HomeMade Sauerkraut Recipe (Raw Fermented Sauerkraut)

Ever since I learned how easy it is to make homemade sauerkraut, I haven’t bought it from the store. I’m sharing everything I’ve learned along the way to help you make perfectly tangy, crunchy, probiotic-rich sauerkraut every time. All you truly need is cabbage and salt.

What Is Sauerkraut?

Sauerkraut is simply cabbage fermented with salt using a process called lacto-fermentation. Despite the name, there’s no dairy or lactose involved. “Lacto” refers to lactic acid bacteria, naturally present on vegetables, that convert the cabbage’s natural sugars into lactic acid.

That lactic acid is what gives sauerkraut its signature tangy flavor, naturally preserves the cabbage, and creates the acidic environment that allows beneficial bacteria to thrive while helping prevent harmful microbes from taking over. The result is crunchy, tangy cabbage filled with live cultures and beneficial organic acids, all from just cabbage, salt, and time.

Let’s Talk Salt

Salt is one of the most important parts of making sauerkraut. It draws water from the cabbage to create the brine, helps keep the cabbage crisp, and creates an environment that favors lactic acid bacteria while slowing the growth of unwanted microbes.

For fermentation, use a non-iodized salt such as fine sea salt, kosher salt, or pickling salt. I prefer fine sea salt because it dissolves easily and is simple to weigh. Avoid iodized table salt and salts with unnecessary additives or anti-caking agents when possible.

For sauerkraut, a 2–3% salt ratio works well. I personally use 3%, especially for longer ferments.

How To Make Sauerkraut

1. Prep and weigh the vegetables

Remove any damaged outer leaves from the cabbage, then thinly slice the cabbage and carrots. Place a large mixing bowl on a kitchen scale and zero it out. Add the shredded vegetables and note the total weight.

2. Calculate the salt

Multiply the total weight of your vegetables by your desired salt percentage. For this batch, I used a 3% salt ratio, which came out to about 37g sea salt for 1210g of vegetables.

Sprinkle the salt over the cabbage and carrots, then massage everything together with clean hands until the salt is evenly distributed.You can let the mixture sit for about an hour to help draw out more moisture, or cover it and let it rest overnight, which is what I usually do.

When you’re ready to jar the sauerkraut, add any optional flavorings like caraway seeds, fresh dill, or spices.nMassage the mixture again for about 3 to 5 minutes. The cabbage should soften and release more liquid. This liquid becomes your natural brine.

3. Pack the jar

Transfer the cabbage mixture into a clean fermentation jar a little at a time.After each handful, press it down firmly with a fermentation tamper. Continue packing until all the cabbage is in the jar, then pour in any remaining liquid from the bowl.

Place a fermentation weight on top and press down so the cabbage stays completely beneath the brine. If you saved a clean outer cabbage leaf, you can lay it over the shredded cabbage before adding the weight. This helps keep smaller pieces from floating to the surface.

4. Cover and ferment

Secure the jar with an airlock lid and place it somewhere out of direct sunlight. A room temperature of about 65°F to 75°F works well. Warmer temperatures speed up fermentation, while cooler temperatures slow it down. If you’re using a regular lid instead of an airlock, burp the jar regularly during the first week to release built-up gas.

7. Taste, then refrigerate

Let the sauerkraut ferment until it reaches the flavor you like. You can start tasting around 2 weeks, but I usually let mine ferment for about 1 month for a deeper, tangier flavor. Once you’re happy with it, transfer the sauerkraut to the refrigerator to slow fermentation.

I like to divide mine into smaller jars for easier storage. Pack the sauerkraut down firmly, keep it submerged beneath the brine, and pour any remaining brine over the top before sealing.

No Scale? Use This Simple Salt Guide

A kitchen scale is the most accurate way to make sauerkraut, but you can still make a great batch without one. A good rule of thumb is about 1½–2 teaspoons of fine sea salt per pound (450g) of cabbage, depending on how salty you like your sauerkraut.

For an easy visual guide:

• Small cabbage (about 2 lb): 1–1½ tablespoons salt
• Medium cabbage (about 3 lb): 1½–2 tablespoons salt
• Large cabbage (about 4 lb): 2–2½ tablespoons salt

Because salt crystal sizes vary quite a bit, volume measurements aren’t as precise as weighing. If you plan to ferment regularly, a simple kitchen scale is definitely worth having.

Tips for Making the Best Homemade Sauerkraut

Sauerkraut is incredibly simple to make, but a few small details can make the difference between a great ferment and one that doesn’t turn out quite right. Here are the five things I pay the most attention to with every batch.

• Weigh Your Cabbage and Salt. A kitchen scale takes the guesswork out of fermentation. Weigh your vegetables first, then calculate your salt based on that weight. I use a 3% salt ratio for my sauerkraut, which means 30 grams of salt for every 1,000 grams of vegetables.
• Give the Salt Time to Work. After adding the salt, massage it into the cabbage and give it time to draw out the natural moisture. You don’t need to add water, the cabbage should eventually create its own brine. Let it sit in the salt for at least one hour. I often let mine sit covered overnight before packing the jar.
• Pack It Tightly and Keep It Submerged. Press the cabbage firmly into the jar to remove air pockets and bring the brine to the surface. Add a fermentation weight and make sure all of the cabbage stays below the brine throughout fermentation. Exposure to oxygen is one of the biggest causes of unwanted yeast and mold.
• Don’t Panic When It Starts Bubbling. Bubbles, fizzing, and even some brine rising in the jar are all normal signs that fermentation is active. During the first week especially, lactic acid bacteria are converting the cabbage’s sugars into acids and producing gases along the way. Leave some headspace to help prevent overflowing, and burp regularly if you’re using a standard sealed lid.
• Let Flavor Tell You When It’s Ready. There isn’t one exact day when sauerkraut is “done.” Temperature, salt percentage, and personal preference all affect fermentation time. Start tasting around 2 weeks and refrigerate it when you’re happy with the flavor. I prefer mine around the one-month mark because it develops a deeper tang while still keeping a nice crunch.

Gut-Friendly & Naturally Probiotic

One of my favorite reasons to make homemade sauerkraut is that it’s naturally packed with live beneficial bacteria created during lacto-fermentation. As the cabbage ferments, lactic acid bacteria feed on its natural sugars and produce lactic acid, giving sauerkraut its signature tang while helping preserve it.

When enjoyed regularly as part of a balanced diet, fermented foods like sauerkraut can help support a diverse gut microbiome and healthy digestion. And because homemade sauerkraut isn’t pasteurized, those live cultures remain intact. Just make sure you enjoy it raw rather than heating it if you want to preserve the beneficial bacteria.