You’d never guess how easy it is to make homemade sauerkraut! With just 2 ingredients and a little patience, your fridge will be stocked with this healthy and delicious condiment. Looking for more info on the health benefits of sauerkraut, or want some ideas on how to use it? Check out my post all about sauerkraut here, then read on for my super easy sauerkraut recipe!
image: jules, via Flickr

You'll be surprised by how easy it is to make homemade sauerkraut! With just a few minutes of hands-on work and a little patience, you'll always have delicious and healthy sauerkraut on hand!
Prep Time |
20 minutes |
Passive Time |
2-6 weeks |
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You'll be surprised by how easy it is to make homemade sauerkraut! With just a few minutes of hands-on work and a little patience, you'll always have delicious and healthy sauerkraut on hand!
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Instructions
- Clean everything! Wash your hands and a 2-quart mason jar (or two 1-quart mason jars) and make sure all the soap residue is gone. When you’re fermenting, you want to give good bacteria a clean environment to grow in so that they don’t have to compete with any harmful bacteria, and so that your final product doesn’t end up with any harmful bacteria! Shred the cabbage and place it in a large bowl. Sprinkle the cabbage with sea salt and knead it with your hands until the cabbage is softened and plenty of liquid has been released. Pack the cabbage tightly into the mason jar, then pour the liquid over top. Press the cabbage under the liquid and make sure it’s fully submerged, add a bit more water if necessary to completely cover the cabbage. You can place a plate or smaller jar on the cabbage to weigh it down and keep it below the surface of the liquid if it starts to creep up. Cover the jar with a tight-fitting lid or a coffee filter secured with a rubber band. Let sit at room temperature for at least 2 weeks. If you’re using a tight-fitting lid, open the jar and replace the lid every day or two to release excess pressure. Taste the sauerkraut after 2 weeks and see how you like it - the more you let it sit, the softer and more sour it will get. This process can last anywhere from 2-6 weeks! Once the sauerkraut is at your preferred fermentation level (I usually like it at 2-3 weeks), seal the jar tightly and place it in the fridge. Once in the fridge, it doesn’t matter if the cabbage remains under liquid and it should stay good for months on end! Enjoy!
Thank you for sharing your recipe! I definitely want to try making this at home – your recipe seems great and simple!
Thanks so much, Billy! Please do and let me know what you think. Making yummy sauerkraut is pretty easy. We go through it pretty quickly in my house.