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    Home » Recipe » Red Cabbage Sauerkraut/Fermented Red Cabbage

    Red Cabbage Sauerkraut/Fermented Red Cabbage

    Published: Mar 21, 2021 · Modified: Jan 26, 2022 by Sabrina Currie · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Have you tried red cabbage sauerkraut? This is a simple recipe made in the traditional way of lacto fermenting. Don't be scared off by the term, I will show you how truly easy it is to lacto ferment your own red cabbage sauerkraut with just a few simple ingredients. Once you try this, you'll never buy it again!

    White and red cabbage sauerkraut with simple airlock lids
    White and red cabbage sauerkraut with simple airlock lids
    Jump to:
    • Natural pickling
    • Sauerkraut basics
    • What Inspired This Recipe
    • Flavors of Sauerkraut
    • Step By Step Instructions
    • What Foods Are Fermented?
    • What do you eat with red cabbage sauerkraut?
    • Storage
    • Tips and Tricks for Foolproof Fermenting
    • Recipe

    Natural pickling

    Pickling can be done by using a strong vinegar mixture or by brining and fermenting. I will be walking you through the fermenting style. Fermented foods are excellent for gut health with all the probiotics.

    For more awesome fermented vegetables, try my Fermented Radishes and Lacto Fermented Garlic Scapes.

    Sauerkraut basics

    Making sauerkraut the traditional way is a simple process that is returning in popularity. The result is a distinct tart and complex flavor full of healthy probiotic bacteria and great for gut health.

    The basics are clean uniformly sized produce, a salt water brine and a non-porous jar or crock to keep the fermenting food submerged, creating a safe and airless environment. Fruit and vegetables naturally contain the right bacteria (lactobacillus) to do this job with little intervention from you, creating a naturally pickled flavor.

    Uniformly chopped red cabbage for sauerkraut
    Uniformly chopped red cabbage for sauerkraut

    What Inspired This Recipe

    I was introduced to sauerkraut from my Great Grandfather who immigrated from the Ukraine. He grew his own vegetables and fermented his own sauerkraut. While many people assume sauerkraut is German, Wikipedia hypothesizes that it was started in China and was then brought to Europe. Many Eastern European countries make their own regional recipes now.

    I love the Ukrainian food of my memories. My grandparents and great grandparents made all sorts of delicious traditional foods that I truly love and crave. You can check out my Ukrainian borscht recipe here, or try Lacto Fermented Garlic Scapes which are made in the same method as this red sauerkraut.

    Flavors of Sauerkraut

    Sauerkraut is traditionally made with white cabbage. Red cabbage works just as well with a slightly sweeter flavor and a stunning color that will add life to any plate. My preference is the sweeter red cabbage sauerkraut. Fermented cabbage has a pleasantly tangy, natural vinegar flavor. It is bold and complex with a pleasing crunch. This preservation method is fairly salty. While fine in small quantities if you want to eat more as a side dish, it is best to rinse a little salt out first.

    Herbs, spices and extra fruit and vegetable additions will also change the flavor. While cabbage is the main ingredient, there are many flavor combinations. Shredded apple, beet or carrot, cranberries, caraway seeds, juniper berries and even white wine each define regional specialties. Korean kimchi is made with the same method but adds hot red pepper, yum!

    Step By Step Instructions

    Start by gathering you jars and ingredients. Make sure all equipment is perfectly clean.

    Clean sterilized canning jars with lids beside on the counder.

    Shred your cabbage finely. Using a mandoline helps make evenly sized pieces and makes quick work fo shredding it. Alternatively, a sharp knife works well too.

    Uniformly chopped red cabbage for sauerkraut
    Uniformly chopped red cabbage for sauerkraut

    Make your brine. The simple solution of filtered or otherwise unchlorinated water and pure salt is the perfect mixture. Use kosher or sea salt that doesn't have any extra additives.

    Closeup of crunchy kosher sea salt with a small wooden spoon on a black countertop.

    Fill your jars with any spices, herbs and flavorings. Then pack shredded cabbage in tightly leaving an inch of space at the top. Finish by pouring brine mixture over so it covers cabbage.

    Top with a weight, whether homemade or storebought and then a lid. Using an airlock or pickle pipe is great, but you can also use a regular canning lid if that's all you have. Simply open and reclose the lid once a day to "burp" the jars. This allows the build up of gas to be released.

    White and red cabbage sauerkraut with simple airlock lids
    White and red cabbage sauerkraut with simple airlock lids

    Let your ferment (cabbage with spices and brine) sit for 7-10 days. It will likely get cloudy for a few days before clearing again. Ferment as long as you like until it is to your liking. Taste test it after 7 days and then every 2 days after until you decide it has the pickled flavor you love.

    Once you are happy with the flavor, top it with a regular canning jar lid and store in your refrigerator or cold storage. Enjoy it right away or a little bit at a time. The beneficial bacteria keep this from going bad so it will keep easily up to 3 months as long as no foreign bacteria are introduced.

    What Foods Are Fermented?

    Other common and simple to make fermented foods include yogurt, kefir, many vegetable pickles, kimchi, miso and even fish. You may feel concerned about spoilage if doing it yourself for the first time but this traditional method is safer than most people realize.

    What do you eat with red cabbage sauerkraut?

    Options are plenty from my favorite Ukrainian dishes of pierogis and kielbasa, to French and German recipes like choucroute garnie or franks. It makes a tangy, crunchy crisp foil as a side dish with sausage or pork dishes.

    Top a hot dog or make a Reuben sandwich. This unique pickled cabbage defines a Reuben sandwich which is corned beef with swiss cheese, sauerkraut and Russian dressing or mustard on grilled rye bread. You can add it as a filling in pierogis too.

    Fermented Red Cabbage Sauerkraut
    Fermented Red Cabbage Sauerkraut

    Storage

    Kept in the fridge, this will keep easily for 3 months or longer. In cold storage, you should plan to use within 3 months. Usually this won't actually go "bad" but will lose the crispness and bright color if left longer.

    Tips and Tricks for Foolproof Fermenting

    My recipe is very simple and instead of massaging all the ingredients as some do, I prefer to make a simple salt water brine. This is to ensure my cabbage is completely submerged and has the right level of salt for safety.

    This is as fail safe a recipe as you can do and if all your supplies are clean and you keep your ferment submerged, you shouldn't have any problems. An important tool is a fermenting weight. The other thing you might like is an airlock device. You can use a paper coffee filter with an elastic band if you like, but if you do a lot of fermenting, you might like a reusable one like the Pickle Pipes I carry or a simple water airlock device. (Here's my shop page of growing, culturing and fermenting supplies.)

    • Fermenting/pickling weights sold by West Coast Kitchen Garden Shop
      Fermenting weights sold by West Coast Kitchen Garden Shop
    • Pickling and fermenting is easy with these simple silicone air locks on mason jars
      Simple and inexpensive fermenting air locks make pickling and culturing easy
    • Silicone Pickle Pipes For Home Fermenting-Set of 4 in Bright Colors
      Silicone Pickle Pipes For Home Fermenting-Set of 4

    Once you’ve mastered the basic recipe, try adding in different spices or shredded apple, carrot or beet to this recipe to make it your own! Please don't hesitate to ask questions below if you need more information or trouble shooting tips!

    For more on what I'm cooking up, follow me on Instagram or Facebook. You might also like my FREE printable weekly meal planner.

    Cheers friends! Sabrina

    Have a wonderful and delicious day,

    Sabrina

    Recipe

    White and red cabbage sauerkraut with simple airlock lids

    Red Cabbage Sauerkraut

    This recipe can be multiplied to make as many jars as you like. Simply follow the 2 tablespoon kosher salt per 1 liter of filtered water. Once you try this, feel free to experiment adding shredded carrot, beet or apple or play with different spices adjusting to your personal preference.
    5 from 52 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Condiment, Preserves, Side Dish, Vegetable
    Prep Time: 20 minutes
    8 days
    Total Time: 8 days 20 minutes
    Servings: 2 1 qt Mason Jars
    Calories: 102kcal
    Author: Sabrina Currie

    Equipment

    • 2 1-Quart wide mouth mason jars (sterilize with boiling water before using)
    • Optional: airlock lids or pickle pipe tops for mason jars, glass fermenting weights

    Ingredients

    • 6 cups Red Cabbage
    • 1 tablespoon Peppercorns
    • 2 teaspoon Caraway seeds optional
    • 3 tablespoon Kosher salt
    • 6 cups Filtered water or boiled 20 minutes and cooled to remove chlorine if on city water

    Instructions

    • Make a brine of 6 cups water to 3 tablespoon sea salt and stir to dissolve.
    • Peel off outer leaves of cabbage, cut in half, remove core and thinly slice or shred. You can use a food processor to shred if you like.
    • Place ½ tablespoon peppercorns and 1 teaspoon caraway seeds in the bottom of each quart jar. Add shredded cabbage on top of spices and pack it in as evenly as possible, leaving slightly more than an inch of headspace at top of jar.
    • Pour brine over red cabbage, leaving 1 inch of headspace (you may have some brine leftover). Top with fermenting weight to keep shredded veggies submerged. It is important to keep your cabbage submerged.
    • Close jar with airlock or pickle pipe and fasten gently with jar ring. If you don’t have the special lids, put regular canning jar lids on and undo it once or twice a day to release gases (burping the jar) or use a coffee filter secured on top.
      Leave to ferment at room temperature 5-10 days. These will likely turn cloudy as it starts fermenting and small bubbles will occasionally be rising. This is normal.
    • Once the initial fermentation period is over (it is over when you decide you like how it tastes), it is ready to enjoy.
      Typically this will take 7-10 days. Once finished to your taste, top with a regular canning lid and move jar to cold storage or refrigerator.
    • Kept in the fridge, this will keep easily for 3 months or longer. In cold storage, you should plan to use within 3 months. Usually this won't actually go "bad" but will lose the crispness and bright color if left longer.
      ***If you end up with mold or a horrible smell that is not like vinegar and cabbage, toss it out and start again with fresh sterilized jars.

    Notes

    Using clean sterile equipment is essential to the success of making red sauerkraut or any fermented food. 
    The other key step is to keep your ingredients submerged to prevent mold. If you don’t have a fermenting weight or something similar, fill a small plastic bag with about ½-1 c water, seal and put on top of your red cabbage.
    Cover your ferment. Using some type of lid helps ensure no foreign bacteria gets in while the fermenting is happening.
    This recipe can make as many jars as you like. Simply follow the 2 tablespoon kosher salt per 1 liter of filtered water and make as much brine as you need.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 102kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 10574mg | Potassium: 744mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 3014IU | Vitamin C: 153mg | Calcium: 184mg | Iron: 3mg
    Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @wckitchengarden or tag #wckitchengarden!
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    About Sabrina Currie

    Classically French trained cook, photographer and food stylist living on beautiful Vancouver Island, BC.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Audrey

      March 21, 2021 at 5:46 pm

      5 stars
      This was so much easier than I thought it would be.

      Reply
      • SabCurrie

        March 22, 2021 at 2:33 pm

        Awesome Audrey! That was my reaction the first time I tried it too!

        Reply
      • Pamela A White

        August 14, 2021 at 6:23 pm

        When I change over to a regular lid, do I take the weights out then, I excited to see how this comes out!

        Reply
        • Sabrina Currie

          August 14, 2021 at 9:10 pm

          Hi Pam, yes, when you store in fridge, you can remove the weight.

          Reply
    2. Raquel

      March 22, 2021 at 2:29 pm

      5 stars
      A nice way to enjoy red cabbage!

      Reply
      • SabCurrie

        March 22, 2021 at 2:32 pm

        I agree, it definitely tastes more interesting and sweet 🙂

        Reply
        • BV

          January 18, 2022 at 9:29 pm

          I don’t have any of the fermenting equipment, I am trying the plastic bag and water method. Can I just put a dish cloth over the jar while fermenting or does it have to be more seal covered (so right now I have cabbage and brine, in a mason jar, plastic bag with water, then a dish cloth to cover as the plastic bags makes it impossible to tightly close the lid of the jar. Thanks!!

          Reply
          • Sabrina Currie

            January 18, 2022 at 9:32 pm

            If your dish cloth is fresh and clean , ie fresh from the washer, it should be fine. The main thing is to keep any foreign bacteria out. A jar lid works great too, you just have to let the gas out every one or two days.
            Let me know how it goes!

            Reply
    3. Sangita

      March 22, 2021 at 11:14 pm

      5 stars
      So much easier than I thought. Very simple and easy recipe.

      Reply
      • SabCurrie

        March 23, 2021 at 3:06 pm

        I’m so happy to hear that Sangita! Enjoy 🙂

        Reply
    4. Jere

      March 23, 2021 at 1:27 pm

      5 stars
      I used to make sauerkraut but never with red cabbage, I need to try your recipe. The color is awesome.

      Reply
      • SabCurrie

        March 23, 2021 at 3:06 pm

        Oooh yes! The red cabbage makes such a gorgeous sauerkraut. Let me know what you think if you try it!

        Reply
    5. Bernice

      April 06, 2021 at 4:24 pm

      5 stars
      I make my own sauerkraut all of the time but I have never used red cabbage as I hand massage the cabbage. If I try it, I'll do it like my grandma taught me and use the pounding method rather than massaging it. I'd have red hands for days!!

      Reply
      • SabCurrie

        April 06, 2021 at 4:42 pm

        Haha, almost as bad as beets! If you use my method, you don’t have to do any massaging!

        Reply
    6. Sadia Malik

      April 07, 2021 at 10:51 pm

      5 stars
      I like that this has a sweet hint to it and the color is awesome.

      Reply
    7. Colleen

      April 09, 2021 at 8:58 am

      5 stars
      I love sauerkraut and have never made it with red cabbage, although I like to pickle red cabbage. Now I want to ferment it! Thanks for all the great tips.

      Reply
    8. nancy

      April 09, 2021 at 3:07 pm

      5 stars
      ive never tried making sauerkraut before but the colors looks beautiful! Can't wait to try pickling these!

      Reply
    9. Terri

      April 12, 2021 at 7:24 pm

      5 stars
      I would LOVE to try making my own sauerkraut because I certainly use it in a lot of things. Thanks for the idea!

      Reply
    10. Julia

      April 14, 2021 at 1:31 am

      5 stars
      My husband makes huge batches of saurkraut and eats it every single day with his lunch. He uses red cabbage as well. This one looks so much prettier than his version . Pinning for later.

      Reply
      • SabCurrie

        April 16, 2021 at 10:35 am

        Thank you Julia!

        Reply
    11. nixodian

      November 23, 2021 at 4:28 am

      adding balsamic or any vinegar to the ferment will still allow the good bacteria to do their job?

      Reply
      • Sabrina Currie

        November 25, 2021 at 11:55 am

        It is not ideal to add the vinegar at the beginning because it will slow the natural fermentation process. If you want to add vinegar, I recommend waiting until the cabbage has fermented to your liking before then adding vinegar.
        If you choose to add vinegar at the beginning, don't add too much and using a live culture vinegar is recommended. Good luck, let me know if you add the vinegar and how it goes for you.

        Reply
    12. Jeannie

      January 03, 2022 at 3:48 am

      Something I needed to try because sauerkraut is so good for the body

      Reply
    13. Marcia Mullins

      January 07, 2022 at 11:47 am

      Is the amount of sodium in the finished product correct?

      Reply
      • Sabrina Currie

        January 07, 2022 at 11:51 am

        Hi Marcia,
        Yes it is. It sounds like a lot but it is 10 000 mg is 10 g and that is how much is in the entire jar. Likely you would eat at most a quarter of the jar and drain off the excess salt brine substantially lowering how much sodium is in your serving. If you like, you can rinse your sauerkraut before consuming to further lower the sodium content.
        Hope that helps 🙂

        Reply
        • Marcia Mullins

          January 07, 2022 at 11:53 am

          The nutrional information does not indicate is if it is per serving or based on the complete recipe. Which is it?

          Reply
          • Sabrina Currie

            January 07, 2022 at 11:54 am

            It is the nutritional value per jar. This recipe makes 2 jars.

            Reply
            • Molly

              April 03, 2022 at 6:59 pm

              I’m trying the fermentation process right now and I’m getting a really bad smell coming from the jar. What did I do wrong, or is this normal? I have a glass jar and the lid has a water seal on it.

            • Sabrina Currie

              April 03, 2022 at 7:01 pm

              Are all your ingredients submerged? What vegetables did you use and how long has it been fermenting?

    14. Marcia Mullins

      January 07, 2022 at 11:51 am

      Also can I use Celtic Sea Salt?

      Reply
      • Sabrina Currie

        January 07, 2022 at 11:53 am

        Absolutely. I love using sea salt for its trace minerals and flavour.

        Reply
        • Marcia Mullins

          January 07, 2022 at 11:54 am

          YAY

          Reply
    15. Kevin

      August 27, 2022 at 6:55 pm

      Hi Sabrina, Just wondering how you serve this. Do you drain it? It's quite a bit more wet than sauerkraut I'm familiar with.

      Reply
      • Sabrina Currie

        August 27, 2022 at 8:28 pm

        Hi Kevin, you can serve this like any regular sauerkraut. It does have more liquid so just scoop it out with a fork and squeeze as much brine out as you like.
        I love it on sandwiches and as a side either cold with sandwiches or warmed in a pan and served with sausages.
        Hope that helps,
        Sabrina

        Reply
    16. Kevin Woolf

      September 05, 2022 at 8:56 am

      It's a very liquid product. Do you drain the excess?

      Reply
      • Sabrina Currie

        September 05, 2022 at 9:00 am

        Hi Kevin, scoop out the sauerkraut with a fork to leave behind the brine. If you find it too salty, you can give it a quick rinse before serving.

        Reply
    17. Eve

      November 17, 2022 at 4:44 pm

      Hi Sabrina,

      Thanks for the recipe and instruction! I don't like the taste of caraway seeds, can I use some minced fresh garlic?

      Thank you & stay healthy!

      Eve

      Reply
      • Sabrina Currie

        November 17, 2022 at 4:48 pm

        Hi Eve,
        You can definitely skip the caraway but garlic is tricky. It often turns bright blue, green or even grey and it may change the color of your cabbage sauerkraut. I recommend making it plain first (just cabbage and salt brine) then you can add any dried herbs or spices you like next time. Hope that helps. Let me know how it goes!
        Sabrina

        Reply

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