One thing at a time
Here’s how.
- Remove damaged outer leaves and the core, then finely shred the cabbage. Wash hands, tools and the container.
- Mix the cabbage thoroughly with the measured salt. Rest briefly, then firmly pack it into the container until its juice rises.
- Keep all cabbage 1–2 inches below the brine with the food-safe weight. If the cabbage needs more liquid, add the cooled extra brine. Leave several inches of headspace.
- Use a fermentation lid or loosely cover the crock as the preservation guide describes. Keep at 70–75°F, out of direct sun. Check that everything stays submerged.
- Allow about 3–4 weeks for fermentation at that temperature. When bubbling settles and it is fermented, refrigerate. Read the full preservation guide if you want to can it; this page is for refrigerated kraut.
A little more than the ingredients
Why it belongs in the house.
Salt draws brine from the cabbage. Lactic-acid bacteria turn its sugars into acids, giving kraut its tang and helping preserve it when the method is followed correctly. Unheated, unpasteurized kraut can contain live cultures.
A small randomized study of a diet rich in several fermented foods found greater gut-microbe diversity and lower inflammatory markers. That is a reason to be curious, not proof that this one jar treats a gut condition. Cabbage also brings fiber; start with a small serving if fermented foods are new to you.