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Home » Canning » Homemade Sauerkraut

Published: Nov 7, 2015 · Modified: Mar 12, 2021 by Kathy · This post may contain affiliate links

Homemade Sauerkraut

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A glass jar filled with fermented cabbage.

Homemade Sauerkraut - Making your own sauerkraut is possible to do at home.

Sometimes I truly surprise myself....making this sauerkraut is a complete and total surprise.  

Don't get me wrong.  This didn't happen accidentally.  I knew I was making homemade sauerkraut.  I even planned it out.  The complete and total surprise comes from the fact that I've never liked sauerkraut.

 In fact I always made horrible faces whenever someone would simply mention the word sauerkraut.

My mom is a  sauerkraut fan and buys it from the grocery store from time to time.  My husband also loves sauerkraut! I didn't like it.  I wouldn't touch it.  I wouldn't even buy it for my dear sweet husband!

Sauerkraut in a small crock.

Then slooooowly things started to change.  My brother made the first batch of homemade sauerkraut.  He stated it was quite good and unlike anything you could buy in the store.  I was not convinced.  

Then we were given a couple of old ceramic crocks from Rod's grandmother, along with her recipe for sauerkraut!  No way was I going to use it, but the crocks looked great in our living room!  Finally my sister decided to make it!  What was going on here?

 I decided to get on the band wagon and  start reading up on this strange fermented cabbage.  I became intrigued....but still wasn't going to be a fan!  No Way!!!

Green cabbage on a cutting board sliced into long strips.

For this batch, I used a huge cabbage. It weighed 3 pounds.  You can use any size cabbage you want.  You are only limited to the size of your container.  

I used one of the old sauerkraut crocks that came from my grandparents.  You can find new crocks here. 

Sliced cabbage in an old crock.

Table of Contents
How do I make sauerkraut?
Other Food Preservation Recipes
Homemade Sauerkraut

How do I make sauerkraut?

  1. You start by cutting up all your cabbage.
  2. Once your cabbage is cut, you begin layering it into your crock.  Between each layer, you sprinkle salt.  I used canning salt because it doesn't have any additives like a non-caking ingredient or iodine.
  3. The absolute hardest part was getting all the cabbage into my crock.  The picture above shows just half the cabbage.  I had read that a 3 pound cabbage could fit into my crock, but it was full at just half way! The trick, pushing it down.  I had to use my fist and push, and push, and push..... you get the idea.  Finally I was actually able to get all the cabbage into the crock.  Then the waiting begins.
A crock full of shredded cabbage.
Cabbage after a few days in the crock.

Check your cabbage every couple of days.  Slowly the liquid will start to be released from the cabbage.  You want your cabbage covered with this liquid after two to three days days.  If it hasn't you will need to create a brine (water and salt) to cover the top.

My cabbage had drastically decreased in size after two days, but it took three days for the liquid to reach the top.  I then added a weight to keep the cabbage from floating up. I used a glass dish with a quart jar filled with water to give it some weight.  The entire top of the crock was kept covered with a clean dish towel.

Weighting down the sauerkraut with a quart glass jar filled with water.

At the beginning you do need to check your crock every couple of days and remove any scum that may appear.  You can see in the pictures some whitish bubbles.  I removed those bubbles each time I saw them.

You also want to check for mold or discoloration.  Mine did not have an issue with mold or discoloration.  Wild Fermentation states it isn't a problem and can simply be removed.

Looking down into an old crock filled with liquid and shredded cabbage.

Your sauerkraut is ready whenever you think it tastes good.  The longer it keeps, the stronger the taste.  I kept mine going for 4 weeks.  

Once done, I simply transferred the kraut into clean quart canning jars and put into the fridge.  I decided not to seal the kraut in jars. You can, and it will keep for a long time in your pantry, but heating it kills all the probiotics that naturally occur in homemade sauerkraut.

 The only problem...I have 8 quarts of sauerkraut in my fridge!  I'm not certain how quickly we can eat all that kraut!

Homemade sauerkraut in glass jars.

My husband says the sauerkraut is great.  And I must admit, I do like it!  There is a nice crunch to the cabbage still and a tang from the fermentation.

 I eat it as a small side salad.  I'm still not certain I could slather a hot dog with sauerkraut, but I definitely don't make faces at this delicious homemade sauerkraut!  

So tell me.....Do you love sauerkraut?

Homemade sauerkraut. in a glass jar.

Other Food Preservation Recipes

  • Dried Pears
  • Freezing Raspberries
  • Freezing Rhubarb
  • How to Roast Peppers
  • Canning Pickles
  • Canning Apple Pie Filling

Don't forget to PIN for later! A glass jar filled with fermented cabbage.

If you make this recipe, I’d love to hear about it! Leave a comment below and snap a picture and tag me on Instagram @beyondthechickencoop

If you loved this recipe you'll LOVE all the others in this category. Check out all my canning recipes here!

A glass crock overfilling with sauerkraut.

Homemade Sauerkraut

Kathy
Homemade sauerkraut.
5 from 13 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save Saved!
Prep Time 1 hr
Total Time 28 d
Course Side Dish
Cuisine American, German
Servings 8 Quarts
Calories 3 kcal
Prevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients
  

  • 3 pound Cabbage
  • 2 Tablespoons salt (non-iodized)

Instructions
 

  • Chop up cabbage
  • Layer into a ceramic crock or other food grade container.
  • Sprinkle salt between layers.
  • Push each layer down so the cabbage is compacted.
  • Cover with a clean cloth, check daily to make certain liquid starts to cover all cabbage.
  • Place a clean weight on top. Keep covered with cloth.
  • Check every few days to remove and scum or mold.
  • You can begin tasting kraut after a week. The longer it keeps, the stronger it gets.

Notes

My sauerkraut took about 4 weeks to ferment. Store in glass jars in the refrigerator. This recipe can be adjusted using a smaller cabbage or a much larger one. 

Nutritional Disclaimer:

Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and should only be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. To obtain the most precise nutritional information in a provided recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the exact ingredients you are using when preparing the recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.

Nutrition

Serving: 0.25cupCalories: 3kcalCarbohydrates: 1gProtein: 1gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 111mgPotassium: 18mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 10IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 4mgIron: 1mg
Keyword homemade sauerkraut, how to make sauerkraut, sauerkraut, sauerkraut recipe
Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @BeyondTheChickenCoop or tag #beyondthechickencoop!

 

 

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Comments

  1. Anne says

    November 10, 2021 at 3:39 pm

    I tried your recipe. I’m 1 week in. There isn’t enough liquid to cover the cabbage. Should I add water?

    Reply
    • Kathy says

      November 11, 2021 at 4:47 am

      Hi Anne,
      Sometimes the cabbage just might not produce enough liquid on its own. You can add water to cover. Use filtered water mixed with pickling salt - 1 cup water: 1/2 teaspoon salt.
      Kathy

      Reply
  2. Sauerkraut Billy says

    August 15, 2017 at 11:49 am

    5 stars
    This seems like such a great recipe Kathy! Thanks so much for your recipe! I love seeing such helpful and aesthetically pleasing photos to go along with the recipe as well. Can't wait to give this one a shot the next time I make a batch of kraut!

    Reply
  3. Katie @The Semisweet Sisters says

    January 17, 2017 at 3:48 pm

    Looks delicious! I love homemade sauerkraut & I love the health benefits it has.

    Reply
    • Kathy says

      January 18, 2017 at 7:06 am

      Thanks, Katie!

      Reply
  4. Lindsey says

    November 20, 2015 at 10:53 am

    I've been dying to try my own Sauerkraut recipe!!! Thanks for sharing, can't wait to try <3

    Reply
    • Kathy says

      November 22, 2015 at 6:32 am

      If you are a sauerkraut fan, you'll want to make your own. So good!

      Reply
  5. karrie @ Tasty Ever After says

    November 11, 2015 at 6:47 pm

    5 stars
    Love sauerkraut so much and I eat it with/on everything! I've been thinking of making my own for a couple of years now but never got the nerve up after I read some stuff about the mold that can grow on top. Now that I've seen how you have successfully made it, and checking out that Wild Fermentation site, I'm going to try it too! Thanks for sharing this recipe, Kathy!

    Reply
    • Kathy says

      November 11, 2015 at 9:48 pm

      Time to give it a go! You will love it!!!

      Reply
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I'm Kathy, a busy working mom who loves to cook from scratch, grow a garden, and raise farm animals. Take a look around and find all my recipes, gardening tips, and country living antics.

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I'm Kathy, a busy working mom who loves to cook from scratch, grow a garden, and raise farm animals. Take a look around and find all my recipes, gardening tips, and country living antics.

More about me →

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