Same goes for making sauerkraut from scratch. It’s simple in theory: combine shredded cabbage and salt, then wait. But if you, like me, set out to ferment your own kraut and failed multiple times, never fear! I learned the secrets the hard way, and now I’m going to share them with you. Outside of 2 quart jars, you don’t need any special equipment–only an engaged, curious mindset.
Sauerkraut Is Fermented and Alive
I grew up with my parents cooking sauerkraut on New Year’s Day for good luck, and I hated that stinky smell. As an adult, I now covet Mom’s kraut cooked with pork roast and carrots. But the sauerkraut that I eat most often is very different: it’s straight from the jar, raw. I love its flavor, and it’s packed with gut-healthy probiotics. When you ferment your sauerkraut, you collaborate with a living thing that has a will of its own. Every batch is its own adventure, with its own arc of give and take. The successful mindset is engaged and curious. Technically, it’s wild bacteria and yeast that actually “makes” the kraut; you’re simply creating the most beneficial set of conditions.
Time and Temperature Are the Secret Ingredients
Here’s what it took me ages to figure out: time and temperature are vital. They are the unspoken third and fourth ingredients in your sauerkraut, just as important as cabbage and salt. Temperature: The ambient temperature of your kitchen plays a huge role in a successful ferment. The ideal range is between 60 and 70°F. In the winter, my kitchen hovers around 67°F, and it takes days longer for my sauerkraut to get to the stage I like than it does in the summer, when my kitchen is a balmy 78 to 80°F. However, I prefer the flavor of my slow-fermented winter kraut, which is cleaner yet more complex. Time: You cannot rush sauerkraut. It’s done when it’s done. Sometimes I leave it for only 4 days; sometimes nearly 2 weeks. It depends on the temperature (see above), but also your personal preference. Some like their fresh kraut springy and crunchy, but I like mine good-funky, a quality I call “stonky” (as opposed to bad-funky, which is stanky). Taste and smell as it progresses. Sauerkraut is done when you decide it’s done.
One Cabbage at a Time
I make sauerkraut all year long, one small batch at a time. I get a head of cabbage, 2 quart jars, my favorite salt, and set to work. The yield depends on the size, the weight of the cabbage itself, the cabbage’s moisture content, and how tightly you pack the jars. If you’re a beginner, stick to one medium-sized cabbage (about 3 pounds) at a time until you master the alchemy of fermentation in your own kitchen. Once you know the ropes, scale up, get a big crock, and go to town with lotsa cabbage. Use your homemade sauerkraut to top hot dogs, sausages, sandwiches, salads, and more. While you can use this kraut in heated recipes, it does negate the probiotic health benefits.
How Much Salt to Use
When I salt my chopped cabbage, I just eyeball it, sprinkling it over layers of cabbage as I add it to my bowl. By now I can do it by feel and get a consistent result. For people just starting out, weighing the cabbage and salt is a more trustworthy route. The ratio I like is 1 pound of unprepped cabbage to 5 grams of salt. Let’s say we’re starting with a whole head of cabbage that weighs 4 pounds. You’d use a total of 20 grams of salt. Use salt that’s free of iodine, which can impede the fermentation process. Pickling salt, sea salt, and kosher salt all work well. Some people make low-or no- sodium sauerkraut, and it is possible, but I prefer the flavor of kraut that’s on the salty side. It just tastes more like kraut to me, plus the salt is part of what helps keep mold and bad bacteria away.
Sauerkraut Variations
I rarely make plain old kraut. As long as you keep the ratio of salt the same (1 pound of unprepped vegetables to 5 grams of salt), you can create all kinds of colorful sauerkraut variations. Nearly any root vegetable excels in these ferments. Fruit that oxidizes, such as apple and pear, doesn’t hold up as well. Try one of these.
Purple cabbage, grated or matchstick raw beets, many smashed cloves of garlic, and a small handful of caraway seeds White cabbage, grated raw carrot, purslane or foraged garlic mustard leaves and stems, grated raw horseradish root White or savoy cabbage, sliced hot peppers of your choice, thinly sliced scallion, thinly sliced garlic, matchstick carrots, and a generous pinch of smoked paprika Thinly sliced raw fennel bulb, a handful of chopped fennel fronds, coarsely crushed fennel seeds, and good old white cabbage
Thank you to The Castle in Marietta, Ohio, for hosting us for this photo shoot.
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Smooth stones make excellent fermentation weights, and they’re free. Be on the lookout for ones that’ll fit in your jars. Wash them well, then boil them hard for 10 minutes to sterilize them. After that, they’ll be ready for fermentation projects. This tip comes from wildcrafter Pacal Baduar, who’s worth a follow. A sauerkraut stomper is not necessary, but if you find you make kraut a lot, it’s a worthy investment. Remove the next 2 or 3 leaves, trying your best to leave them intact (some tearing is fine). With a paring knife, cut out the thickest part of the rib in the center of the leaves and discard. You’ll use these leaves to form a cap over the shredded kraut. Set them aside. I prefer a chef’s knife and a big cutting board. I use the core as a holder to keep the cabbage leaves intact and rotate the cabbage as I shred it. How many cups you end up with does not matter much. Just shred away. Continue adding new layers of cabbage and salt in the bowl, massaging or bashing each layer as you go. Don’t be delicate! Really get into it. The more you bruise the cabbage, the more moisture it will release, which is what you want. This task is a lot easier if you do it in stages, which is why we’re not adding all of the cabbage and salt to the bowl at once. Now go do something else for about 30 minutes. Wash some dishes, tidy your inbox. As the cabbage sits, it will release juice–this is the brine, and you want enough to submerge the kraut once it’s in the jars. As the bashed and salted cabbage sits, it will change from opaque white and more of a translucent pale green. Wash your hands, then pack the sauerkraut into the first jar (a canning funnel might be helpful). I add a bit at a time and bash it down with my stomper, but you can press it in with whatever tool is handy. Cram it in there, because you want to avoid pockets of air lingering in the kraut. Leave about 2 inches between the top of the sauerkraut and the rim of the jar (if you don’t leave room for the bubbles of CO2 that will form during fermentation, the brine can seep out of an overfilled jar). Depending on the size and moisture level of your cabbage, you may get just 1 quart, or 2 scant quarts. It’s okay if the jars are only partially filled. Jars overfilled? Grab whatever smaller, clean jar you have handy to hold the excess. Make sure the cabbage in each jar is fully submerged in brine. If you need to, add a little of your dechlorinated water. Give everything in the jar a final press to get out extra air. Write the date on each jar, or mark it on your calendar. Put the jars in an out-of-the-way spot on the counter that has an ambient temperature between 60 and 70°F. A few degrees more or less is fine. Check in on the kraut every day, opening the jars to “burp” them and let out any gasses. Your kitchen is now a laboratory, and you are the scientist assessing the kraut. It’s your job to poke and prod it. After a few days, you may see a ring of small bubbles forming in the brine at the top of the jar. This is promising! It’s a sign that the fermentation has begun. You can also get your ear in close to the open jar and listen for bubbles. Some batches get so active, you can see the bubbles rising to the top and fizzing. In a kitchen that’s between 76 and 79°F, I’ve had kraut ready in about 3 days. In the winter when my kitchen’s ambient temp is 65°F, it can take longer than 1 week for the kraut to taste the way I like. Be patient. Remove the fermentation weights, if you used them. If they are supple, leave the whole cabbage leaves in the jar; you can chop them up and eat them later. Love the recipe? Leave us stars below!
