Easy Homemade Sauerkraut

Homemade sauerkraut is one of the simplest ways to start fermenting at home. It’s really just cabbage, salt, and time… no special ingredients and no complicated process.

Once you get everything packed into the jar, most of the work is just leaving it alone and letting fermentation do its thing. The result is crisp, tangy sauerkraut that’s so much better than I expected the first time I made it.

a few notes.

The most important part is keeping the cabbage submerged beneath the brine while it ferments. Fermentation time can vary depending on the temperature of your kitchen and how tangy you like your sauerkraut, so taste it along the way rather than relying only on the calendar.

This recipe was originally part of my 5 Simple Homesteading Recipes Anyone Can Make roundup. If you want more easy from-scratch projects to try, you can find them there.

Easy Homemade Sauerkraut

A simple homemade sauerkraut made with just cabbage and salt. A beginner-friendly way to try fermentation at home—no fancy equipment required.

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Ferment/Resting Time 7 days d

Servings: 1 quart jar

Course: Side Dish

Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 2 pounds green cabbage
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon fine sea salt

Equipment

• 1 Quart-size mason jar
• 1 Large mixing bowl

Method

 

1. Remove any damaged outer leaves from the cabbage. Reserve one clean outer leaf, then finely shred the remaining cabbage.
2. Place the shredded cabbage in a large bowl and sprinkle with the salt. Massage and squeeze the cabbage with clean hands for 5–10 minutes, until it softens and releases enough liquid to form a brine.
3. Pack the cabbage tightly into a clean quart-size jar, pressing it down firmly as you go to remove air pockets and bring the brine above the cabbage.
4. Cut a piece of the reserved cabbage leaf to fit inside the jar and place it over the shredded cabbage. Press it down so the cabbage remains completely submerged beneath the brine. Add a fermentation weight if you have one.
5. Cover the jar with a fermentation lid or loosely fitted lid and place it on a plate or shallow dish to catch any overflow.
6. Ferment at room temperature, out of direct sunlight. Begin tasting after about 5–7 days. Continue fermenting until it tastes as tangy as you like.
7. Once you’re happy with the flavor, cover the jar tightly and transfer it to the refrigerator.

Notes

Fermentation: Keep the cabbage submerged beneath the brine during fermentation. Bubbling, a pleasantly sour smell, and some cloudiness in the brine can occur during normal fermentation. If you see fuzzy mold, colorful growth, or the sauerkraut develops a distinctly rotten/off odor, discard the batch.

Storage: Once fermented to your liking, keep the sauerkraut refrigerated in a tightly covered container.