- Fermentation
- Cabbage
- Memorial Day
A sustainable kraut routine is easy to maintain when you ferment and store it in a convenient, quart-sized container.
By
Marisa McClellan
Marisa McClellan
Marisa McClellan is a food writer, canning teacher, and the voicebehind the long-running food blog Food in Jars. She is the author ofFood in Jars(2012),Preserving by the Pint(2014),Naturally Sweet Food in Jars(2016), andThe Food In Jars Kitchen(2019).
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Updated March 16, 2024
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Why It Works
- The amounts called for are conveniently scaled for a one-quart canning jar, which is easily fermented on a crowded counter top and stored in the refrigerator.
During my early life, my exposure to sauerkraut was limited to the rare occasions when my dad took me to a baseball game. We'd get Dodger dogs with yellow mustard, relish, chopped onions and a dab of sauerkraut. And for years, that's how I knew it. A topping for hot dogs and nothing more.
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It wasn't until my twenties that I discovered just what a powerhouse sauerkraut is. It's the way people have been preserving cabbage for generations. It's pretty high in vitamin C and since it's a fermented food, it possesses all those live cultures that do such good things for your digestive system.
I realize that a few of you out there might be raising your eyebrows, wondering why I'm writing about sauerkraut in a column all about pickles. Well, kraut is essentially a lacto-fermented pickle, much like the sour garlic dills available at your local deli.
Historically, people made their sauerkraut in large batches after the first frost (a freeze makes cabbage sweeter and slightly more tender). It would be finely sliced, salted, packed into large crocks and pressed until it released liquid. Then it would be allowed to ferment in a cool place. It's typically ready to be eaten after a couple of weeks, though in the old days, it would be allowed to ripen and mature all winter, as there was no other way to preserve it.
Most of us don't have the space for large sauerkraut crocks or the desire to eat it every single day of winter (thankfully, it's not our only way to keep away the scurvy anymore). However, for those of you who have a taste for homemade sauerkraut, here's a way to make it in small batches without any special equipment (beyond a single quart jar).
Before You Get Started
The more thinly you shred your cabbage, the better. Sharpen your knives before getting started or use a good, serrated bread knife.
The warmer the environment, the faster the sauerkraut will progress. Find a corner of your home that stays between 60 and 70°F (16 and 21°C). This means that you might need to stash your sauerkraut in a closet or near a window.
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Check the sauerkraut every other day. Skim off any bloom and press the cabbage back down (with clean hands, please) if it has started to float above the surface of the liquid.
Once the sauerkraut reaches a level of pucker that you like, simply pop the jar in the fridge. This is the point at which you could start another jar, should you want to keep the kraut flowing.
December 2011
Recipe Details
Small Batch Sauerkraut
Prep15 mins
Active10 mins
Fermenting Time336 hrs
Total336 hrs 15 mins
Serves16 servings
Makes1 quart
Ingredients
1 small cabbage (approximately 2 pounds)
1 tablespoon sea salt
1 teaspoon caraway seeds(optional)
Directions
Remove core from cabbage. Cut in half and finely shred.
Place cut cabbage in large bowl and sprinkle salt on top.
Using your hands, knead the salt into the cabbage, squeezing firmly to help release liquid from the cabbage. You can also use a potato masher to pound the cabbage until it begins to break down.
When the volume of cabbage appears to have reduced by half, add the caraways seeds and work them in.
Pack the salted cabbage into the quart jar in layers, firmly pressing it down each time before adding more (the entire 2 pounds of cabbage should fit into a quart jar).
Press cabbage down firmly in the jar, so that liquid bubbles up over the surface of the jar.
Loosely cap the jar and place it in a cool, dark spot.
Check every other day, removing any bloom and pressing cabbage down if it has floated above the liquid (be warned, it will be a bit stinky. That’s normal).
After two weeks, taste the sauerkraut. If you like the flavor, place the jar in the refrigerator. If you want something a bit stronger, let it continue to ferment until it pleases you.
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Special Equipment
Sharp knife, quart-sized canning jar
Read More
- Homemade Sauerkraut Recipe
- Lacto-Fermented Dill Pickles Recipe
- The Science of Lactic Acid Fermentation
- The Essential Tools You Need for Fermentation at Home
| Nutrition Facts (per serving) | |
|---|---|
| 13 | Calories |
| 0g | Fat |
| 3g | Carbs |
| 1g | Protein |
Show Full Nutrition Label
×
| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Servings: 16 | |
| Amount per serving | |
| Calories | 13 |
| % Daily Value* | |
| Total Fat 0g | 0% |
| Saturated Fat 0g | 0% |
| Cholesterol 0mg | 0% |
| Sodium 401mg | 17% |
| Total Carbohydrate 3g | 1% |
| Dietary Fiber 1g | 4% |
| Total Sugars 2g | |
| Protein 1g | |
| Vitamin C 21mg | 106% |
| Calcium 27mg | 2% |
| Iron 0mg | 1% |
| Potassium 111mg | 2% |
| *The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice. | |
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)
