Probiotic Sauerkraut for Beginners (minimal equipment required)

Fermented foods are an excellent source of probiotics for gut health and digestion. Sauerkraut is one of the easiest and most common ferments. This beginner-friendly, minimal equipment recipe will get you started with just three simple ingredients: cabbage, water and salt.

Equipment

• Wide mouth mason jar (essential)

• Glass fermentation weight (strongly recommend)

• Tamper (helpful, but not necessary)

• Airlock lid (helpful, but not necessary - see notes)

Ingredients

• 1 small green cabbage (450 g), sliced into 1/8-inch strips

• 1.5 tbsp (15 g) natural salt (sea salt, Himalayan pink salt or pickling salt)

• 1 cup (240 mL) filtered room temperature water

  
  
  
  

Directions

1. Remove and discard the outer leaves of the cabbage. Slice the cabbage into quarters, so you can easily cut out and discard the core. Slice each quarter of cabbage into 1/8-inch strips.

2. Add the sliced cabbage to a medium size bowl. Sprinkle the natural salt over the cabbage and use clean hands to massage the salt into the cabbage until it’s evenly coated, about 30 seconds. Let the cabbage rest and soften for 15 minutes.

   
   

   

   Sliced cabbage.

3. Use clean hands and/or a tamper to crush the cabbage for 5-10 minutes. The cabbage should begin to soften more and release at least 2 tablespoons of liquid.

   
   

   

   Cabbage and salt, crushed.

4. Add 1 cup of filtered room temperature water to the bowl with the crushed cabbage.

5. Pack the cabbage into a wide mouth mason jar and pour the remaining liquid in. Firmly press the cabbage down until it becomes completely submerged under the liquid and there are no air bubbles in the jar.

6. Place a weight into the jar. This protects the sauerkraut from floating to the top and being exposed to air. If you don’t have a weight, you can get crafty and try using a smaller glass jar to hold the cabbage in place. Remove any cabbage floating on the surface.

7. Loosely screw the lid onto the jar. Do not completely tighten it because pressure will build inside the jar.

   
   

   

   Sauerkraut packed into a wide mouth mason jar.

8. Put the jar in a cool, dark place to ferment for about 3 weeks. "Burp” it daily by unscrewing the lid to release the pressure created by fermentation. * Look out for cabbage on the surface and remove it daily. I also recommend tasting the cabbage occasionally from about 10 days onward. The sauerkraut is ready whenever it tastes best to you (usually around 3 weeks, but this depends on the room temperature).

9. When the sauerkraut is ready it should taste pleasantly sour, tangy and have a slight crunch. Do not drain the liquid. Transfer the entire jar with lid to the refrigerator and enjoy!

Storage

Keeps for about 4 months in the refrigerator.

Notes

*If you think you will forget to “burp” it. I recommend buying an airlock lid. It’s a specialized lid used in fermentation that allows gases to escape on their own. I get this set of 4 for less than $20.