About this Dish
Finely shredded cabbage fermented in its own juice with salt — one of the world's oldest fermented foods and a German staple for centuries. Eaten with pork, sausages and potatoes. Home-fermented sauerkraut has a complexity that tinned versions cannot approach. The fermentation takes weeks and improves with time.
IngredientsServes 6
🥬White cabbage, 2kg (about 1 large head), outer leaves removed
🧂Non-iodised sea salt or kosher salt, 30g (about 2 tbsp)
🌿Caraway seeds, 1 tsp (optional but traditional)
🫙1 large clean glass jar (2 litre capacity) or a ceramic crock
💧Extra brine if needed: 1 tsp salt dissolved in 250ml filtered or boiled cooled water
Method
1
Quarter the cabbage, remove the tough core, then slice it as finely as you can — a mandoline works brilliantly here, but a sharp knife is fine. You want long, thin shreds roughly 2–3mm thick.2
Place the shredded cabbage in a large mixing bowl, add all the salt and caraway seeds if using, then squeeze and massage the cabbage firmly with clean hands for 8–10 minutes. It will seem like nothing is happening at first, then suddenly the cabbage will release a surprising amount of liquid — this brine is what you need.3
Pack the cabbage tightly into your jar in stages, pressing each layer down hard with your fist or a wooden spoon so the brine rises above the cabbage. Keep going until the jar is packed and the cabbage is fully submerged under its own liquid.4
Weigh the cabbage down below the brine — a small zip-lock bag filled with the extra brine solution placed on top works well as a weight that also seals the jar. Alternatively use a small jar filled with water sitting inside the larger jar. The cabbage must stay submerged to ferment safely.5
Cover the jar loosely with a cloth, lid left ajar, or a loosely screwed lid — the fermentation produces gas that needs to escape. Leave at cool room temperature (18–22°C is ideal) away from direct sunlight.6
Check it every day for the first few days, pressing the cabbage back down if it rises above the brine. After 3–5 days you will see bubbles and smell a pleasantly sour, tangy aroma — fermentation is working. If any white scum appears on the surface, skim it off; it is harmless but remove it anyway.7
Taste the sauerkraut from day 7 onwards — it will be lightly sour and crisp. For a deeper, more complex flavour keep fermenting for 3–4 weeks, moving it to the fridge once it reaches your preferred sourness, where it will keep for several months. The longer it ferments (up to 6 weeks), the richer and more rounded it becomes.User Reviews
No reviews yet — be the first!
Sign in to leave a review
Members can create lists, save favourites and get recommendations.
Find the Best Sauerkraut Near Me
AI-powered — Google, TripAdvisor and food blogs
🔥 Viral Recipes
How the world's most famous chefs — and creators — make this dish
Bon Appétit
4.4M views
🌍 Food Vlogs
Food vloggers eating and cooking it at the source
🌍
No videos yet
What To Eat
The World's Food Guide
© 2025 What To Eat · hello@whattoeat.world