A few months ago I wrote up a short post on a new food “trend” with ancient roots – fermentation. Many of you expressed interest in learning more about the process. I’ve never done any fermenting at home before, but your interest inspired me. For my first fermentation adventure, I decided to take a crack at homemade sauerkraut. Together with my kitchen assistant Gary, who happens to be a farm trained, do-it-yourself culinary school grad with lots of fermenting experience, we fermented a crock of cabbage to make homemade sauerkraut.
Sauerkraut, a combination of the southern German and Austrian words “kraut,” meaning cabbage, and “sauer” meaning sour, literally translates to sour cabbage. It is created by fermenting cabbage over a long period of time. There are several health advantages to homemade sauerkraut. It’s high in enzymes and vitamin C, both of which are lost during the heating and pasteurization of store-bought sauerkraut. It’s also low calorie and easy to digest.
As I was learning about the fermentation process, I became curious about the difference between fermenting and pickling. The most obvious difference is that fermentation creates acid, while pickling requires an added acid, for example vinegar. Both serve as a preservation technique, the science is just a bit different.
Sauerkraut takes about 4-6 weeks to make. Since it’s a “hurry up and wait” kind of thing, I am documenting the adventure here on my blog. I will walk you through what we did, step-by-step, so you can try it at home.
First thing’s first– I bought a crock. A big, honking fermentation crock. It really looked so much smaller online. At first, I was dismayed. After the initial shock wore off, I decided the size was a plus… it means you can make a large batch of fermented veggies at the same time. With the amount of time it takes to ferment, why not make a big batch that will last you several months? And I do mean a big batch. We sliced up enough cabbage to create a decade’s supply of sauerkraut. Seriously.
If you too would like to be the proud owner of a ginormous fermenting crock, here is the one I’m using. Keep in mind that it’s pretty heavy/substantial and kind of awkward to handle. It also comes in a smaller size, which is likely a lot more manageable. There’s an even larger size, but that would require some serious fermentation love. You will also need a set of weights to help weigh down whatever you are putting in the crock. We used 10-15 liter stone weights; for a smaller crock, use 5 liter weights.
Crocks can be a bit pricey, so if you’d rather not invest in one, there are some less expensive options. You can use just about any sterilized container, taller than it is wide, made from enamel, ceramic or food grade plastic.
Once you have chosen your vessel, find a plate that will cover the majority of the cabbage. To make sure that the cabbage stays submerged in the brine, a key component of fermentation, you will need to make a weight to place on top of the plate. The simplest option is to place plastic storage bags filled with salt water on top. You can then cover your container with plastic wrap or a lid.
Once we cleaned out the crock, we got to work. With Gary and Ashley’s help and experience, I felt more confident in outlining the process for you here. I’ll check back with you in a few weeks and let you know how our sauerkraut turned out. Meanwhile, here are a few books that helped us learn the basic fermentation process:
Preserving Food Without Freezing or Canning
Since I’m fairly new to fermentation, I decided to start with a basic sauerkraut, which only requires salt, cabbage, and water. Spices can be added to make a flavored sauerkraut or kimchi. If you feel like experimenting, the same method can be used for other vegetables, including cucumbers, onions, beets, carrots, kohlrabi, red cabbage, and rutabaga. You can even combine a variety of vegetables in a kraut medley if you’re really feeling adventurous.
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Ingredients
- Fermentation crock
- Cabbage - amount varies based on your needs we used 3 large heads
- Large mixing bowl
- Kosher salt
- Kitchen scale
- 2 fermentation weights
- Medium saucepan
Notes
Instructions
- Start by boiling 6 cups of water with 1 tbsp of kosher salt till salt is dissolved. Allow to cool.
- Meanwhile, clean your cabbage and pull off 5-6 of the external whole leaves, set aside. Shred the remaining cabbage - for instructions on shredding cabbage, click here.
- Cover the bottom of your fermenting pot with 3-4 whole cabbage leaves. You will only need two layers of whole leaves in the crock, one on the bottom and one on the top.
- You will need to salt the shredded cabbage before adding it to the fermentation pot. We found this is easiest to do in smaller batches, to keep the salting amount consistent and mixed throughout the fermentation crock. Measure out 2 pounds of shredded cabbage into a bowl (we zeroed our scale with the bowl on, then measured a 2 pound batch).
- Use clean hands to toss the shredded cabbage in the bowl with 1 tsp kosher salt.
- Place the salted, shredded cabbage into the fermentation pot on top of the whole leaves.
- Measure out another 2 pounds of the shredded cabbage and mix with 1 tsp of salt, then add to the fermenting pot. Repeat this process in batches until all of your shredded cabbage has been salted and added to the pot. Pack down the cabbage tightly, but do not crush the cabbage strips.
- Cover the top of your shredded cabbage with remaining whole cabbage leaves. These leaves will help to collect the yeast and mold that may accumulate at the top of the crock, and can easily be removed and discarded after the fermentation process is complete.
- Place stone fermentation weights on top of the whole cabbage leaves and press down, but not too hard. You don’t want to damage the cabbage.
- Cover the fermentation crock with a lid. The salt will naturally draw some water out of the cabbage. After a few hours, check to see how much liquid has accumulated inside of the pot. It should be about 1-3 inches above the cabbage. If this hasn’t happened, add cooled, boiled salt water to the pot. We ended up needing about 3-4 cups of salt water. Pour it over the cabbage till it is submerged (you may not need to do this if your cabbage has created enough natural liquid). Reserve the remaining salt water.
- Once the water level is where it should be, cover the pot and fill the channel around the lid with cooled salt water to create an airtight seal. This will keep oxygen out of the pot. Once this has been done, do not open the fermentation pot for at least 2 weeks. No peeking! Reserve the remaining salt water brine in a sealed container in the refrigerator; you will need it over the course of the next several weeks.
- For the first few days, store the pot in a warm place, between 68 and 72 degrees. After a few days have passed, listen for a fizzy, bubbling sound coming from the pot. This is good and means that fermentation has begun. If you don't hear anything, don't worry, it may just mean that the walls of your crock are too thick for sound to travel through. After fermentation has started, move the pot to a cool place, between 59 and 64 degrees, for the remaining fermentation time. If you don't hear anything after 1 week, go ahead and move the crock to a cooler location without waiting for it to sound bubbly.
- Check your water channel regularly to make sure that it's filled with salt water. At times, the pressure which builds up inside the crock can cause suction, which pulls the channel water into the crock (it happened to us a few days in). If this happens, pour more of the salt water into the channel to keep it full.
- After the first 2 weeks, check your sauerkraut’s brine level and skim off any mold or bubbles that have gathered near the top. Be sure that your cabbage is always submerged in the brine. Fermentation breeds strange sounds and smells, so try not to worry about those. Close the fermentation crock again and refill the channel with salt water.
- Your sauerkraut should be ready in about 4-6 weeks. You will know for sure once bubbles no longer appear in the liquid. The longer you allow the cabbage to ferment, the tangier the flavor will be.
UPDATE: Our kraut turned out great! It took about 5 weeks to achieve the flavor and texture I was going for. This sauerkraut was so much better than the store-bought kind… it was salty, pungent and the lactic acid made it tingle on my tongue. It’s delicious and way cheaper than store-bought probiotics. Good for your gut, good for your tastebuds… can’t beat that!
Have you tried fermentation before? Did it turn out the way you hoped it would? What is your favorite fermented food?
Mitch says
I have the same crock.
Wow…you didn’t “punch” the cabbage to get the proces started? That’s what I was told to do by the kraut expert that sold me the crock.
Anyway, the kraut was amazing and crunchy. But then I heated it and canned it. Now it still tastes fine but it’s dark brown and mushy. I prefer the crunchy, fresh kraut right out of the crock.
So my question is: How long can you leave it in the crock, without heating and preserving it?
Tori Avey says
Hi Mitch– if you keep the kraut in the crock it will continue fermenting and become overly soft/strongly flavored. Once it gets to the point that you’re happy with the flavor and texture, I’d suggest pouring it into sterile bottles and refrigerating it. The sauerkraut will continue fermenting, but refrigeration will slow down the process quite a bit, allowing you more time to enjoy it before it loses the proper texture. It’s also possible that you processed it too long in the canning bath, which may be why it became soft/limp. For sauerkraut I would suggest boiling the can for 15 minutes.
Tracy Hoffman says
You can eliminate the water if you do something a little differently in the processing. How I have done it for YEARS is… I shred a head, 2-3 tbsp of pickling salt (finer than kosher salt and gives the brine a better taste) and pound the cabbage until the juices release and you get a ‘sucking sound’ when you pull the pounding device up (I use a wooden thingy from my applesauce sieve – round, about 6 inches long and about 1.5 inches in diameter) then I add another head shredded, 2-3 tbsp of salt and pound… repeat this process until you are about 3/4ths of the way from the top of the crock you are using. just before you add your plate and weights, stick your arms down into the crock and ‘turn’ your pounded cabbage, then press down, add the plate and weights and cover with a bath towel. then the 4-6 weeks, skimming everything off the top every week til ready 🙂
G. Hearnsberger says
Sounds like the way we make it. We cover it with cabbage leaves a small plate then weigh it down with a big rock we save just for that, cover it with a towel, tie it up and wait!!
Lavern Smith says
I have a fermentation crock similar to this one that purchased a few years ago. followed the instructions that was very similar to Tracy’s and wined up making about 20 pints. everyone was great taste even today we are still eating. One thing I have heard so many tells of how to store by using caners. So I tried a different way of processing the jars. I used a vacuum sealing process and this is the second year going and every jar thus far is a success. every jar is firm and smells great. I am very satisfied with my results.
Dave Schwartz says
Hi Tori…Has the sauerkraut fermented yet? Just curious on how it came out.
I gave the link to this to someone I met in a work related class last week. It got me thinking of a discussion we had with my Dad many years ago. His mother (who was orginally from Romania) used to make sauerkraut and she had put black seeds in which we later found out was nigella seeds….sort of a black caraway. Have you heard of or used these before?
Tori Avey says
Hi Dave, I just posted an update on the blog above.
Dhruba says
This is interesting, I will try it out tomorrow.
For your kind information we make fermented broad leaf mustard, mustard leaf. We call it GUNDRUK in our Nepali language. It is very popular item in Nepal. We just collect these and semi dry for 2-3 days under shade. then we cut them into smaller piece, rubbed for few minutes over a table, then wash in cold water and squeeze the remaining water by hand. Then we take clean earthen pot, locally made by a special kind of sticky soil, then put the material into it little by little, pressing is needed while putting into pot, we don’t use salt and any other ingredients. after filling the pot we place the lid, then put it
sunny place during day, and take it to the room during night. After 5-7 days we open the lid and take smell, it has a peculiar type of sour smell, if that type of smell has not developed yet we put some warm water and keep it for another 2-3 days. Then we take out all material from the pot and spread above Black cloth about the size of bed sheet and let it dry in sun, If the drying can be done in solar dryer, that would be much better, after complete drying we store it in air tight container or thick gauze polythene bag. we can store it for whole year, until the next season.
we can make soup out of it like any other soup. Also we can make Pickle from it, we can add a littlee of Gundruk in any other vegetable.
Thank you very much
Joe the Falcon Hill Potter says
We opened our fermentation crock today after just 2 weeks and it turned out so delicious! We used purple and green cabbage and carrots. Thank you for your excellent instructions!
Geoffrey T. Meehan says
Once, and again, Tori, you bring back memories of me
as a young child in the kitchen with my Bobcha preparing
to make ‘kapusta’ and a very tasty ‘kapusniak’ or cabbage
soup. Again, through your Web Site I renew my
Polish Heritage.
And, still, the renewing of my usage of my second language, ‘Polish’.
Thank you, Tori.
God Bless,
Geoffrey
Mikhoyel says
I have a great piece already translated from Yiddish (I have the original Yiddish) into English, about how they used to prepare cabbage to be fermented to use through the next year, plus other things they included in the barrels with the cabbage, and the social scene of the women & girls doing it in each other’s homes in Lithuania but I don’t know how to send it to you for you to review.
Mikhoyel
Tori Avey says
Hi Mikhoyel, thanks for writing. You can email me if you’d like, my email is on the contact page. Here is the link: http://theshiksa.com/contact/
David Fitch says
One of my aunts threw out her dads least just before it was ready, thought it was bad…. all lasso cleaned the Packard with scouring powder and steel wool.
Jessica Palardy says
Oooh! Sounds good.
Eric Sandquist says
I make it all the time…It looks absolutely unkosher when ready before cleaned and processed… But the final product is better than anything commercially produced.
We add apple slices to ours, and we only use sea salt.
Pat Taylor says
Sure do,going to make some Sunday with 20 some heads from the garden. last year´s was wonderful and we used the old school original clocks and used bags of water to seal with…. can´t wait!!! Where did you buy your pot,it´s beautiful!!!
David Hamrell says
Oh, yes!
Sharleen Anderson says
My mother used to make it but I get the fresh I. The bag kind.
Mignonne Swilling says
Yes, but not in a crock.
sangeeta khanna says
I regularly ferment vegetables with different seasoning and it is a yummy accompaniment to our meals. Seasonal vegetables like carrots of different colors make very nice fermented drink called kanji in North India, we add mustard powder to it. I love making saurekraut using a mix of green and purple cabbage but do it in a glass container. This crock looks really good.
Tori Avey says
I have never tried kanji, sounds interesting!
Miryom says
Sangeeta, would like more details how you did it…especially the kanji.
sangeeta khanna says
So sorry for a late reply. The fermented drink (kanji) that we make with black carrots or beets is here, it is more a hot and sour drink to be enjoyed with winter food.
http://www.healthfooddesivideshi.com/2013/02/fermented-foods-and-condiments-for.html
Kassy Patrick Clifford says
Yes..I just use a large jar..although yours is prettier 😉 LOVE homemade sauerkraut!
MaryAlice Koop says
Not yet…want to sometime…
Sherry Callen Satterwhite says
Neat crock and yes I have kraut it is good.
הרץ לואיס says
Interesting !!!
Mary Lou Andrushchenko says
Brings back memories of sneaking into my Baba´s crock under the porch to steal some sauerkraut! I still have that crock!