature as it can be very cold to work with straight from the fridge.

Remove the core and shred cabbage into thin slices. If you have a food processor with a shred setting, this would make the process a lot quicker. Add this to a bowl on the kitchen scale. Record the total weight of the cabbage. If doing this across multiple bowls make sure that you get an accurate amount.

Add salt and give it a good massage

Sprinkle the sea salt over the sliced cabbage and mix to combine. Add any additions such as caraway seeds at this stage. With clean hands, massage the cabbage and salt for 5 minutes, you really want to squeeze it as much as you can.

Set aside for 10 minutes, then come back to it and massage for another 5 minutes. Try and squeeze out as much liquid from the cabbage as possible. You want to keep the liquid, don’t get rid of it!

Add the cabbage to your clean fermentation jar and press down in layers. You can use your fist or a wooden ‘muddler‘ to help. Keep filling the jar and pressing down as firmly as possible.

The idea is to push the cabbage below the liquid so it is submerged. Add any liquid that is leftover in the bowl.

Ferment

Place the reserved cabbage leaves on top of the cabbage in the jar and submerge as well. Then place the fermentation weight on top to hold everything below the liquid. You want everything to stay below the liquid (brine) for the whole fermentation process. If there isn’t enough brine for your cabbage to be fully submerged, you can add some additional. To do this, dissolve 1 teaspoons of salt in 1 cup of water and add jest enough liquid on top of the shredded cabbage to fully submerge it.

Place the lid on top with the air lock. This allows gases to escape whilst preventing any air getting into the jar during the fermentation.

Set on the kitchen counter at room temperature for 7-10 days depending on the temperature of the room. The warmer the room, the less time you will need to ferment the sauerkraut for and vice versa. It is a good idea to place a plate underneath the jar incase it bubbles over. Check that the contents of the jar remain submerged, you may need to add a heavier weight. It is best to keep your sauerkraut out of direct sunlight.

Divide up for storage

Taste daily after 7 days. Once the kraut is the desired tanginess and crunch, you can discard/compost the top leaves and transfer the contents to smaller jars to store in the fridge. Again, make sure you use clean jars and that there is some liquid above the line of the cabbage in the smaller jars. Enjoy!

My frugal tips

• Grow your own cabbage – cabbage is relatively cheap to buy, but it is significantly cheaper to grow! Cabbage can be grown in pots and sunken containers if you are lacking space.
• Source you cabbage seasonally – cabbage is usually cheaper to buy during the season it is normally grown ie cooler months. You can even make a huge batch of traditional sauerkraut once or twice a year using seasonally grown cabbage. This would save a lot of money and time!
• Invest in a good fermentation kit – this is definitely a good investment, as using the right equipment means it’s more likely that your recipe will work (reducing a potential waste of time and money/ingredients). An airlock is especially important. I recommend this fermentation kit for great results!