I already love canning and making many of my family’s foods myself, avoiding processed stuff- but lately I have had some health issues that caused me to look even more closely at what we are eating. Doing quite a bit of research I learned that fermented foods are one of the best things for digestive health. One super easy, and delicious (if you like cabbage) way to incorporate them is by making your own Easy and Inexpensive Homemade Sauerkraut! Eating just 2 tablespoons a day is said to make a major impact on your health! If you want to give it a try yourself, here is a recipe that produces a delicious sauerkraut!
Even the healthier bagged varieties of sauerkraut at the grocery store can get quite pricey if you are eating them often, but this one costs only about $1 per jar depending on where you get your cabbage from. If you can stock up at your local farmers market- even better!
Easy and Inexpensive Homemade Sauerkraut
Ingredients:
1 head of cabbage
1 Tbsp. sea salt
2 quart Mason jars
cheesecloth
optional- water
Directions:
1. Peel off first couple outer leaves of cabbage and cut off stem.
2. Cut cabbage in half, and then again if you prefer smaller pieces.
3. Slice into very thin ribbons, as narrow as you can cut.
4. Wash and sanitize your Mason jar well, I run mine through a dishwasher cycle for the heat.
5. Place cabbage in a large bowl with sea salt.
6. Mix together with your hands, squeezing firmly as you go. Do this for about 5 minutes- this will aid the cabbage and salt in mixing together to break down. Your cabbage will start wilting and releasing its water- this is good!
7. Let it sit in the bowl for an additional 10-15 minutes to continue breaking down.
8. Transfer cabbage to jar, pressing down firmly and packing it in. Add all the liquid in the bowl as well. I fill mine about ¾ of the way full with tightly packed cabbage. If yours did not produce enough water to keep it completely covered in the jar you will need to make some additional brine.
9. Add 1 tsp. of salt to 1 cup of water and pour as much as needed to be sure your cabbage is fully covered. You can press down your final layer with another smaller mason jar or a cup.
10. Cover the top with cheesecloth and set in a cool, dark place for 2-3 weeks. Make sure it remains covered in liquid. You do not want to cover with a lid yet, as the sauerkraut will be producing gas and it needs to escape.
11. Once ready, remove cheesecloth, replace lid and store in refrigerator for 6 months to a year. Enjoy!
- 1 head of cabbage
- 1 Tbsp. sea salt
- 2 quart Mason jars
- cheesecloth
- optional- water
- Peel off first couple outer leaves of cabbage and cut off stem.
- Cut cabbage in half, and then again if you prefer smaller pieces.
- Slice into very thin ribbons, as narrow as you can cut.
- Wash and sanitize your Mason jar well, I run mine through a dishwasher cycle for the heat.
- Place cabbage in a large bowl with sea salt.
- Mix together with your hands, squeezing firmly as you go. Do this for about 5 minutes- this will aid the cabbage and salt in mixing together to break down. Your cabbage will start wilting and releasing its water- this is good!
- Let it sit in the bowl for an additional 10-15 minutes to continue breaking down.
- Transfer cabbage to jar, pressing down firmly and packing it in. Add all the liquid in the bowl as well. I fill mine about ¾ of the way full with tightly packed cabbage. If yours did not produce enough water to keep it completely covered in the jar you will need to make some additional brine.
- Add 1 tsp. of salt to 1 cup of water and pour as much as needed to be sure your cabbage is fully covered. You can press down your final layer with another smaller mason jar or a cup.
- Cover the top with cheesecloth and set in a cool, dark place for 2-3 weeks. Make sure it remains covered in liquid. You do not want to cover with a lid yet, as the sauerkraut will be producing gas and it needs to escape.
- Once ready, remove cheesecloth, replace lid and store in refrigerator for 6 months to a year. Enjoy!
About Jody: I am a Florida girl through and through living the semi-country, small town life. I am making my way through it with my amazing hubby, 2 beautiful kids, 2 of the best Dachshunds to ever walk the face of the earth, massive amounts of coffee and a whole lot of Jesus. I homeschool, craft, cook, scrapbook, garden, raid the thrift shops, snap 1,000’s of photos, and read when I can grab a spare minute (which is rare). You can find me blogging at Simply Southern Sunshine.
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We love sauerkraut especially homemade!!! Pinned! TFS
I remember my dad making sauerkraut in a large crock when I was younger…what a great way you’ve shared to do. Thanks.
Perfect timing on this article – I’ve been wanting to make this and wasn’t sure exactly how to do so! Will be pinning so I can refer back to it. Thanks!
We can’t get enough sauerkraut around here. This recipes sounds right on! Thanks for sharing it at the #HomeMattersParty