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Makes: 1kg
Prep time: 25 mins
Total time:
![Homemade sauerkraut recipe | Sainsbury`s Magazine (4) Homemade sauerkraut recipe | Sainsbury`s Magazine (4)](https://i0.wp.com/sainsburysmagazine.co.uk/uploads/media/720x770/05/12925-sauerkraut.jpg?v=1-0)
Recipe photograph by Ant Duncan
Recipe by Abigail Spooner
From kombucha to kimchi, fermented food is becoming increasingly popular, not least because the natural chemical process produces good-for-your-gut bacteria. Homemade sauerkraut is a great place to start– try it with cured meats, cheese, smoked fish or sausages
Makes: 1kg
Prep time: 25 mins
Total time:
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Sides Vegetarian Vegetables Gluten-free Dairy-free Vegan
Nutritional information (50g)
Calories
18Kcal
Fat
0gr
Saturates
0gr
Carbs
2gr
Sugars
2gr
Fibre
2gr
Protein
1gr
![Homemade sauerkraut recipe | Sainsbury`s Magazine (7) Homemade sauerkraut recipe | Sainsbury`s Magazine (7)](https://i0.wp.com/sainsburysmagazine.co.uk/uploads/media/100x100/06/10586-Abi.jpg?v=1-0)
Abigail Spooner
Abi is our former Junior Food Editor. An obsessive foodie with a sweet tooth, she is happiest when baking and is a firm believer that there is always room for dessert (preferably following a big bowl of pasta)
See more of Abigail Spooner’s recipes
![Homemade sauerkraut recipe | Sainsbury`s Magazine (8) Homemade sauerkraut recipe | Sainsbury`s Magazine (8)](https://i0.wp.com/sainsburysmagazine.co.uk/uploads/media/100x100/06/10586-Abi.jpg?v=1-0)
Abigail Spooner
Abi is our former Junior Food Editor. An obsessive foodie with a sweet tooth, she is happiest when baking and is a firm believer that there is always room for dessert (preferably following a big bowl of pasta)
See more of Abigail Spooner’s recipes
Rate this recipe
Ingredients
- 1kg firm white cabbage or other veg, see ‘Make it your own’ right
- 16g sea salt flakes or Himalayan pink salt
- 1 tbsp caraway seeds
Step by step
- Reserve an outer cabbage leaf, then cut the whole cabbage into quarters. Finely shred crosswise until you have 800g, discarding the core once you’ve worked around it.
- Place in a large bowl and, with clean hands, vigorously massage the salt into the cabbage for 5 minutes; this will start to draw out moisture, forming a brine. Set aside for 5 minutes then massage again. Rest and massage a couple more times until the cabbage volume has reduced significantly and a good puddle of brine has formed.
- Stir in the caraway seeds. Pack into a wide-mouthed sterilised preserving jar, pressing the cabbage down and leaving a 3-4cm gap at the top.
Kitchen tip
Sterilise your jars for 5 minutes in a medium-hot oven
- To make sure the cabbage stays fully submerged in brine (to ferment safely), cut the reserved leaf to fit in the top of the jar. Weigh this down with a heavy item (such as a smaller jar filled with water). Sit the preserving jar in a dish, cover loosely and keep at cool room temperature (18-22°C) for 5-7 days, out of direct sunlight. The mixture will get bubbly, fade in colour, and the brine level may rise and fall as fermentation progresses.
- It will be ready to eat after this time, but for maximum flavour leave to ferment for 2-4 weeks, tasting regularly until you’re happy with the flavour. Remove the weight, seal the jar and store in the fridge.
Make it your own
Option 1: Swap the white cabbage for red cabbage and use 1 tbsp lightly bruised juniper berries instead of caraway seeds.
Option 2: Add 250g grated carrots with the cabbage and use 21g salt to allow for the increased weight of veg. Stir in 2 tsp ground turmeric and 1 tbsp grated ginger instead of the caraway seeds.
- Once sealed, store in the fridge. It keeps for up to 6 months, even once opened, as long as the sauerkraut stays submerged in brine.