Homemade sauerkraut from scratch

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Sauerkraut is a yummy, gut friendly food made from just two ingredients- Cabbage and salt. Yup thats right no vinegar like those ones you find in the store. Like all fermented foods, sauerkraut is full of probiotics that are great for your gut microbiome. Let’s learn how to make homemade sauerkraut.

I personally like the taste of homemade sauerkraut more than store bought. You can control the amount of time it ferments on your counter, resulting in a more sour or less sour taste.

I used to spend money on probiotics every month but now there’s no need to because sauerkraut is filled with them! Plus it’s way cheaper to make this, than buy a probiotic.

Lacto fermentation

What is Lacto fermentation? Well for starters, it’s how sauerkraut is fermented. It is a way of fermentation that results in natural bacteria and yeast- the good kind. This method uses water or in this case brine and salt. It’s not pickling which is a common misconception. There is no canning involved either. Lacto fermenting isn’t meant to be used as a long term form of preservation like canning is. The typical shelf life is up to 6 months. Keep in mind, the longer it sits the more sour it will taste so if you don’t want that, you’re going to want to eat it quick!

Homemade sauerkraut video

Tips for making homemade sauerkraut

• Use a large bowl, the biggest one you have
• Use fermentation weights. Get the ones I use here
• Use wide mouth mason jars. The regular mouths wont work if you use the fermentation weights and it will be harder to fit in the cabbage.
• Use a half gallon mason jar with the leak proof storage lids
• Make sure cabbage is all the way submerged in the brine. Otherwise it will mold
• You can use a food processor to chop up the cabbage, or cut it by hand like I did in the video above.
• Use the proper salt amount to kill off any harmful bacteria and allow the good bacteria to thrive. My rule of thumb is 1 tablespoon for 1 head of cabbage.
• Don’t use table salt. Use a good quality pink Himalayan salt or a sea salt. Or the salt I used was this Ball pickling salt because it came with this fermentation kit I bought
• pack the cabbage into the jar super tightly

How to make homemade Sauerkraut from scratch

Step #1: Shred your cabbage

First pull off those outer leaves and set them aside for later. Then cut out the core of the cabbage.

To shred your cabbage, you can cut it up into small pieces, or use a food processor.

Step #2: Add salt and use elbow grease work massage the cabbage

Use your hands to work in the salt until a brine starts to form. This part takes around 10 minutes of massaging.

Step #3: Place in Jar

You can use a quart size or a half gallon size. Just know if you use a quart size it won’t all fit in one jar.

Fill up the jar to the very top leaving about half an inch of room for the weight. You’ll want to pack the cabbage in very tightly. Pour some brine over the top until all the cabbage is submerged. Use one of the cabbage leaves from earlier and fold it up and place it on top to keep all of the shredded cabbage underneath the brine. Place the fermentation weight on top of that and make sure there’s enough brine that it’s all covered. If it’s not all covered it will mold.

Place a lid on top and don’t screw it on all the way. It needs to be loose so the gases can escape. We don’t want any kitchen explosions! I recommend using the lids that I linked above. If using a lid like the one in the below picture on the left, check on it occasionally to make sure it didn’t seal.

Step #4: Leave on counter

Place the jar or jars on a plate or shallow pan because as the gases are formed some of the brine will leak out onto the counter. I learned this the hard way, and had a mess to clean up. Allow the jars to sit on the counter for 3 days to up to 3 weeks. The longer it sits the sour-er it will be. I like to eat mine after 5 days.

Once done fermenting remove the weight and the leaves and store in the fridge.

Enjoy this delicious fermented food with all your meals! I eat it with a lot of the dinners I make. Its good with chicken, salads, steak, in soups (adding it last so the warmth doesn’t kill the probiotics), with hot dogs, kielbasa, and so much more!

After the fermentation

Store in the fridge with a tight lid for up to 6 months

If its been in there a while- Check the texture to make sure it’s still good to eat. It should be crunchy not mushy. Smell it regularly to make sure there no rancidity going on.

Eat it often for the great health benefits!

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Comment below if you try this recipe I would love to know what you think!