This simple and satisfying sauerkraut recipe is perfect for those that love the tangy, sour taste of this simple fermented cabbage dish. With just two simple ingredients, a mason jar, and a couple of add-ons you can make a flavorful batch of sauerkraut right in your kitchen.

Humans have been fermenting food for preservation for thousands of years and sauerkraut isn’t an exception. For over 2,000 years people have been combining salt and cabbage to make this simple and healthy ferment.

While canning is something that I enjoy, fermentation is an enjoyable and much more simplistic venture. From making fermented hot sauce, to apples, and even homemade yogurt it’s something that doesn’t require specialized equipment, is easy to do, and has so many health benefits.

But if you’ve never made fermented food, making this simple sauerkraut recipe is a fantastic place to start. Just two ingredients, salt and cabbage, and some time and you’ll have that delicious tangy flavor full of beneficial bacteria to help improve gut health.

What do I need to make my own sauerkraut recipe at home?

Fresh Cabbage – The color doesn’t matter. Green or red will work, or even a mixture. Some people will say to get organic cabbage, and while that can be beneficial (or using your own, homegrown cabbage) since cabbage is part of the clean 15… you can certainly use conventional cabbage.

Salt – any non-iodized salt will work for lacto-fermentation. I typically use canning and pickling salt but kosher salt or sea salt will also work.

Kitchen Scale – sauerkraut is a massaged ferment and the amount of salt used is based on the weight of the vegetables so having an accurate weight is important.

Glass Jar – a quart mason jar or half gallon mason jar works well here, depending on how large of a batch you want to make.

Large Mixing Bowl – You’ll need this for mixing the cabbage and salt.

Airlock Lid – while not necessary, it does make it easier to make fermented foods. I use pickle pipes, but you can just throw a plastic lid on top of the ferment and it will do the trick.

Fermentation Weight – also optional, but helpful. You will need something flat with some weight to it around the diameter of your jar to weigh the cabbage down.

Kraut Pounder – completely optional and not something I use, but kraut pounders/tampers will help you tamp down the cabbage in the fermenting vessel. They come in both wood and stainless steel.

Homemade Sauerkraut Recipe

Step 1: Wash your supplies. Wash everything you are going to use for this project. While they don’t need to be sterile, they do need to be clean. I recommend a rinse in white vinegar and then you can rinse them off with hot water.

Step 2: Tare the mixing bowl. Next, you need to get the weight of your mixing bowl and tare your kitchen scale. I do recommend writing down the weight of the bowl just in case the scale turns off while you’re working.

Step 3: Wash and prep the cabbage. Remove any outer leaves of cabbage and rinse the head of cabbage in cool water.

Next, you’ll want to chop the cabbage. You can use a sharp knife, a food processor, or a mandolin to accomplish this task.

How large or small you chop the cabbage is up to you. You can roughly chop it or make it a finer chop.

As you chop, begin adding the cabbage to the mixing bowl, keeping an eye on the weight, omitting the weight of the bowl. A quart jar will hold approximately 2 pounds of cabbage while a half-gallon jar will hold approximately 4 pounds.

That said, if you can’t fit four pounds of cabbage in your half-gallon jar, that is fine… but you do need to know the exact weight of the cabbage so you make sure to use enough salt.

Step 4: Salt the Cabbage. You’ll use a ratio of a half tablespoon of salt per pound of cabbage. That said, too much salt will slow down the fermentation process whereas too little salt will result in sauerkraut that lacks any real flavor.

Once salted, using clean hands, massage the salt into the cabbage. If you have any open wounds on your hands, it is a good idea to use some food service gloves!

After you’ve massaged the cabbage for two minutes, allow it to sit in the bowl for ten minutes. Then, give it another massage, you should notice quite a bit of liquid and the cabbage will be much softer.

Allow it to sit for 5 to 10 more minutes before packing.

Step 5: Pack the jar. It’s easiest to make sauerkraut in wide-mouth jars and use a canning funnel and tongs to put all of your cabbage in.

First, you’ll fill the jar about halfway, then you’ll tamp down the cabbage, allowing it to release its juices and compact down as much as possible. This makes a tamper really useful, but I just use a wooden spoon.

You’ll keep packing the jar, tamping it down, and repeating until the cabbage is within an inch from the top of the jar. There should be enough liquid to cover the top of the cabbage, so pour in any extra brine from the bowl to be sure it is covered.

Step 6: Add weight. Once the jar is full, you need to make sure the shredded cabbage stays below the brine level.

The easiest way to do this is to grab a loose cabbage leaf and place it on top of the shredded cabbage to help keep all those little floaters submerged under the brine. Then, place a glass weight on top. You can use a smaller jar filled with a bit of water to keep it pressed down or something else that is around the size of the diameter of the jar.

Step 7: Add a lid. While not completely necessary, some type of airlock lid is recommended. These fermenting lids provide an anaerobic environment and allow excess carbon dioxide to escape.

Note: if you do not use an airlock lid, you need to quickly burp your jar every 2-3 days to allow any excess carbon dioxide to release from the jar, but this will allow fresh air to reach the ferment.

Step 8: Ferment. Now it is time to wait. It’s best to store your fermenting sauerkraut at room temperature, out of direct sunlight around 65-70 degrees Fahrenheit.

The fermenting process will take around 7-14 days. The time it takes will depend on your flavor preferences and the ambient temperature. Cold temperatures will require more time to ferment. You can begin tasting your sauerkraut after 5 days and wait until it reaches your preferred flavor and texture.

Step 9: Store. Once your sauerkraut reaches the tanginess you prefer, it’s time to remove the weight and the airlock lid. Place a plastic lid on the top place it in the refrigerator or cold room and enjoy!

If the sauerkraut is too salty, simply rinse it before consuming.

Note that the fermentation process will continue in the refrigerator, but will be much slower.

Does sauerkraut go bad?

In the refrigerator, sauerkraut will keep for at least 4 to 6 months, maybe longer. That said, yes, sauerkraut can, and will, go bad after a time.

How do you know? Most of the time sauerkraut that has gone bad will develop a musty, sour, putrid odor and/or slimy brine. Remember, every time the vessel is opened you are potentially adding new bacteria to the mixture which can cause it to spoil.

My sauerkraut has mold on it, is it still safe to eat?

Usually, yes. Sauerkraut often gets mold on it during the fermentation process because of the little pieces that float just above the brine level.

If the top layer has green or gray mold, you can simply remove the top layer and the rest is safe to consume. This is also true when your ferment develops a white scum on the top layer, which is typically just wild yeasts that have access to air.

However, if the mold is black, orange or pink or any color mold is accompanied by the aforementioned musty, putrid smell or a slimy brine… toss it.

Any time you’re in doubt, throw it out. Sauerkraut is inexpensive and easy to make, and while it will take a week or two… it’s not worth getting sick, or worse, over.

More Ferments to Try:

• How to Make Apple Cider Vinegar from Scraps
• Preserved Lemons Recipe | How to Preserve Lemons
• Fermented Honey Garlic

If you try this easy sauerkraut recipe, I’d love to hear about it in the comment section below! Also, I’d love if you could leave me a five star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ recipe review on the recipe card below. If you want more recipe inspiration, make sure to follow me on Facebook or Pinterest!