How To Make Sauerkraut (easy!)

I’m here to show you how easy sauerkraut is to make! It only requires two ingredients and a few days, and you end up with a beautifully delicious jar of sauerkraut your gut will thank you for!

INGREDIENTS✨

• 1 medium head green cabbage (about 3 pounds)

• 1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt

INSTRUCTIONS✨

You’re going to want a clean jar and hands. I don’t go through the fuss of sterilizing my jars, but use common sense - dirty jars or hands are more likely to introduce the wrong kind of bacteria to your ferment!

Start by taking the outer couple leaves off and setting those aside for later. Cut your cabbage to the size you like. I think of it like body shapes. Some like it skinny and long, others prefer chunky and bigger. I think they’re all beautiful - you do you.

In a large bowl, place your sliced cabbage and sprinkle in all your salt. Here comes the fun part - time to massage! Get a good hand workout by squeezing and massaging the cabbage and watch as it gradually gets more watery and limp. This should take around 5 to 10 minutes, but it will feel like 10 years.

To your clean jars add your soggy cabbage and all the beautiful brine you’ve created. At this point, take the outer leaves you set aside and fold it and use it to pack down the sauerkraut. This helps keeps the shreds of cabbage in the liquid so it doesn’t mold. I find that this works well for me, but if you feel you need more you can use clean stones or marbles to weigh down the outer leaf to keep everything submerged. At this point I add extra water until everything is submerged.

Cover your jar. I like to use a folded cheese cloth placed over the top with a rubber band to tighten it and keep it in place. The idea is to let air in and bugs out.

Ferment for 3 to 10 days. Keep out of direct sunlight and ideally at a cool room temperature. How fermented you like it is how long you’ll let it go. I find I usually like a 3-4 day ferment. When it’s at the point you like, remove the cover, stones, outer cabbage leaves and seal with a lid. Keep refrigerated. Stays good for several months!

Notes:

✨During fermentation, bubbles throughout and white foam on top is good! It’s sign that you have a happy fermentation. Mold is not good. Usually it only molds if it gets unsubmerged.

✨In the summer, the fermentation process will happen faster because it’s warmer. In winter it might take a few more days if your home is colder.

✨You can make smaller or larger batches - just make sure to use the same ratio of salt to cabbage!