Description
Homemade lacto-fermented sauerkraut is tangy, slightly crunchy and chock full of good bacteria for gut health! The best part is this recipe is so incredibly simple, you’ll wonder why you ever bought store-bought sauerkraut to begin with!
Ingredients
- 2 heads of organic cabbage
- 1–2 Tablespoons salt
Instructions
Prepare the Cabbage:
Start by removing the outer leaves of the cabbage. Be sure to set aside one leaf for later. Slice cabbage thinly using a sharp knife. You can also shred the cabbage with a mandoline slicer or a food processor. I find it easiest to remove the cabbage core and then slice the cabbage leaf against the grain. Once all the cabbage is sliced, place it in a large bowl.
Add salt:
Sprinkle salt on top of the shredded cabbage and use clean hands to gently toss and massage the cabbage. I like to do about 1/2 TBS of salt per pound of cabbage. For this recipe, I usually do 2 heads of cabbage which works out to around 1 TBS of salt per head of cabbage. Let the bowl sit for 10-20 minutes. When you return, you will notice that the salt has caused the cabbage to start releasing liquid.
Transfer the cabbage mixture into a clean glass jar. You don’t need the jar to be sterilized, freshly washed is fine. Pack the cabbage into the jar tightly and work in layers. (A few scoops, then tamp it down, add a few more scoops and so on…) You can use your hands if necessary, but make sure they are freshly washed! Leave 1-2 inches of space at the top of the jar. You should have liquid pooling at the top of the jar, completely covering the cabbage. If there is any left-over liquid in your bowl, add that on top as well.
Grab the piece of cabbage you set aside in step 1 and rip it to fit the top of the jar. Gently press the cabbage leaf down on top of the shredded cabbage to weigh down the shreds. The brine liquid should completely cover it though! You can also place a fermentation weight on top if you have one.
Once all the cabbage is covered with brine, loosely cover the jars with a lid. Allow the sauerkraut to ferment at room temperature, away from direct sunlight, for about 3-5 days (36-48 hours). Remove the top cabbage leaf and discard. You should be able to tell if your sauerkraut has fermented by bubbling on top and an acidic smell.
At this point, you can screw the lid on all the way and store the sauerkraut in the refrigerator. Remember that it still continues to ferment in the fridge at a slower pace. It tastes better the longer it ferments in my opinion!
Remember to always push the sauerkraut down under the surface of the brine before returning to storage. This will keep mold from forming!
Notes
- It’s important that no pieces of cabbage are clinging to the jar above the brine. I use a piece of paper towel to wipe the top inner sides of the jar before placing the fermentation weights inside.
- It’s super important that the brine covers everything! Otherwise, it will mold. Don’t leave shreds of cabbage around the mouth of the jar or floating in the brine on top. I really love using fermentation weights for this reason. They prevent mold SO much better.
- Prep Time: 5 days
- Category: fermentation