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Sauerkraut is finely shredded cabbage fermented with salt until it develops a clean, sour flavour. It brings a sharp contrast to sausages, pork and potatoes, and can also be served cold in sandwiches or salads. Caraway seeds are an optional addition, giving the cabbage a gently aromatic flavour.
The preparation takes about an hour, including a short rest to draw out the cabbage juice. Fermentation then takes several weeks. This recipe makes a batch from trimmed white cabbage, with measured salt, a fermentation weight and an airlock lid to help keep the cabbage below its brine.
Want to dive deeper into German Cuisine? Don’t miss our post on 33 Traditional German Foods to Try
What Is Sauerkraut?
Sauerkraut means sour cabbage in German. Its acidity comes from fermentation rather than added vinegar: naturally occurring bacteria use sugars in the cabbage and produce lactic acid. Salt helps create suitable conditions for that process and draws out the liquid that becomes the brine.
The result should be tangy cabbage with a pleasant texture, not a jar of cabbage sitting in vinegar. Fermented sauerkraut is also different from a cooked sauerkraut side dish, which may include onions, apples, stock or other seasonings added after fermentation.
You can serve the finished cabbage cold or heat a portion for a warm meal. It is a familiar accompaniment to German Bratwurst, where the acidity balances the richness of the sausage. For more serving ideas, explore our traditional German foods guide.
Ingredients and Taste
A firm, fresh white cabbage provides the leaves and their natural moisture. Thin, even shreds pack together more readily than thick pieces and give the finished sauerkraut a consistent texture. Weigh the cabbage after removing its core and damaged outer leaves so the salt matches what actually goes into the jar.
Use plain canning or pickling salt. It is an ingredient in the fermentation process, not simply a seasoning to adjust by taste. Different salts fill a spoon differently, so weighing the specified salt is more reliable than substituting a tablespoon of coarse flakes.
Caraway brings a warm, slightly anise like aroma, but plain cabbage and salt are enough. Extra water is needed only when the cabbage juice does not provide adequate coverage. That water must be prepared as a measured salt brine before it is added.
A Taste of History
Fermenting cabbage has long been a way to preserve a harvest beyond its growing season. In German cooking, sauerkraut became part of everyday meals as well as regional dishes, with its acidity providing contrast to meat, bread and potatoes.
It was traditionally prepared in larger vessels, with the cabbage pressed down beneath its liquid. Later commercial production made it possible to buy portions rather than prepare a household supply. A modern fermentation jar offers a smaller scale way to use the same basic process at home.
How Much Salt Does Sauerkraut Need?
Follow the weighed amount in the recipe card. This version uses a little over two per cent salt relative to the prepared cabbage weight. Do not reduce the salt to make a lower sodium batch, replace it with a salt substitute, or add extra water to dilute a mixture that tastes salty.
For a different batch size, weigh both ingredients and use a reliable fermentation recipe with the matching proportions. The amount of cabbage after trimming matters more than the description “one medium head”. Fresh cabbages can differ substantially in weight.
What If the Cabbage Does Not Make Enough Brine?
Massage the salted shreds and give them time to wilt before packing. Press firmly so the juice rises and trapped air escapes. Fresh cabbage generally gives more juice than an older, dry head, but the liquid still needs checking once a weight is in place.
If coverage is insufficient, use the measured supplementary brine in the card. Add only enough to keep all the cabbage beneath the liquid, leaving space above for fermentation. A large weight is not useful if loose shreds can float past it and remain exposed to air.
How Do You Know When Fermentation Is Complete?
Time, temperature and acidity need to be considered together. At a steady 21 to 22 degrees Celsius, allow about three to four weeks. Cooler conditions around 16 to 18 degrees can take five to six weeks, so the calendar alone cannot tell you when the batch is ready.
Use a calibrated food acidity meter, also called a pH meter, suitable for cabbage and brine. Monitor representative samples according to its instructions. A reading of pH 4.6 or below, together with the end of active bubbling and no spoilage, indicates readiness. Sour taste alone is not the completion test.
How to Make Sauerkraut
Shred the cabbage, mix it with the measured salt, then pack it firmly into a clean fermentation jar. Keep it weighted below the brine and monitor it while it ferments. See the recipe card at the bottom for exact ingredient quantities and printable cooking instructions.
Ingredients
White cabbage: Use a fresh, firm head and discard damaged outer leaves. The card specifies the weight after trimming and coring.
Pickling salt: Use plain salt sold for canning or pickling, without iodine or other additives. Weigh it separately from any salt used for supplementary brine.
Caraway seeds: Optional whole seeds give the batch a familiar seasoning. Leave them out if you prefer plain sauerkraut.
Supplementary brine: Prepared from drinking water and additional pickling salt, only if needed for coverage. The exact mixture is in the card.
Equipment
Use a clean, undamaged glass fermentation jar of about three litres or larger, a fitting airlock lid and a food safe fermentation weight that covers the cabbage well. You also need kitchen scales reading in grams, a large bowl, a knife or guarded mandoline, a tamper, a tray and a room thermometer.
Have a food pH meter with suitable calibration solutions ready before starting. Follow its instructions for calibration, cleaning and sampling food containing solids. A standard airtight storage lid is used after fermentation; during fermentation, the airlock lets gas escape without routinely opening the jar.
Preparation and Fermentation Instructions
Step 1: Clean the Equipment and Prepare the Cabbage
Wash the jar, bowl, weight and tools in hot soapy water, rinse well and follow the equipment manufacturer’s cleaning instructions. Remove coarse or damaged outer cabbage leaves, rinse the head under cold running water, then quarter and remove the core. Shred evenly and weigh the prepared cabbage.
Step 2: Salt and Draw Out the Juice
Mix the measured salt thoroughly through the shreds. Leave for about twenty minutes, then massage or press for five to ten minutes until softened and visibly juicy. Mix in the optional caraway. Keep all the liquid, as it forms the base of the brine.
Step 3: Pack and Weigh Down
Pack the cabbage into the jar in layers, pressing firmly to remove air pockets. Pour in the juice from the bowl and fit the fermentation weight. Keep all shreds well below the liquid. If necessary, prepare the supplementary brine and let it cool before adding enough for coverage.
Step 4: Fit the Airlock
Wipe the rim and attach the airlock lid according to its instructions. Leave adequate space above the brine for bubbling and expansion. Stand the jar on a tray away from direct sunlight, with the room thermometer beside it. Keep the airlock working as directed throughout fermentation.
Step 5: Monitor the Batch
Maintain a stable temperature and inspect the jar regularly. Check that no cabbage is exposed, the airlock is functioning and acidity is developing. Minimise opening, and use clean tools whenever sampling or making adjustments. Do not return tested samples or liquid that has overflowed to the jar.
Step 6: Check Completion and Refrigerate
Allow the fermentation period described above and confirm completion with the acidity meter and bubbling check. If acidity has not developed properly, do not taste or serve the batch. Once complete, replace the airlock with a storage lid and refrigerate, keeping the cabbage beneath its brine.
Fermentation Tips and Troubleshooting
A few bubbles or some foam can occur during fermentation. These are different from fuzzy mould or cabbage that has become slimy and foul smelling. For this beginner method, discard the batch if mould appears, if it becomes slimy, or if it develops a rotten or otherwise objectionable smell. Do not taste it to investigate.
A flat surface film is not necessarily the same as fuzzy mould, but identifying growth from a brief description is unreliable. If you cannot confidently identify a change, stop and seek specialist food preservation advice before eating the batch. Removing something from the surface does not correct an unknown fermentation failure.
Keeping the jar too warm can soften the cabbage. A cold location can slow or stall fermentation. Choose a stable place rather than moving the jar between a warm radiator and a cold window, and use the thermometer rather than guessing what “room temperature” means.
Keep the salt, brine, weight and temperature conditions consistent. Do not try to rescue a spoiled batch by cooking it, adding vinegar or adding extra salt. When starting again, inspect the equipment and packing method before using fresh ingredients.
Variations and Substitutions
Caraway is optional, so the simplest variation is to omit it while retaining the cabbage and salt amounts. This recipe focuses on a basic white cabbage ferment. Apple, onion, stock and wine can instead be added when cooking a portion of the finished sauerkraut, using a suitable cooked recipe.
Avoid improvising a reduced salt version or substituting a different vegetable mixture under the same directions. Fermentation depends on the ingredients and their proportions. A separate, reliable recipe is preferable when you want a different cabbage variety or a mixed vegetable ferment.
Does Heating Sauerkraut Remove the Live Bacteria?
Heating reduces or destroys living fermentation bacteria, although the cabbage still provides flavour and texture in cooked dishes. Unheated sauerkraut may retain live cultures, but this recipe does not promise a particular probiotic strain, dose or health benefit.
Choose cold or cooked sauerkraut according to the meal you want to make. Fermentation is complete before either serving method. Heating an unfinished or spoiled ferment is not a substitute for following the fermentation process correctly.
How to Store and Reheat Sauerkraut
Storing
Refrigerate fully fermented sauerkraut in clean, tightly covered jars at five degrees Celsius or below, keeping it beneath the brine. Use clean utensils and label the date. Aim to use this batch within three months for quality; discard it if spoilage develops, regardless of the date.
Freezing
Freeze fully fermented sauerkraut with some brine in suitable containers, leaving space for expansion. Aim to use within three months for quality. Thawing can soften the cabbage, so frozen portions are particularly useful for dishes in which the sauerkraut will be heated.
Defrosting
Defrost in the fridge, then use within 24 hours. Keep the container covered and thaw only the portion you need. Do not leave a large frozen container on the kitchen worktop to warm through.
Heating and Reheating
To serve warm, heat a portion gently in a saucepan with a little of its brine, stirring until hot throughout. Keep unused sauerkraut refrigerated. Once a portion has been heated, follow ordinary leftover guidance: cool and refrigerate within two hours, use within 48 hours and reheat only once until steaming hot throughout.
German Sauerkraut (Fermented Cabbage)
Ingredients
Main Batch
- 1.5 kg fresh white cabbage weighed after removing outer leaves and core, finely shredded to about 2 to 3 mm
- 34 g plain canning or pickling salt without iodine or other additives
- 1 teaspoon whole caraway seeds optional
Supplementary Brine, Only If Needed
- 500 ml drinking water preferably distilled or soft water
- 10 g additional canning or pickling salt
Instructions
- Wash the jar, weight, bowl and tools in hot soapy water, rinse thoroughly and follow the equipment manufacturer's cleaning instructions. Inspect glass for damage. Remove coarse or damaged outer leaves, rinse the cabbage under cold running water, drain, quarter and remove the core. Shred evenly, then weigh exactly 1,500 g prepared cabbage for this batch.
- Mix the 34 g salt evenly through the shreds. Cover the bowl and leave for 20 minutes. Massage with clean hands or press with a clean tamper for about 5 to 10 minutes, until the cabbage is softened and plenty of juice has collected. Add the optional caraway and mix well. Retain every drop of juice.
- Pack the cabbage firmly into the fermentation jar a little at a time, pressing out air pockets. Pour in the bowl’s juice and add the food safe weight. Keep the cabbage about 2.5 to 5 cm beneath the liquid. If coverage is insufficient, dissolve the extra 10 g salt in 500 ml water, bring this supplementary brine to the boil and cool it completely before adding only what is needed. Leave at least 5 cm space above the brine, or the larger clearance specified by your lid manufacturer. Use a larger vessel if needed rather than overfilling.
- Wipe the rim and fit the airlock according to its instructions. Stand the jar on a tray away from direct sunlight at a steady 21 to 22°C, measured beside the jar. Maintain the airlock as instructed. Do not replace it with a tightly sealed ordinary lid during active fermentation.
- Allow about 3 to 4 weeks at the stated temperature. Check externally each day that the cabbage remains submerged and the airlock is working. Monitor acidity during fermentation with a calibrated food pH meter, following its directions for representative cabbage and brine samples. Use clean tools, open only when necessary and never return a test sample or overflow to the jar. If coverage needs correcting, use clean tools and cooled supplementary brine made in the same ratio. Discard the batch if mould, slime or a rotten or otherwise objectionable smell develops; do not taste it.
- The batch is ready when the fermentation period has been allowed, active bubbling has stopped, the measured pH is 4.6 or below and there are no signs of spoilage. If bubbling stops with pH still above 4.6, continue fermenting and recheck every 1 to 2 days; seek food preservation advice if it fails to acidify. Do not serve based only on taste or the date. When ready, replace the airlock with a clean storage lid and refrigerate at 5°C or below, keeping the cabbage under brine.
Notes
- 34 g divided by 1,500 g is approximately 2.27% of the prepared cabbage weight. The extra 10 g belongs only in the separate 500 ml supplementary brine, a 2% salt to water mixture. Neither quantity is adjusted by taste. Do not substitute low sodium salt or dilute with plain water.
- This preserves the original recipe’s approximate 1.5 kg cabbage batch, but makes the prepared weight explicit. It is a preserved side dish batch, not four meal portions. The final drained yield depends on liquid retention and serving size; weigh it after fermentation if an exact yield is needed.
- The 28 day fermentation entry is a planning allowance within the 3 to 4 week range at 21 to 22°C, not a guarantee that fermentation is complete on day 28. Cooler temperatures around 16 to 18°C can take 5 to 6 weeks. Avoid cold conditions that stall fermentation and warmer conditions that encourage softening. Setup is 40 minutes active preparation plus 20 minutes salt rest. Boiling optional supplementary brine is included in setup; allow extra time for it to cool fully if required.
- The weight must hold down all shreds. Use food safe fermentation weights, not unidentified stones or metal objects. Follow the lid instructions for gas release and clearance. Calibrate and clean the pH meter as directed, and use its sampling method for food containing solids rather than assuming a surface reading represents the whole jar.
- Small bubbles or foam can be normal. This beginner recipe uses a conservative discard policy for mould, including small patches, rather than instructions to salvage the lower cabbage. If a surface film cannot be identified confidently, seek specialist advice before eating. A low pH reading does not make visibly spoiled food acceptable.
- This is a refrigerator ferment, not a shelf stable canning recipe. Store completed sauerkraut covered under brine at 5°C or below and aim to use within 3 months for quality. Freeze completed portions with brine and expansion space for up to 3 months for quality; expect some softening. Defrost in the fridge and use within 24 hours. Heat only the portion needed. Once heated, cool leftovers promptly and refrigerate within 2 hours, use within 48 hours and reheat only once until steaming hot throughout.
