From kombucha to kimchi, fermented food is becoming increasingly popular, not least because the natural chemical process produces good-for-your-gut bacteria. Homemade sauerkraut is a great place to start– try it with cured meats, cheese, smoked fish or sausages
Abi is our former Junior Food Editor. An obsessive foodie with a sweet tooth, she is happiest when baking and is a firm believer that there is always room for dessert (preferably following a big bowl of pasta)
See more of Abigail Spooner’s recipes
Abigail Spooner
Abi is our former Junior Food Editor. An obsessive foodie with a sweet tooth, she is happiest when baking and is a firm believer that there is always room for dessert (preferably following a big bowl of pasta)
See more of Abigail Spooner’s recipes
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Ingredients
1kg firm white cabbage or other veg, see ‘Make it your own’ right
16g sea salt flakes or Himalayan pink salt
1 tbsp caraway seeds
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Step by step
Reserve an outer cabbage leaf, then cut the whole cabbage into quarters. Finely shred crosswise until you have 800g, discarding the core once you’ve worked around it.
Place in a large bowl and, with clean hands, vigorously massage the salt into the cabbage for 5 minutes; this will start to draw out moisture, forming a brine. Set aside for 5 minutes then massage again. Rest and massage a couple more times until the cabbage volume has reduced significantly and a good puddle of brine has formed.
Stir in the caraway seeds. Pack into a wide-mouthed sterilised preserving jar, pressing the cabbage down and leaving a 3-4cm gap at the top.
Kitchen tip
Sterilise your jars for 5 minutes in a medium-hot oven
To make sure the cabbage stays fully submerged in brine (to ferment safely), cut the reserved leaf to fit in the top of the jar. Weigh this down with a heavy item (such as a smaller jar filled with water). Sit the preserving jar in a dish, cover loosely and keep at cool room temperature (18-22°C) for 5-7 days, out of direct sunlight. The mixture will get bubbly, fade in colour, and the brine level may rise and fall as fermentation progresses.
It will be ready to eat after this time, but for maximum flavour leave to ferment for 2-4 weeks, tasting regularly until you’re happy with the flavour. Remove the weight, seal the jar and store in the fridge.
Make it your own
Option 1: Swap the white cabbage for red cabbage and use 1 tbsp lightly bruised juniper berries instead of caraway seeds.
Option 2: Add 250g grated carrots with the cabbage and use 21g salt to allow for the increased weight of veg. Stir in 2 tsp ground turmeric and 1 tbsp grated ginger instead of the caraway seeds.
Once sealed, store in the fridge. It keeps for up to 6 months, even once opened, as long as the sauerkraut stays submerged in brine.
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In a very large non-metallic bowl, mix the cabbage with 2 tablespoons of salt, massaging it in well for 2 minutes with clean hands so it softens. Leave to stand 5 for about 15 minutes, massaging the mixture every 5 minutes. It will reduce considerably in volume during this time, and some brine will form.
Sauerkraut is a great addition to so many types of meals and is simple to create at home. Homemade sauerkraut ferments over a few days and holds incredible taste while providing great probiotic benefits.
Homemade sauerkraut is more flavorful than the best store-bought brands and introduces masses of wild beneficial microbes into our microbiomes. Making homemade fermented foods is not as complicated as we might fear.
At 70 to 75 F, kraut will be fully fermented in about 3 to 4 weeks. At 60 to 65 F, fermentation may take 5 to 6 weeks. At temperatures lower than 60 F, kraut may not ferment. Above 75 F, kraut may become soft.
The most widely used ratio of 2.00%–2.25% weight of salt to weight of cabbage gives the best results. This means you add 2g to 2.25g of salt for every 100g of finely sliced cabbage in your recipe.
For the salt, I consistently use coarse light grey Celtic sea salt. You can use other salts. However, you should never use salt with additives like iodide, sugar, or anti-caking agents such as calcium silicate. The reason is that they can interfere with the fermentation process.
It's so, so good—it fills your mouth with so much fermented flavor and funk, but it isn't overly astringent or too acidic. Also, hot tip: I'd say there's a hierarchy of sauerkraut packaging. Bagged krauts are crisper than jarred, but jarred krauts are so much tastier and better than canned sauerkrauts.
Sauerkraut has Greater Diversity of Microorganisms
Long fermentation is also important as various groups of probiotics dominate the fermentation as the sauerkraut acidity varies. Compare this to Probiotic capsules which contain a limited number of strains that don't vary.
It will be ready to eat after five days, but for maximum flavour leave the cabbage to ferment for anywhere between 2-6 weeks (or until the bubbling subsides). Check the cabbage every day or so, releasing any gases that have built up as it ferments, giving it a stir to release the bubbles.
Danish Ballhead, Late Flat Head and Premium Late Dutch are good cabbage varieties for sauerkraut. Krautman is one of the most popular varieties for making sauerkraut, and growers are encouraged to try new varieties as well.
It is important to note that using too much salt can lead to overly salty sauerkraut, which can be both unappetizing and unhealthy. Additionally, using too little salt can lead to spoilage and growth of harmful bacteria during the fermentation process.
Vinegar is sometimes added to sauerkraut recipes to speed up the fermentation process and add extra flavor. However, traditional sauerkraut recipes do not include vinegar. Instead, the cabbage is fermented with just salt and water. Adding vinegar to sauerkraut can also affect the texture of the final product.
Sauerkraut is also packed with probiotics that can improve your overall gut health. This combination makes sauerkraut an excellent food to aid with digestion. Obesity affects more than 40% of American adults and is associated with increased risks of heart disease, digestive problems, and type 2 diabetes.
One important issue to remember is that cooking sauerkraut will kill off the probiotic bacteria that we want to consume. Even after cooking, sauerkraut is a healthy, cabbage-based dish, but it will be missing out on that probiotic boost. So, when possible, try to add your sauerkraut to your dishes uncooked.
A study from 2018 offers a guideline for how much sauerkraut to eat for maximum health benefits. Participants consumed 75 grams of sauerkraut per day. People can start by eating 1 tablespoon (tbsp) of sauerkraut daily and working up to slightly larger amounts.
It provides probiotics and vitamin K2, which are known for their health benefits, and many other nutrients. Eating sauerkraut may help strengthen your immune system, improve your digestion, reduce your risk of certain diseases, and even lose weight.
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Prep time: 25 mins
