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Homemade Sauerkraut

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saurkraut recipe Homemade Sauerkraut

Being the 1/8 inch German that I am, I have always had a love of sauerkraut. The problem is, short of authentic German restaurants, good sauerkraut is hard to find. The logical solution here, of course, make my own. After some messy trial and error (that involved vinegar smelling mold) I found a recipe I like. This is also a great way to preserve cabbage, just can it according to your canner’s instructions after it is done fermenting.

Homemade Sauerkraut
 
saurkraut recipe Homemade Sauerkraut
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Author:
Recipe type: side
Cuisine: German
Serves: 4

Ingredients
  • 25 lbs of cabbage
  • 1 cup (approximate) Kosher or Pickling Salt (not table salt!)
  • Large Crock or Container (around 5 gallons size, needs to be glass or enamel coated)
  • 2 large plastic zip-lock bags (2 gallon freezer bags are best)

Instructions
  1. Sanitize crock and utensils in dishwasher or with boiling water
  2. remove outer leaves and cores from cabbage
  3. Thinly slice cabbage-using a food processor greatly speeds this up!
  4. As you slice, mix 4 tbsp salt with every 5 lbs of cabbage and let stand in a bowl to wilt a little
  5. When juice starts to form on cabbage/salt mixture, pack tightly into crock using sanitized utensils or clean hands
  6. Repeat this until cabbage is within about 4-5 inches of top of container
  7. Pack down until water level rises above cabbage and all cabbage is entirely submerged
  8. If there is not enough liquid to cover cabbage, make a brine with 1½ tbsp salt in 1 quart of water. add cooled brine to crock until all cabbage is completely covered
  9. Once cabbage is submerged, fill a 2 gallon food-grade freezer bag with 2 quarts of water. place inside another 2 gallon bag
  10. Place brine-filled bag on top of cabbage in crock, making sure that it touched all edges and prevents air from reaching cabbage.
  11. Cover crock with plastic wrap and cloth or towel. tie tightly.
  12. Put crock in an area that will be between 70 and 75 degrees.
  13. Fermentation will begin within a day and take 3-5 weeks depending on temperature.
  14. After 3 weeks, check for desired tartness. If you are going to can, make it slightly more tart than usual as it will lose some tartness.
  15. Once fermented, it can be eaten right away, frozen or canned according to your canner’s instructions.

Notes
Do not use aluminum utensils! These quantities make enough to fill a five-gallon crock. You can adjust the recipe down and make in gallon size jars or smaller, just use ratio of 4 tbsp salt per 5 lbs cabbage.

 

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Wellness Mama is a full-time housewife with a background in nutrition, journalism and communications. Her passion is helping others achieve optimal health through a “Wellness Lifestyle.” She has helped hundreds of clients lose weight, increase athletic performance, improve fertility, and overcome numerous health problems and diseases. Connect with her on Twitter, Facebook, Google+, & Pinterest.

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  • john

     I made sauerkraut this fall using the method you described. Cut it, salt it , pack it ,  brine it( if needed) , Then i put the water in plastic bags ( food bags) I used a brine mixture just in case there was a breakage of the bag, rather than just water. I covered it with a saran wrap type wrap and did not touch it for about 3 weeks. Then i removed the wrap and it was fermenting well , no  moldy kraut smelled good, I wiped off rimm of crock to brine level , refilled bags , put wrap back on . another 3 weeks and the kraut was the best Ive ever had without the constant checking and skimming. When i first started the temp of outdoors was in 80-85 range in garage so i set the crock in a picnic cooler and controlled temp with water filled pop bottle frozen in frig freezer.As temps dropped i stopped. My wife then canned it. I just had some with home made ( mine ) polish sausage …Zehr gute!! JH

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  • http://www.facebook.com/amy.h.webb.39 Amy Heffernan Webb

    I don’t have a crock. can you give me an idea of how to do this with smaller amounts, say, using quart sized mason jars or something similar?

  • http://wellnessmama.com Wellness Mama

    I’ve made with 1 head of cabbage, 1 tablespoon of salt and in a quart mason jar… worked great. Main thing is to get the cabbage below the water level and it will still work.

  • http://www.facebook.com/amy.h.webb.39 Amy Heffernan Webb

    thanks so much!

  • http://www.facebook.com/roxana.dora Roxana Dora

    Hi! Just as a tip I got from my parents (they made sauerkraut for years). Sometimes the water looks a little swampy and white-ish. If that happens, they said the cabbage needs to “breath”. If you use a smaller jar, then put a straw that can reach to the bottom, and blow a little air.

  • http://www.facebook.com/renee.denglerlutz Renee Dengler Lutz

    Hi Wellness Mama. I do not have a crock pot large enough to accommodate this amount of cabbage. However I do have a 5 gallon all purpose bucket that was recommended in a turkey brine recipe. It looks similar to the type of bucket used by Tropical Traditions. I purchased it at my local hardware store and have only used it for food preparation. The bottom is stamped with the number 2 surrounded by the recyclable symbol and is marked HDPE. Is this a safe alternative to glass or enamel coating? Please IM me on Facebook to Renee Dengler Lutz. Thank you so much. I cannot wait to try this recipe. I grew up in a small town and my dad fed our huge brood by means of hunting and raising game and growing too many varieties to mention of fruits, berries, roots,herbs, vegetables, etc. He was loving nicknamed “The Pickle King” and folks would travel up to 3 hours away to get a hold of his prized wares. He taught me well and I would love for him to be watching me from heaven, making him proud, as I make your recipe.

  • http://wellnessmama.com Wellness Mama

    Glass is better if possible. Do you have a gallon size glass jar that could work?

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