Easy Homemade Sauerkraut Recipe
Sauerkraut is cabbage fermented by lactic acid bacteria. Like in Asian kimchi, the distinctive sour taste of the sauerkraut comes from the fermented sugars in the cabbage leaves. Sauerkraut is a staple winter food in Central and Eastern European cuisines.
Prep Time15 minutes mins
Fermentation time21 days d
Total Time21 days d 15 minutes mins
Course: Main Course, Salad
Cuisine: Balkan
Keyword: homemade sauerkraut, how to make sauerkraut, recepta za kiselo zele, Sauerkraut
Yield: 3 litre barrel or jar
- cabbages As many as you can fit in your fermentation vessel.
- sea salt Use a ratio of 1 tablespoon of sea salt to 1 pint/490 ml of tap water.
- uncooked rice Use a ratio of 1 tablespoon of rice to 1 litre of water.
- water Enough to cover your cabbages.
Wash your fermentation pot really well.
Cut the cabbage in two halves, remove and discard the outer skins and cut out the heart (the hard part of the cabbage). Wash the rest of the cabbage well.
Place 2-3 tablespoons of sea salt inside the cut where the heart of the cabbage was before. Put the two halves of cabbage together and transfer them to your fermentation pot. Place as many cabbages stuffed with salt as you can fit in your fermentation vessel.
Wash the rice well and place it inside the jar. Keep the fermentation vessel with the cabbage in a dark and cool place.
Dissolve the salt in the water to make the brine and carefully pour the brine into the fermentation pot with the cabbage. Be careful not to wash off the salt placed inside the cabbage heart.
Periodically (every 4-5 days) dispose 1/3 of the brine in the fermentation pot with the cabbage and top it up with freshly prepared brine. Sauerkraut needs to age for at least 3 weeks or until it is ready.The best ratio for making the brine is one tablespoon of sea salt to 1 pint (490ml) water. Stir the brine well and dissolve the salt in the water before pouring it into the pot with the cabbage. Use ready sauerkraut in cooking and make a winter salad with it.