Introduction: How to Make Traditional Sauerkraut
This is my sauerkraut recipe, complete with full-colour, time-lapse photography (wow!).
I decided to put this together because the excellent book Nourishing Traditions had a more complicated version, which is not entirely necessary and I wanted to find the simplest way of making this healthy alternative to coleslaw. So after some research and experimentation, here is the basic method. It turns out that it is really easy and requires the minimum of equipment and ingredients: a kitchen knife, chopping board, mixing bowl and 'basher' cabbage and salt, and that's it!
It's uniquely flavoured and naturally sours without any vinegar being added.
Step 1: Get the Equipment Together (plus a Cabbage!)
1 kitchen knife
1 chopping board
1 mixing bowl
1 rolling pin or other suitable 'basher'
As for ingredients, it's just cabbage (any kind will do) and...
Salt (best use good quality sea salt) - about a tablespoon or two per cabbage, more if the weather is particulalrly hot, and that's it!
Step 2: Shred the Cabbage
Chop it any size you like. Traditionally I think it's usually quite fine, but I can't be bothered with that! Use any kind of cabbage - I like these red (purple) ones, and sometimes mixing them with white ones to get a pretty pink colour.
Step 3: Use It All!
Don't be shy - put it all in. If you want to. If you'd rather leave out the heart, that's fine too. Inset is the only part of the cabbage I threw out.
Step 4: Bash!
Once you've chopped the cabbage, put it in the mixing bowl, I find that it's easier to chop a bit, then put it in the bowl and sprinkle with the salt as I go. The salt is there largely to prevent rotting over the first two to four days while the lactobacilli get going. It also helps to draw the juice from the cabbage. Then bash. About ten minutes is fine, depending on how juicy your cabbage is.
Step 5: Admire Your Juicy Pre-kraut
When finished it should look something like this. I've circled a nice bit of moisture - all from the cabbage.
Step 6: Jar It Up
Now you put it in the jar and press down well. Again, it's good to do a bit at a time.
Step 7: Squishing As You Go
Ideally the liquid should be at about the same level as the cabbage, but don't worry too much. If really necessary, you can add some salt water to top it up. I find that a bit more compacting into the jar usually does the job. Oh, and do leave a gap as the level rises during fermentation (see below).
Step 8: Wait...
The promised time-lapse photography - genuine, unretouched pictures of the batch I made for this instructable over the first 8 days of fermentation. As you will notice, the level rises quite dramatically at first.
All in all, it takes a little effort and some patience waiting for the lactobacilli to do their work, but it is an extremely beneficial food and cheap to boot. Enjoy!

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11 Comments
3 years ago
Thanks for the explanations; I just finish to try it with a red cabbage; moreover, I LOVE the messy drawings that you see cutting it! (see joined picture - maybe not the best I saw this evening).
Reply 3 years ago
You're welcome! I love the colours and patterns too. :) Enjoy your kraut!
5 years ago
How do you know when it is ready to eat? And can you add other ingredients without messing up the lactobacilli? I'm thinking caraway or other herbs.
And thank you so much for making this intructable simple, tangible and enticing!
I was just given an old clay crock that doesn't have any cracks, etc and am thinking to make a big batch in that. I'm excited to try!
Thanks again!
Reply 5 years ago
Very good question. It's edible at every stage, but isn't really proper Sauerkraut until after about three weeks. Most folk seem to say that three months is better. I would advise tasting at various ages and make your choice. :)
Reply 5 years ago
Thank you!
5 years ago
My wife is German so I'm going to have to make this for her :) Can't wait.
Reply 5 years ago
Excellent!
5 years ago
Did you seal that jar? Won't it explode?
Reply 5 years ago
Absolutely sealed! It does build up a little pressure, but not as much as when a beer maker bottles their brew. I've never had a bang! :)
5 years ago
That looks really good, great job on your instructable :) One of my friends always uses red cabbage too.
Reply 5 years ago
Thank you! It's so much better than the shop bought stuff and cheaper too :)