Learn how to make perfectly crunchy and briny homemade sauerkraut. This recipe has been passed down through generations; it's delicious and very simple to prepare.
Making homemade sauerkraut is like a rite of passage, especially if you have Slavic roots. For generations, it's been a family tradition passed down from mother to daughter, grandparent to grandchild. While sauerkraut-making may not be as common today as it was in the old days, it’s definitely making a comeback. With all the research about the health benefits of fermented foods, more people are rediscovering how delicious and simple it is to make at home.
I’ve been eating sauerkraut for as long as I can remember—since I was a little kid. I’ve watched my mom and grandmothers prepare it year after year, especially in the fall. My mom’s sauerkraut, in my humble opinion, is the best there is. So, I decided I’d better learn her secrets—everything from the type of cabbage to use, to the perfect balance of salt and sugar, and all the little details in between.
I’m excited to share all the tips and tricks I’ve learned. The result is sauerkraut that’s perfectly salty, briny, and crisp—no sogginess here! It stays crunchy and flavorful for months, making it the perfect addition to any meal. If you love sauerkraut as much as I do, I hope you’ll give this recipe a try!
Ingredients:
Learning how to make Homemade Sauerkraut starts with the right ingredients and they are very humble and few.
- cabbage
- While you can technically use either green or purple cabbage, green cabbage is my go-to. It has a mild flavor and a great texture for fermenting, which is key for making that perfect crunchy, briny sauerkraut. Purple cabbage can be used if you want a more vibrant color, but green is the traditional choice and the one I use most often.
- carrot
- Carrots are completely optional, but they’re a nice touch if you want to add a bit of natural sweetness to your sauerkraut and some beautiful color.
- salt
- This is a crucial ingredient! Salt is what helps draw out the moisture from the cabbage, creating the brine that will ferment the cabbage. It also acts as a preservative, which is important in fermentation.
- When choosing salt, I recommend using non-iodized salt, like sea salt or kosher salt, because iodine can interfere with the fermentation process.
- sugar, optional
- Sugar is optional, but it can help kickstart the fermentation process by feeding the beneficial bacteria. Just a small amount is all you need. It won’t make the sauerkraut sweet, but it can help create the right environment for the fermentation to happen more easily, especially if you're new to fermenting.
What is the Best Cabbage to Use For Sauerkraut?
When it comes to making sauerkraut, the best cabbage to use is one that’s lighter in color, almost white. This type of cabbage, typically harvested in the fall, has more moisture and releases a lot of juice—something that's essential for a good brine.
Young, bright green cabbage, usually available in the spring, tends to be firmer and doesn’t release as much juice. While it’s perfectly fine to use, the older, lighter cabbage (often sold in autumn) provides more liquid, which is crucial for creating the brine that ferments the cabbage.
For the best results, you want your shredded cabbage to be fully submerged in the salty brine, which helps it ferment properly and gives you that tangy, crunchy texture we all love in sauerkraut.
How To Make Homemade Sauerkraut
Start with shredding the cabbage. You can either do this with a sharp knife, or use a mandolin. A mandolin is much faster, however, it is EXTREMELY SHARP. Be very careful. You have been warned.
I absolutely love this unassuming, very simple mandolin* that I've owned for about 7 years now. It is so small, easy to store and works phenomenally well. You can adjust how thin you want your slices to be too.
I also grate the carrots on a fine julienne slicer.*
In a large bowl, mix the cabbage, carrots, salt and sugar. If I'm using a large cabbage head, I use a full Tablespoon of salt. If I'm using a small cabbage head, I use a little less than a Tablespoon of salt.
Using both hands, aggressively scrunch up the cabbage and carrot, for at least 5 minutes, until it releases a lot of liquid. It should completely cover all of the cabbage. If you don't have a lot of strength in your arms and the cabbage isn't releasing enough liquid, ask your husband, brother, sister, etc to help. If you're making a huge batch of sauerkraut, you will probably want to switch up with someone else anyway. Back in the day when making sauerkraut in the fall to last all year long was a common activity for most families, children would be given the job to stomp on the cabbage with their clean little feet:). You don't need to resort to getting your children to dance on top of your cabbage, but it sure is a fun thing to keep in the back of your mind.
The cabbage mixture should feel and look wet.
When you press down on it, all of the liquid should cover the cabbage liberally.
In regards to the salt - I always taste a bit of the cabbage when I'm done scrunching it. You should be able to taste the salt. Remember that when the cabbage brines, it will get a more tart flavor and will dilute the salt a bit, so I aim to make the cabbage just a bit saltier than I think it should be and when it becomes sauerkraut, it is perfect.
Fermenting the Sauerkraut
At this point, you can keep the cabbage in a large bowl, or transfer it to a glass jar. I usually keep it in the bowl, because it's easier for me to put a weight on top of the cabbage to make sure it stays submerged the entire time it's fermenting.
I usually put a plate on top of the cabbage (or an extra cabbage leaf) and then place something heavy on top of it, like a large can of tomatoes, a jar filled with water. As the sauerkraut ferments, it will increase in size, so make sure to use a bowl with plenty of extra room at the top. Then, I cover the bowl with several layers of plastic wrap (as the cabbage is fermenting, it will have a very strong "cabbagy" odor).
Keep the sauerkraut at room temperature for about 3 days. Each day, use the end of a wooden spoon to poke several holes all the way through the sauerkraut, to release some of the built up "gas". Make sure the cabbage is submerged for the entire 3 days. At this point, when you taste the cabbage, it should taste like sauerkraut. If it still doesn't taste briny, let it stand for another day or two.
Storing Sauerkraut
Transfer the sauerkraut to a glass jar and store in the refrigerator. I usually use a 64 oz jar, and it is about ¾ full with sauerkraut from one large cabbage head.
Serving the Sauerkraut and Using It In Other Recipes
Sauerkraut is wonderful to use in many recipes. One of my favorite soups is Shchi With Dry Mushrooms. It's also great with roasted chicken and potatoes, or sausage. (Who would like a recipe for those?) I also add it to salads, such as Beet Vinegret Salad.
When I'm serving the sauerkraut on the side, I like to add some salt, freshly ground black pepper, sunflower oil, thinly sliced or finely minced red onion, dill seeds, and fresh herbs, like green onion and dill. Sometimes, I also add a thinly sliced apple to it for a bit of sweetness.
PrintHow To Make Homemade Sauerkraut
Learn how to make perfectly crunchy and briny homemade sauerkraut. This recipe has been passed down through generations; it's healthy and very simple to prepare.
- Prep Time: 1 hour
- Total Time: 4 days
- Yield: 1 48 oz jar sauerkraut 1x
- Category: Salad, Side Dish
Ingredients
- 1 large cabbage head
- 1 large carrot (shredded)
- ¾ - 1 Tablespoon salt
- ½ Tablespoon sugar
Instructions
- Start with shredding the cabbage. You can either do this with a sharp knife, or use a mandolin.
- Grate the carrots on a fine julienne slicer or a box grater.
- In a large bowl, mix the cabbage, carrots, salt and sugar. If I'm using a large cabbage head, I use a full Tablespoon of salt. If I'm using a small cabbage head, I use a little less than a Tablespoon of salt.
- Using both hands, aggressively scrunch up the cabbage and carrot, for at least 5 minutes, until it releases a lot of liquid. It should completely cover all of the cabbage.
- The cabbage mixture should feel and look wet. When you press down on it, all of the liquid should cover the cabbage liberally. In regards to the salt - I always taste a bit of the cabbage when I'm done scrunching it. You should be able to taste the salt. Remember that when the cabbage brines, it will get a more tart flavor and will dilute the salt a bit, so I aim to make the cabbage just a bit saltier than I think it should be and when it becomes sauerkraut, it is perfect.
- At this point, you can keep the cabbage in a large bowl, or transfer it to a glass jar. I usually keep it in the bowl, because it's easier for me to put a weight on top of the cabbage to make sure it stays submerged the entire time it's fermenting.
- Put a weight on top of the cabbage - a plate on top of the cabbage, or an extra cabbage leaf and then something heavy on top of it, like a large can of tomatoes, or a jar filled with water work really well. As the sauerkraut ferments, it will increase in size, so make sure to use a bowl with plenty of extra room at the top. Then, cover the bowl with several layers of plastic wrap (as the cabbage is fermenting, it will have a very strong "cabbagy" odor).
- Keep the sauerkraut at room temperature for about 3 days. Each day, use the end of a wooden spoon to poke several holes all the way through the sauerkraut, to release some of the built up "gas". Make sure the cabbage is submerged for the entire 3 days.
- At this point, when you taste the cabbage, it should taste like sauerkraut. If it still doesn't taste briny, let it stand for another day or two.
- Transfer the sauerkraut to a glass jar and store in the refrigerator.
- When I'm serving the sauerkraut on the side, I like to add some salt, freshly ground black pepper, sunflower oil, thinly sliced or finely minced red onion, dill seeds, and fresh herbs, like green onion and dill. Sometimes, I also add a thinly sliced apple to it for a bit of sweetness.
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When you serve this di you eat it cold or do you heat it up? And if you heat it how?
Usually we eat it cold, not warm. If you want to heat it up, you can saute it in the skillet until it is warmed through.
Do you use table salt or Kosher salt?
I use sea salt, Christine.
Hey Olga! I’m always such a fan of your recipes. First time making kraut. I think I followed your instructions exactly. I’m day 2 into the fermentation process, and it’s slimy. Is this normal? Will the sliminess go away? Thank you!
Hi Brittney! How awesome that you're trying something new:).
Do you have enough brine to completely submerge all the cabbage? That is the most important part to make sure the cabbage ferments properly.It's shouldn't be "slimy", but the consistency of the brine will not be as clear as it was the first day. Push down on the cabbage and place some sort of weight on top of it.
Day 2 is still early in the process, so it may still be fine. After it ferments for a few more days, it shouldn't be slimy. The cabbage will soften a bit but still have a bit of a crunch, it shouldn't be mushy. I hope that helps.
Totally fan girling over here! Thank you for taking the time to respond. I definitely need to add a little brine to it. I do think that the sliminess is starting to self-correct. Working up the nerve to give it a taste tomorrow maybe!
Thank you for this recipe, Olga! I grew up on my Russian grandmother's sauerkraut, and I've never been able to find its equal. Yours looks exactly like hers! One question: if you make a big batch and store it for a while, is there any way to keep it from getting soggy over time? One of the reasons I loved Grandma's kraut so much is that it was so crisp - every other sauerkraut I've ever tasted (probably German?) is too mushy and limp!
I hope you enjoy this recipe, Aud:).
I usually don't have a problem with the sauerkraut getting soggy over time. Even months after making it, it is still just as crisp as when I first made it.
I’ve made this recipe several times and worked every time. Love it. Three days was perfect.
Now, I did research and everywhere it says you should ferment first about 3-4 weeks to get best results. What do you know about this? I’m so confused now.
I share recipes the way I make them, Anna. I never ferment for 3-4 weeks, but you can do that if you like. Of course, the fermented sauerkraut will keep fermenting and will stay fresh for weeks and even months, so there's no harm in doing so.
Hi Olga! Thanks for the recipe. Very excited to try this. How long should I keep the weight (can of tomatoes, jar of water, etc.) on top of the plate to keep the cabbage submerged before I can remove it to cover the bowl with plastic wrap (to trap the cabbage odor)?
I keep the weight on top of the sauerkraut the entire time it is fermenting, to make sure the cabbage is covered in the brine the entire time. I take off the weight only when I transfer the ready sauerkraut to the refrigerator. I cover it with plastic wrap on the sides, around the weight, to keep the odors from wafting through my house:).
Thank you!
I am so happy to have stumbled across your site while looking for a recipe for sauerkraut. There are so many amazing recipes here! I tried this one and for the first time I was able to make sauerkraut successfully at home and I am thrilled to be able to use it now that it is done. The flavor just gets better and better! Thank you so much! One thing, I wasn't able to mash it up as the instructions said but used a little cabbage juice I had on hand leftover from making "blender coleslaw" the same week to top off the kraut in a jar and it seemed to work fine. It is heavenly Kraut!!!
Welcome, Maddy! So glad you stopped by. That's so great that you were able to make sauerkraut and enjoyed the results. Homemade sauerkraut is so wonderful!
Perfect to put on top of hot dogs on a hot summer day.
Great idea:).
My kraut didn't expand as far as I can tell, however it tastes briny and seems to be ready. How important is the expanding part of the process?
Thank you for sharing the tips 😊
As long as it doesn't smell weird (cabbagy, yes), but not spoiled, it's fine. The expansion really depends on the type of cabbage you use.
Thank you Olga for the recipe. I made my sauerkraut. It tastes delicious.
I'm so glad you were happy with the Sauerkraut, Alina! Thank you for taking the time to write.
What kind of smell is 'normal" during fermenting? Mine smells pretty bad , and I am wondering if I did something wrong. My cabbage was not very light in color, it was kinda green. And I am not sure if it released enough of brine juice .
That's a hard question to answer, Lana. It shouldn't smell "spoiled" but just have a strong cabbage smell.
If your cabbage was really green and you didn't get a lot of brine juice, that would definitely be an issue. I hope it still works out for you.
Well it actually turned out pretty good ! Thanks for the recipe !
I'm so glad it worked out, Lana:).
In the steps you say add salt and pepper. No mention of adding the sugar and pepper isn’t listed in ingredients. Just clarifying, thanks!
I apologize, Brooke. The "pepper" is a typo - it needs to say sugar. I fixed it in the recipe.
Thanks! I will definitely make it! 🙂 how long you can keep it in the fridge?
I hope you enjoy it, Emma. For months! People used to make sauerkraut to last for the entire winter and spring:).