Homemade Sauerkraut Recipe

Homemade sauerkraut recipe is an easy and gut healthy way to get probiotics. The perfect side to a meal, this fermented raw sauerkraut will become a family staple. 

I already blogged a little about probiotics and why they are so important in my Raw Organic Milk Kefir post.

Since they do so much to support a  healthy immune system and regulate digestion, it makes sense to find a way to eat fermented foods daily.

You could spend $50 a month on good quality probiotic pills, or you can pick up a couple of heads of cabbage at about 50 cents a pound, depending on the season, and consume your proibiotcs with dinner.

Homemade sauerkraut is just so delicious! We eat it with almost everything, meatloaf, salmon, steak, burritos, eggs, pizza..seriously it is good with almost anything. Also, it  is so nice to have an instant side dish ready at all times in the fridge.

Although fermenting vegetable sounds very intimidating and difficult, I can assure you it is a super simple and quick process.

Benefits of Fermented Sauerkraut:

Like any fermented foods, fermented sauerkraut is beaming with probiotics. When salt and cabbage are massaged together and allow to sit for a few days, lactobacillus starts to populate.

This beneficial bacteria that can be found in lots of fermented foods like yogurt, can help increase your gut bacteria. Regular consumption of fermented foods have been shown to improve digestion, increase immunity, reduce the risk of cancer, and help reduce inflammation (source).

Now if you have never tried sauerkraut before and you want to test to see if you even like it, the best sauerkraut for probiotics is Bubbies. You should find it in the refrigerated section and the first ingredient should include cabbage and it shouldn’t have any vinegar or preservatives.

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Tips For Making Homemade Sauerkraut:

• I love using glass fermentation weights, but if you don’t have any you can use clean rocks in a sealed ziplock bag.
• Those who are new to sauerkraut may want to try fermenting for 3 days at first before any longer of fermentation period. 
• If any is above the liquid it will be exposed to oxygen and possibly mold, so that is why it is so important to keep it under the liquid. 
• A food processor makes this process really simple, if you don’t have one you can just chop it as finely as possible.
• WATCH THE VIDEO TUTORIAL

Tools you may needed:

Large bowl

Food processor

Half gallon mason jar or fermentation crock.

Glass fermentation weights

Measuring spoon

Ingredients:

• Sea salt -For 5 pounds of cabbage, you would want to use 3 tablespoons of salt. I had 3.5 pounds, so I used 2 tablespoons.
• 3 small heads of cabbage

How To Make Homemade Sauerkraut:

Step 1: Shred Cabbage

1. Pull off a few of the outer leaves and set aside for the last step.
2. Next, core the cabbage and cut it into pieces small enough to fit in your food processor. If you do not have a food processor, just cut it into shreds. If you do have one, this part will go a little faster.
3. Place into food processor and shred.

Step 2: Add Salt And Work It Together

• Put the shredded cabbage in a bowl and sprinkle with salt.
• For 5 pounds of cabbage, use 3 tablespoons of salt. I had 3.5 pounds, so I used 2 tablespoons.
• Work the salt in with your hands until it starts to get juicy. The juice that is created when massaging the cabbage and salt together is the brine. You may have to work it for several minutes before it gets juicy enough to move onto the next step.

Step 3: Place In Mason Jar

1. Next, put all the cabbage and the brine into a clean half gallon mason jar (you could also use a fermentation crock). Punch it down until all the cabbage is submerged beneath the brine.
2. Fold up the cabbage leaves you reserved earlier and place on the top to keep all the cabbage down beneath the brine.
3. Place a fermentation weight on top and press down making sure the brine covers all of the cabbage.
   • You could also place rocks in a ziplock bag and placed the ziplock on top of the folded up cabbage leaves and the weight should be enough to keep all of your shredded cabbage beneath the brine.
   • If any is above the liquid it will be exposed to oxygen and possibly mold, so that is why it is so important to keep it under the liquid. 

Step 4: Fermentation Time

Leave it out on the counter for 5 days-3 weeks. It will just become more pungent as it sits. If this is your first time trying homemade sauerkraut, it may be better to ferment it for less time.

Remove fermentation weight and folded up cabbage leaves, put the lid on the jar and store in the fridge.

FAQ

How To Serve Homemade Sauerkraut:

• Serve it daily with dinner or lunch and enjoy the probiotic benefits. We usually just use it as a side.
• Add it to salad.
• You can eat it warm or cold, but for probiotic purposes you should eat it cold since heating it can destroy the beneficial bacteria.
• Top sandwiches – we love adding it to chicken salad or tuna salad.
• Hot dogs (try to choose organic grass-fed when possible) taste extra yummy with a serving of sauerkraut on top.
• Add to pizza. May sound odd, but really yummy.

HOW LONG DOES FERMENTED SAUERKRAUT  LAST?

Properly prepared and stored in a cool, dark place (like the refrigerator) can last at least around 6 months.

Look for any signs of mold, an even color throughout, and it still looks edible.

Make sure to keep the lid tight in refrigeration storage (after the fermentation process).

Use your nose to see if it still smells as it should. It shouldn’t smell off and make sure the texture is still good, and not mushy.

Lastly, give it a little taste to make to make sure it tastes good.

More Fermented Foods Straight From The Farmhouse Kitchen

• Fermented Carrots Recipe
• Lacto Fermented Salsa Recipe
• How To Make Fermented Jalapenos
• Berry Kefir Breakfast Smoothie
• How to Make Yogurt in the Instant Pot

Homemade Sauerkraut Recipe

If you try this recipe and love it, I would love if you gave it 5 stars! Thank you!

Homemade Sauerkraut Recipe

Yield: 25

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Additional Time: 5 days

Total Time: 5 days 30 minutes

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Ingredients

• 3 heads of cabbage
• Salt - 2-3 tablespoons

Instructions

Pull off a few of the outer leaves and set aside for the last step.

Next, core the cabbage and cut it into pieces small enough to fit in your food processor. If you do not have a food processor, just cut it into shreds. If you do have one, this part will go a little faster.

Put the shredded cabbage in a bowl and sprinkle with salt.

For 5 pounds of cabbage, use 3 tablespoons of salt. I had 3.5 pounds, so I used 2 tablespoons.

Work the salt in with your hands until it starts to get produce a juicy brine. You may have to work it for several minutes before it gets juicy enough to move onto the next step.

Next, put all the cabbage and the brine into a half gallon mason jar. Punch it down until all the cabbage is submerged beneath the brine.

Fold up the cabbage leaves you reserved earlier and place on the top to keep all the cabbage down beneath the brine.

Place fermentation weight on top of the folded cabbage and press it down until all of the cabbage is submerged in the brine.

Leave it out on the counter for 5 days-3 weeks. It will just become more pungent as it sits. If this is your first time trying homemade sauerkraut, it may be better to ferment it for less time.

Remove the weight and folded up cabbage leaves, put the lid on the jar and store in the fridge.

Notes

If any is above the liquid it will be exposed to oxygen and possibly mold, so that is why it is so important to keep it under the liquid. My preferred way to keep it under the brine is with glass fermenting weight, but I have also used heavy flat rocks wrapped in whole cabbage leaves or ziplock bags to weigh it down.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 25 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 35 Total Fat: 0g Saturated Fat: 0g Trans Fat: 0g Unsaturated Fat: 0g Cholesterol: 0mg Sodium: 59mg Carbohydrates: 8g Net Carbohydrates: 0g Fiber: 3g Sugar: 4g Sugar Alcohols: 0g Protein: 2g

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This post was updated January 2020.