We have a health crisis in this country because we have abandoned so many of the old ways of preparing and preserving our food. Eating fermented food used to be a necessity as the fermentation process would increase the storing and holding properties. Now that we have better storage methods and all the food we could want just down the street at the grocery store people have consumed less and less fermented foods. What we didn’t realize was that consuming particular strains of bacteria was absolutely critical to our health and longevity. This Homemade sauerkraut recipe is the perfect fermented food to add to your diet!

We are learning more and more everyday about the importance of gut health. The health of our gut plays such a huge part in our short term and long term health. When you have a healthy and robust microbiome it allows your body to better, absorb and digest nutrients from your food, maintain a strong immune system, synthesize vitamins from the foods we eat, and have better mental health. Did you know that our gut produces over 95% of the serotonin in our bodies?! – among so much more. 

Why You Will Love This Homemade Sauerkraut Recipe

• Making sauerkraut is incredibly easy and only takes a couple steps. Most of the process is just waiting for it to ferment. Its a set it and forget it type of recipe
• Fermented foods should be a daily staple in everyone’s diet. With Sauerkraut it’s super easy to just include it in a sandwich or a salad or if you’re like one of my kids just eat a spoonful of it.
• You can customize this recipe in so many different ways. You can add garlic, onions, apples, etc! See below for more ideas

How much Salt

Your salt ratio is important, it ensures you have the correct texture and tang in your sauerkraut. The amount of salt you need is going to depend on the amount of cabbage. A good rule of thumb is to use 2% salt to cabbage. The easiest way to think about this is in grams. 

For every 100 grams of cabbage you use 2 grams of salt

Tips and Tricks

• Save your outer leaves: When you are removing the outer leaves as you are preparing the cabbage to slice it, save one or two large leaves. You are going to use this once you have packed your cabbage into the mason jar. It will help seal off the cabbage from the air and prevent mold from forming. 
• Use fermentation weights especially if you are using pint sized mason jars. If you are packing your cabbage into a half gallon jar or larger then you can use a small 4 oz mason jar as a weight instead
• Label your jar with the date you packed the cabbage. Trust me, you will forget. 
• What if my sauerkraut has mold on the top: This isn’t an uncommon issue and just because your kraut has mold on top doesn’t mean you need to throw away the whole batch. Mold can develop if some of the cabbage is exposed to air and is no longer submerged in liquid.  If mold has developed on the leaf you used as the barrier you can remove that leaf and add some additional brine to cover the cabbage if need be. (½ teaspoon of salt to 1 cup of water).

Different Flavoring Options

• Red Cabbage – gives a boost of antioxidants
• Carrots – gives a boost of color and sweetness
• Green onions – often used in kimchi 
• Garlic – Provides tons of flavor 
• Apples – gives a subtle sweetness
• Turmeric – Awesome anti-inflammatory boost and a vivid golden color
• Ginger – Will help soothe the digestive system 
• Caraway – Has a very distinct flavor that is popular in eastern countries 
• Juniper berries – Common in german recipes

How To Make This Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 Large Head of Cabbage 
• 2 tsp Salt PER POUND – see above for more info

Step-by-step Instructions

1. Start by peeling the outermost leaves. You really only need to remove 2 or 3 of them. 
2. Cut the head of cabbage in half and then remove the inner core. You don’t want this in your sauerkraut, it is too tough to eat.
3. Slice the cabbage into thin slices and place into a bowl. Sprinkle the salt over the cabbage and toss to combine. Let this sit for around 15 minutes. (Rule: for every 100 grams of cabbage use 2 grams of salt. This is the 2% rule, see above for more detail)
4. After 15 minutes the cabbage should have started to release some of its water. Massage the cabbage with your hands for about 10 minutes to help it soften and release even more of its water.
5. Pack your cabbage into a clean mason jar as tightly as you can. I use the back of a wooden spoon to compress the cabbage down and remove as much of the air as possible. Once all of your cabbage is packed into the jar, pour whatever remaining liquid was left in the bowl over the cabbage. You want to make sure all of the cabbage has been submerged under the liquid/juices. If there isnt enough liquid to cover then you can do some more massaging or packing or create a brine to add to the jar.
   • BRINE: 1 Cup of filtered water and 1 tsp Salt. 
6. Using one of the clean leaves you had set aside earlier, rip it to fit the jar and push it down into the opening so it covers the cabbage and helps to keep everything submerged under the liquid. 
7. Place a fermentation weight over top and cover loosely with a lid or a cloth.Make sure to write the date on your jar, and store the sauerkraut in a cool dry place that is not directly affected by sunlight. 
8. Timing: This is going to vary house by house and person by person. Start with letting it ferment for 1 week and give it a taste. It can take between 1 and 3 weeks to get the tang you are looking for in your sauerkraut. Once you have achieved desired tanginess, remove the large cabbage leaf and the fermentation weight. Cover with an airtight lid and store in the fridge for up to 6 months. 

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