Lacto-Fermented Sauerkraut
My all-time favorite food to process is sauerkraut! I love Lacto-fermented sauerkraut. We make our own homemade sausage or brats so Lacto-fermented sauerkraut goes right along with those types of meals.
The key to Lacto-fermenting any veggie at home is to always remember the following:
#1. Lacto-fermentation is simply a controlled decomposition of vegetables.
#2. Make sure your veggies are completely covered by the liquid. Those veggies not covered have a higher chance of developing mold which makes them inedible. (at least I wouldn’t want to eat them🤢)
#3. Your equation should always be for Lacto-fermentation: the weight of vegetables + weight of water x .025 salt. I find a kitchen scale is great for this. Using this formula allows you to take the guesswork out of any recipe.
Shred or finely chop your head of cabbage. You can use red cabbage or white cabbage. I find it does not really change the recipe much other than changing the color of your finished product. Red cabbage makes everything in the mix a beautiful purple color.
Alternative flavorings for your lacto-fermented sauerkraut
Some herbs or alternate seasonings you can use to flavor your sauerkraut are:
- Shredded Ginger Root
- Dill weed or seeds
- Caraway Seeds
- Fennel
- Anise
- Juniper Berries
- Garlic
- Grated Lemon Peel
Weigh your empty jar ahead of time or if your kitchen scale has a TARE on it you can use that. You need to make sure to account for the weight of the jar. Add your shredded cabbage along with your flavorings of choice into a mason jar or a fermenting jar. Add water till it is completely covering the vegetables and herbs. Now weigh full jar. Multiple weight of ingredients by .025. That is the amount of salt you add to your water which makes the brine. I typically leave the vegetables in the jar and pour out the water into a measuring cup. Then add weighed salt to the water and mix thoroughly. Add to vegetables.
If you have a fermenting top along with fermenting weights then you’ll have a super easy time but it can be done with mason jars and airlocks. Here is a link over at Amazon if you are interested in those styles of tops. You just might have more issues with spoilage. I’ve provided a link to Amazon where you can buy both the fermenting tops and weights.
Almost done!
From this point, if you have fermenting weights add this on top of your vegetables, herbs and brine water. Within the next day or two, depending on how warm your location is, you might notice bubbling occurring. This is a reason for celebration because your food is now fermenting! I know usually within three days if I have more than two or three jars on my counter my entire kitchen smells like odd combinations of pickles, sauerkraut and rather funky cheese. Yes, odd I know. In all my years working with fermentation I have found however that that odd fermenting smell is a sign that deliciousness soon follows.
Waiting is torture…
Within about seven days (give or take a few) you can start opening up your jar to smell and taste your wonderful creation. You will know when it’s perfect for you when the vegetables have just enough crispness or flavor. This is where moves from science into art. You get to be the judge on your creation. Do you let it go longer for a more tart or sour finished product? Or is an eight-day fermentation just right for you? I find with sauerkraut usually 7-9 days is good for me at which point the finished product now gets moved into the fridge where the flavors will become a bit more complex.
You can immediately start enjoying from that point on!
Read more on the health benefits of including dishes like sauerkraut here
This lacto fermented sauerkraut is a fantastic new way to make sauerkraut! I’ve been trying to find new ways to make sauerkraut at home. I’m excited to try this out. Thank you for sharing!
You’re very welcome! Yes I love sauerkraut and brats! The fact that we make our own brats too makes it even better!
Tamara