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Homemade sauerkraut recipe in its finished fermenting stage on a spoon over a plate with a jar of finished homemade sauerkraut in the background on the counter

Homemade Sauerkraut Recipe

The only probiotic you will ever need. This easy, gut healthy homemade sauerkraut recipe comes together with 2 ingredients, and 5 steps: Chop, Salt, Massage, Pack, Wait.
5 from 1 vote
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Prep Time 30 days
Cook Time 4 days

Ingredients
  

  • 5 pounds or approx. 3 small heads of Cabbage Green or Purple
  • 3 tbsp Salt- Quality salt is important in general but especially when you are fermenting. I would suggest Celtic Sea Salt Himalayan Pink Salt or Gray Salt

Instructions
 

  • Starting off with clean hands, take the outer leaves off of the 3 heads of cabbage, save the nicest looking ones by putting them to the side for later use.
  • If you are going to use a food processor for this, I would first start by coring the cabbage and then cutting the cabbage into chunks that will fit nicely into the food processor. Set up your food processor with the reversible disc, so that the shredder is facing upwards. Before you continue to shred more cabbage, make sure to remove the shredded cabbage when the processor bowl is full. You can also shred the cabbage by using a box grater. More recently, I have been shredding my cabbage with a knife and I find that the process goes much quicker, with less dishes in the end. Empty all of the shredded cabbage into a large mixing bowl
  • Next you will sprinkle the salt over the shredded cabbage, and massage the salt into the cabbage. You will continue mixing and massaging until you start to see and feel the water in the cabbage release from the cabbage. You can massage for 3 minutes, then let the cabbage sit, and massage again until very juicy. This water mixed with the salt is the brine. Don't worry if you don't see much water release from the cabbage at first, over time more water will release. The older the cabbage is, the less water content will be present in the cabbage. So working with fresher cabbage is always a better option. However, it will still work with older cabbage.
  • Next, pack the cabbage into your 1/2 gallon or 1 quart glass mason jars or a fermentation crock, making sure to get the brine into the vessel as well. I use my fist to push it down into the jar to ensure that it's tightly packed.
  • Take the outer cabbage leaves that were put to the side in the beginning of this process and fold them up nicely to fit in the tops of the jars. Layer the folded leaves around the top of the jar over the shredded cabbage and brine mixture. This helps to keep the shredded cabbage below the water (brine), which is important in the fermentation process.
  • After that, add the fermentation weights, or clean rocks (inside a zip lock bag) on top of the folded leaves, pressing down and making sure there is enough brine to fully cover the shredded cabbage. If there is any shredded cabbage above the water line, it will be exposed to oxygen and could possibly mold. This is why it's important to make sure the shredded cabbage is fully submerged in the brine. I like to clean any excess shredded cabbaged from around the top of the jar, and just inside the jar to prevent any mold from occurring.
  • Finally, screw your lids onto the tops of the mason jars. Don't screw the lids on too tightly. Screw them on just enough that they are on securely, but not tightly on- about 1-3 rotations.
  • Leave your jars sitting on the counter and out of direct sunlight at room temperature for 4-10 days. The timing will depend on the age of your cabbage and also the temperature in your kitchen. In warm weather or a heated environment, fermentation will happen faster than in cooler temperatures. A lower temperature would be around 70 ℉, preferably 65℉, ideally between 50-60℉. A cold storage or basement is usually good at those temperatures. However, I keep my sauerkraut on the counter, to keep an eye on it. We keep our kitchen at 65℉, and this always bodes well for a beautiful sauerkraut. You will know because the cabbage will turn from the bright green color of cabbage to the yellow/golden color of sauerkraut!
  • I place my jars in a 9 x 13 dish or sheet pan, because sometimes the brine will spill over the side of the jars and make a mess on the counter.
  • When the sauerkraut is finished fermenting and it's the perfect color, take the lids off the jars, and remove fermentation weights and folded cabbage leaves- compost and/or feed cabbage leaves to chickens- they love sauerkraut!
  • Place the lids back on the jars and transfer the jars to the fridge. ENJOY!

Notes

  •  Sometimes it seems like there's not enough water/brine to completely submerge the cabbage, but after a day on the counter, more water will release from the cabbage to cover it completely. If you find that this does not happen, and your cabbage is not completely submerged, top off the jars with some room temperature, filtered water. 
  • You could also use the brine from a previous batch of sauerkraut to top off your jars. 
  • After the initial fermentation process, your sauerkraut will be ready to eat right away. However, the longer the sauerkraut sits in the fridge the better it tastes!
  • If you notice the jars on the lids bulging during the fermentation process, burp the jars by unscrewing the lid to let the gas escape, then re-tighten the lid. 
  • If you are unsure about the amount of salt to add, it can be helpful to weigh your cabbage after it's chopped. About one tablespoon of salt per 1-1/2 pounds of cabbage.