Sauerkraut is one of those ferments that just about everyone has heard of. It’s simple, affordable, and incredibly forgiving. Just cabbage, salt, and a little patience.
This “3 Ways” version is how I keep it interesting. One cabbage, three completely different flavors and suddenly kraut works with grill night, paninis, pasta, or taco Tuesday. The seasonings are flexible, so don’t overthink it. Use what you love, skip what you don’t, and trust your tastebuds. That’s the beauty of fermentation, it’s meant to fit your kitchen, not the other way around.
Around here, it’s a staple. Especially in the winter when fresh garden produce feels far away, there’s always a jar of kraut in the fridge ready to add something bright and living to a meal.
How much salt to use?
A good rule of thumb is to use about 1 1/2 tablespoons of salt per 3-pound head of cabbage.
The size of your cabbage and the fineness of the salt you are using can make a big difference in determining how much salt you will need. This is why I prefer to stick with weighing out my ingredients.
Cabbage ferments well at 2% acidity. To determine the amount of salt to use, start by weighing your cabbage. Multiply that weight by .02% and that is how many grams of salt you need to use for that size of cabbage. For example, a cabbage weighing 1100 grams would need 22 grams of salt. (1100 x .02 = 22)
Most average-sized heads of cabbage weigh 1300-1400 grams. This means that they would require 27 grams or 1 1/2 Tbls of salt.
How to make sauerkraut 3 ways
Notes:
🥬 One 3-pound cabbage = about 3 pint-sized jars of seasoned sauerkraut
🥬 Each recipe below is for 1 pint (about 1 pound of cabbage) just triple the seasonings if you’re batching a full cabbage!
🥬 Seasonings are flexible: Use what you love, skip what you don’t. Trust your tastebuds.
(For my basic sauerkraut recipe, click here. For the instagram video, click here.)
Start with the base:
- Thinly slice 1 medium (about 3 lb) green cabbage
- Sprinkle with 27 grams (about 1 Tbsp + 2 tsp) of salt
- Let sit 5–10 minutes, then massage until juices are released
- Divide the cabbage & brine into 3 bowls
- Mix in the seasoning blends (see below)then pack into pint jars, covering with expelled liquid
- Press down firmly and add a fermentation weight or a folded cabbage leaf to keep it submerged
- Seal with an airlock lid (or loosely lidded jar) and ferment at room temp for 7-21 days, tasting as you go
3 Ways:
Dilly Kraut
-1 Tbsp chopped fresh dill (or 2 tsp dill seed)
-½ tsp mustard seeds
-½ tsp coriander seeds
-1 clove garlic, minced or sliced
-5–10 black peppercorns
-Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes (optional kick)
Italian Herb Kraut
-1 Tbsp chopped fresh oregano (or 1 tsp dried)
-1 Tbsp chopped fresh basil (or 1 tsp dried)
-1 Tbsp chopped chives or garlic chives
-2 tsp chopped fresh thyme (or ½ tsp dried)
-1–2 cloves garlic, minced
-¼ tsp fennel seeds
-¼ tsp black pepper (or 4–5 whole peppercorns)
-Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
Spicy Kraut
-1 medium hot pepper, chopped
-1 tsp cumin seeds (or ground cumin)
-1 tsp smoked paprika
-1 clove garlic, minced
-½–1 tsp red pepper flakes
If you want to level up your kraut game this season, I hope you give these a try!
