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Summertime Sauerkraut

Small-batch, homemade sauerkraut is so easy to do that you'll be making it all year round!

  • Author: Mama Cheryl
  • Prep Time: 45
  • Cook Time: 6 days
  • Total Time: 144 hours 45 minutes
  • Yield: 1 quart 1x
  • Category: Side dish
  • Method: Fermentation
  • Cuisine: German

Ingredients

Scale
  • One head of cabbage, about 3 lbs
  • 1 3/4 tbsp salt

Instructions

Prep

  1. Wash 2 one-quart mason jars in hot soapy water and rinse.
  2. Make sure your work utensils, cutting board, and hands are also clean.
  3. Core and quarter the cabbage.
  4. Slice into thin strips about 1/4 inch or thinner.
  5. Put the sliced cabbage in a bowl and stir in 1 3/4 tbsp of salt.
  6. Let sit for about 10 minutes.

Work the Cabbage

  1. Begin to knead and squeeze the cabbage firmly with your hands or a mallet.
  2. Work the cabbage for about 10 minutes until it has softened and you have a brine forming.
  3. Transfer cabbage to the quart jars, packing down with a spoon or mallet before adding more.
  4. Any brine that is left in the bowl, pour over the cabbage.
  5. Push cabbage down until it is completely submerged.
  6. Weight the cabbage down and cover with cheesecloth and rubber band.

Finish Up

  1. Check each day to make sure the cabbage is still submerged.
  2. Let ferment for about 5 to 7 days depending on your taste. Start to taste around day 4 or 5. The ideal temperature for fermenting is  65 -72 degrees.

Notes

Use a good quality salt without iodine or anti-caking ingredients.

I used a small one-pint jelly jar filled with water to weight down the cabbage.

Salt helps to pull water from the cabbage and create the brine. It adds flavor and keeps the kraut crispy.

Keywords: sauerkraut, cabbage