Traditional Fermented Sauerkraut
Fermented sauerkraut is SUPER easy to make at home. All you need is a grater to turn a head of cabbage into a delicious and probiotic condiment. Experiment with different flavours to find your favourite combination.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 1 quart jar 1x
- Category: Condiment
- Method: Fermented
- Cuisine: German
- Diet: Vegan
Scale
Ingredients
- 1 head of cabbage (approx. 2 lbs.)
- 1–2 tsp pickling salt (to taste)
- Flavours (see above)
Instructions
- Grate the cabbage and any other vegetable or fruit additions.
- Toss the cabbage with spices and salt.
- Give the cabbage about 5 minutes for the salt to start softening it.
- Pack the cabbage into the fermenting container. (See the section above for various options.) Leave at least 2″ of head room because it will bubble up during the first week of fermenting. Use a spoon to really pound all the cabbage into the jar. Pack it down firmly enough for liquid to be pressed out of the cabbage. You want enough liquid to submerge the cabbage. Also, it’s important to fully pack the cabbage into the jar because air bubbles increase the risk of contamination. Don’t worry if you don’t have enough liquid right away, it should produce it within 24 hours. So you can to leave your cabbage to sweat a bit then pack it down again.
- Leave the jar to ferment at room temperature (around 18 C if possible) and out of the sun.
- The first three days the cabbage will bubble and liquid may overflow from the jar. The weight will keep the kraut from being exposed to air while it bubbles.
- Sauerkraut is ready when you decide it is done! After 5 days you will have a sweet tasting kraut. However sauerkraut will continue to ferment for up to 7 weeks. I often permanently leave my kraut in a cupboard since I’m short on space in my fridge.
- Store it in the fridge to stop the fermentation.
Notes
- There’s a whole science around how the “flora” in sauerkraut changes over time. However, it should never be moldy, yeasty or smelly. Keeping everything clean is necessary for a good ferment.
- Sauerkraut needs to ferment without exposure to air. See the section above for the different options and containers that could be used.
Keywords: probiotic, easy, healthy, immune boosting, 2 ingredients, paleo, keto, gluten-free, egg free, dairy free, summer, fall
Find it online: https://www.fermentingforfoodies.com/easy-fermented-sauerkraut/
