1tablespoon (heaping)saltfine sea salt, kosher salt, or pink Himalayan salt
1smallcarrotoptional
2teaspooncaraway seedsoptional
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Instructions
Peel the other leaves off your head of cabbage. Save 1-2 clean leaves as covers for later.
Cut the cabbage into quarters and remove the core. Finely shred the cabbage either with a knife or using the slicing disc on your food processor. Grate the carrot if using.
In a large bowl toss the shredded vegetables with the salt. If you want to be very exact, use a ratio of 20g salt for 1 kg of vegetables. Let the mixture sit covered for 10-30 minutes so the salt can start drawing out the liquid from the cabbage. Together with the salt the water from the cabbage creates it own fermentation brine.
Then start massaging/kneading the cabbage with (gloved) hands or use a tool like a tamper until a lot of liquid is released and the cabbage shreds have started to look more translucent. If using, you can now mix in the caraway seeds.
Tightly pack the sauerkraut into jars or a fermentation crock. Keep pushing down on the vegetables so that the liquid rises to the top. Cover the surface with a whole piece of cabbage leaf cut to size. Then add weights (fermentation weights or a small jar with water) on top to keep all the vegetables submerged under the brine.
Older/drier cabbage may not release enough liquid. In that case fill your jar up with 2% salt water brine solution (100ml water + 2 g salt) until the cabbage is covered.
Cover with a lid or fasten a cloth towel around the jar/crock. Let the sauerkraut ferment at room temperature for 1-4 weeks until desired tanginess is reached.
Within the first few days check on the sauerkraut 1-2 times a day. Push down on the weights as needed. The released fermentation bubbles with cause it to lift up.
After that you can store the fermented sauerkraut in the fridge without weights, with an airtight lid for 4-6 months. Enjoy a little daily as a dinner side or mix into salads.
Nutrition
Nutrition Facts
Homemade Sauerkraut Recipe
Serving Size
0.25 cup
Amount per Serving
Calories
12
% Daily Value*
Fat
0.1
g
0
%
Saturated Fat
0.02
g
0
%
Polyunsaturated Fat
0.01
g
Monounsaturated Fat
0.02
g
Sodium
248
mg
10
%
Potassium
80
mg
2
%
Carbohydrates
3
g
1
%
Fiber
1
g
4
%
Sugar
1
g
1
%
Protein
1
g
2
%
Vitamin A
389
IU
8
%
Vitamin C
15
mg
18
%
Calcium
19
mg
2
%
Iron
0.2
mg
1
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.