According to Nourishing Traditions, “among all of the vegetables that can conserve through lacto-fermentation (what are fermented foods?), cabbage has been man’s preferred choice. In China, they fermented cabbage 6000 years ago. In ancient Rome, sauerkraut had a reputation as a food that was easy to digest. Tiberius always carried a barrel of sauerkraut with him during his long voyages to the Middle East because the Romans knew that the lactic acid it contained protected them from intestinal infections.”
Sauerkraut also owes its reputation to famous navigators of past centuries. It was taken on long voyages and prevented scurvy in the crew because it preserved sufficient quantities of vitamin C!
Sauerkraut is inexpensive and very easy to make. All you need is salt, some cabbage and some time (about a month), and this lowly cabbage will be transformed into a beautiful fermented condiment.
What You’ll Need
I would highly recommend investing in four items prior to making your first batch of sauerkraut. I didn’t have these when I started and while most batches turned out just fine, I have found that I have much better results now that I have them:
1. A wooden pounder will ensure you get your kraut tightly packed into your jars and safely under your brine
2. A kitchen scale will allow you to weigh your vegetables and your salt easily making this recipe foolproof no matter which vegetables you choose to throw in.
3. My favorite fermentation jars.
4. A wide mouth funnel. I thought this would be a waste of money…boy was I wrong! I use this all the time.
Simple Purple Sauerkraut
Here is my take on a basic sauerkraut with purple cabbage but you can use any veggies you want. I ferment based on weight and you should too because the size of a cabbage head varies so much that you may not get the amount of salt right. This recipe makes about 2 quarts depending on cabbage size.
Ingredients
- 2 heads cabbage – purple, chopped
- 3 carrots, cut into strips
- 2 kohlrabi, cut into thin slices
- 10g salt (where to buy) per 450g of veggies
Directions
Sprinkle the cabbage and other vegetables with salt in a large bowl.
Pound the cabbage with a wooden pounder for about 10 minutes or until the cabbage releases its juices.
Pack mixture into a fermentation jar until the veggies start to submerge in their own juices (they won’t be totally submerged but you will notice the air gets squeezed out quite a bit).
Store in your pantry for one month – tasting every few days to ensure the vegetables aren’t turning brown and are souring nicely.
TIP: If the top starts to brown, just stir up the kraut and pack down the veggies again below the juices.
It is interesting to taste the kraut throughout the fermentation process to see how the flavor develops over time.
How do you keep yours from turning pink?
It is a pinky purple. 🙂
I would LOVE to make this but I don’t have most of the “equipment ” needed (nor the $ to buy them) is there any other way to make it?
Do you have a mason jar? Do you have salt and cabbage? Then you can make this. Just make sure to unscrew the cap on the mason jar daily to reduce the pressure. Or you can use a coffee filter and rubber band instead of the lid. You must make sure the kraut stays under the ‘brine’ or it will get moldy on top with this method. No worries! Check out close out stores – they sometimes have Fido jars for very cheap (less than $10).
I buy my Fido Jars at “The Christmas Tree Shop”,.. soooo cheap! I use to buy them through a pricey kitchen catalog, spent a couple hundred doing that, then 4-5 years later,… Christmas Tree Shop has them and for just a fraction of the cost! I just bought 3 huge ones the other day!
we put ours in a 5 gallon pail, and covered it with a new garbage filled with water, and sealed the garbage bag. Then we put it in the closet for 3 weeks… this is an “old tymer” recipe, supposedly tried and true..
Are you suppose to close the lids on the fermentation jars?
I have a batch that has been fermenting for about a week now. I am wondering if I should be leaving my Fido jars open or closed and if the odor is supposed to be so strong. Its not a bad smell, just strong.
You should close your fido jars. When you open them it does have a strong smell. Smells like kraut!
Can you make this without the kohlrabi? I have cabbage and carrots ready, but I don’t want to have to buy kohlrabi.
I am from Germany and my family has been making their own sauerkraut for years – we usually use the white cabbage and have a big stone pot to ferment it. When we first started makin the kraut we stored the pot in our basement. We found that the kraut had a very stron smell. Then we decided to store our sauerkraut outside in the garage during winter. The strong smell has disappeared and the taste has improved a lot!
I really like your blog – I think in Germany we still eat a lot of real food but it’s always great to learn more!
Is there any concern with the jars bursting with them closed? Do you open them regularly to let the gas out? I have fermented with a light cloth covering them before but never in a closed jar. Also is there anything special about the fido jars, I have one that I got a IKEA that looks just like it. Think I could try that?
Thanks!
That is the special thing about Fido jars. I have never had one burst. It somehow lets the gas slowly out. You don’t have to open it!
So it is the particular brand “fido” that works well and not necessarily jars that are that style then?
I just got my kraut fermenting about 5 days ago. I am doing iit in a fido jar. Am I suppose to have the lid tightly closed? I ask because the liquid is lraising an leaking out of the top. I had it an inch from top before closing. I don’t know if I should pour some off.
I really want to make this!! Do you have to use the Kohlrabi? I have never seen it before and don’t know where to get it.
I LOVE your blog!!!! Thanks for all the awesome info and recipes:)
You do not need the kohlrabi. It is all based on weight and you can use any veggies you like! Thank you!
I am a real newbie and this is probably obvious to those of you who have made sauerkraut before but… after it has fermented for 30 days, what next? where and how do I store it?
You can store it in the fridge! Enjoy!
I love your entire blog, and you have been incredibly helpful. I can’t wait to make this, my husband and I LOVE sauerkraut. I have some friends who have an organic garlic farm, so I can’t wait to ferment tons of that as well.Do you use the gaskets on the jars?
How long does it last after the month of fermentation & should it be refrigerated?