How to Make Small-Batch Sauerkraut at Home

Sauerkraut is one of the oldest and simplest ferments there is just cabbage and salt, transformed by time into something tangy, crunchy, and full of gut-friendly probiotics. If you’ve got a head or two of cabbage from the garden or the farmers market, you don’t need a giant crock or any special equipment to turn it into kraut. A single mason jar and a little patience will get you there.

If you are new to fermenting or want to go from simple pickling to the next level – this is where you should start!

Here are a few other recipes you might enjoy:

• Pickled Bean Sprouts
• Pickled Shredded Carrots

Why Make Your Own

Store-bought sauerkraut is often pasteurized, which kills off the beneficial bacteria that make fermented foods worth eating in the first place. Making your own at home guarantees a live, active ferment, and lets you control the salt level and flavor. It’s also a great way to preserve a cabbage harvest that’s coming in faster than you can eat it fresh.

What You’ll Need

• 1 small cabbage (about 2 pounds), any variety
• 1 tablespoon sea salt (avoid iodized table salt, which can interfere with fermentation)
• 1 teaspoon caraway seeds (optional, for a classic deli-style flavor)
• A sharp knife or mandolin
• A large bowl
• A clean quart-sized mason jar
• Something to weigh the cabbage down (a smaller jar that fits inside, a fermentation weight, or even a clean rock in a bag)

How to Make It

Shred the cabbage. Remove any wilted outer leaves and set one nice leaf aside: you’ll use it later. Quarter the cabbage, cut out the core, and slice it into thin ribbons with a knife or mandolin.

Salt and massage. Put the shredded cabbage in a large bowl and sprinkle the salt over it. Using clean hands, massage and squeeze the cabbage for several minutes until it starts to soften and release its own liquid. If you’re using caraway seeds, mix them in now.

Pack the jar. Transfer the cabbage, along with all the liquid it’s released, into your mason jar. Pack it down firmly with your fist or a wooden tamper so the liquid rises above the cabbage. Leave an inch or two of headspace at the top.

Weigh it down. Lay the reserved cabbage leaf over the shredded kraut to help hold everything under the brine, then add your weight on top. The goal is to keep all the cabbage fully submerged: anything poking above the liquid is prone to mold.

Cover and ferment. Cover the jar loosely with a lid, cloth, or fermentation lid (something that lets gas escape without letting in dust or pests). Set it on a plate or tray to catch any brine that bubbles over, and store it at room temperature, out of direct sunlight.

Check and taste. Start tasting after about 3 days. Depending on the temperature of your kitchen, sauerkraut is usually ready somewhere between 1 and 4 weeks the longer it goes, the tangier it gets. Once it tastes the way you like, move it to the fridge, where it will keep for several months and continue to slowly develop flavor.

Tips for Success

• If liquid doesn’t cover the cabbage after packing, mix up a little extra brine (about 1 tablespoon salt per cup of water) and top it off.
• Press the cabbage down daily for the first few days to help release air bubbles and keep it submerged.
• A thin white film on top (kahm yeast) is common and harmless — just skim it off. Fuzzy or colored mold means it’s time to start over.
• Warmer kitchens ferment faster; cooler spots take longer but often develop deeper flavor.

Once you’ve got a batch going, sauerkraut is endlessly useful piled onto sausages and sandwiches, stirred into soups, or eaten straight from the jar as a simple probiotic-rich side.

Homemade Sauerkraut

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Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 2 pounds small cabbage shredded
• 1 tablespoons sea salt
• 1 teaspoons caraway seeds optional

Method

 

1. Shred the cabbage: Remove any wilted outer leaves from the cabbage and set one leaf aside. Quarter the cabbage, remove the core, and slice into thin ribbons to make 2 pounds small cabbage, shredded.
2. Salt and massage: Place the shredded cabbage in a large bowl, sprinkle with 1 tablespoons sea salt, and massage with clean hands for several minutes until it softens and releases liquid. Stir in 1 teaspoons caraway seeds (optional) if using.
3. Pack the jar: Pack the cabbage and its liquid tightly into a clean quart mason jar, pressing down until the liquid rises above the cabbage. Leave 1-2 inches of headspace.
4. Weigh it down: Lay the reserved cabbage leaf over the top and add a weight to keep everything fully submerged under the brine.
5. Ferment: Cover loosely and set on a plate at room temperature, out of direct sunlight, to ferment.
6. Taste and store: Taste starting around day 3. Continue fermenting until it reaches the tartness you like, then transfer to the fridge.

Notes

Makes about 1 quart. Use non-iodized salt for best fermentation. Once it tastes right, move the jar to the fridge, where it will keep for several months.