How to Make Sauerkraut in a Jar in 7 Simple Steps

[Healthy, Flavorful, Easy]

FERMENTATION LENGTH: 1-4 weeks

This is a quick summary of the recipe above.

For a PDF version of this recipe, including all the Notes and Tips, scroll to the end of this post. 

Course Breakfast, Dinner, Fermented, Lunch

Cuisine Fermented, Paleo, Primal, Vegan, Vegetarian

Prep Time 20 minutes

Total Time 20 minutes

Servings 28 - 1 ounce (30 grams)

Calories 7 kcal
Author Holly Howe

You Will Need

Ingredients
1 medium head fresh green cabbage, 2 ½–3 pounds
2-3 carrots
2-3 garlic cloves
1 tablespoon iodine-free salt (fine-grained)
Supplies
Kitchen scale
Cutting board and chef’s knife
Large mixing bowl
Vegetable peeler, grater and measuring spoon
1 quart (liter) wide-mouth canning jar
4 ounce (125 ml) “jelly” canning jar or other "weight"
Wide-mouth plastic storage cap, or use the lid and rim that comes with jar

Instructions
1 SETUP: Gather Supplies & Set Up Scale
Using a scale to make your sauerkraut will ensure that you add the correct amount of salt for
a safe fermentation environment.
2 PREP: Chop Your Vegetables & Cabbage
You will need 1¾ pounds (28 ounces, 800 grams) of vegetables and cabbage in your bowl.
3 SALT: Create Your Brine
Salt pulls water out of the cabbage and vegetables to create an environment where the good
bacteria (mainly lactobacillus) can grow and proliferate and the bad bacteria die off.
4 PACK: Pack Mixture into Jar
Now that you have a puddle of brine, it’s time to pack the cabbage mixture into your jar.
5 SUBMERGE & SEAL: Hold Below Brine
 Now make sure your fermenting mixture is in a safe anaerobic (no air) environment. This
means that you need to keep the cabbage mixture submerged in the brine while it ferments. 
6 FERMENT: Ferment for 1-4 Weeks
Time now for the friendly bacteria to do their work while you watch and wait. Can you wait 7
days to taste the tangy crunch?
7 STORE: Store in Refrigerator for Up to 1 Year
After fermenting your sauerkraut, it’s ready to go into the refrigerator and ready to be eaten. 
ENJOY! ENJOY! ENJOY! ENJOY! ENJOY!
Enjoy a forkful or two of your sauerkraut with your meals. It will continue to ferment – aging
like a fine wine – but at a much slower rate than before.

This recipe developed by Holly Howe of MakeSauerkraut! (http://www.makesauerkraut.com/)