Description
A simple easy, small batch recipe for Beet and Cabbage Sauerkraut that anyone can make using a mason jar. Full of good healthy bacteria!
Ingredients
- 3 Cups cabbage- finely sliced ( leave one leaf whole, for the top)
- 1 Cup grated beet- (or leave it out and add an extra cup of cabbage, or grated carrot)
- ⅛–¼ Cup sliced red onion – optional
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 4 cup mason jar
Other optional ingredients:
- 1 teaspoon caraway seeds
- 1 garlic clove grated
- 1–2 teaspoon grated ginger
Instructions
- Finely slice and grate cabbage and beets.
- You need about 4 cups total. I add a ⅛ to ¼ cup sliced onion. This is optional.
- Place in a bowl along with any other optional ingredients and massage with 1 teaspoon fine sea salt. Let sit on the counter, mixing occasionally for 1-2 hours, until cabbage has wilted and released a little water.
- Place cabbage beet mixture and all the juices in CLEAN mason jar and pack it down with a muddler, or the end of a wooden spoon.
- If there is not enough liquid to cover, mix one teaspoon sea salt with 1 cup filtered water, and add just enough of this brine so cabbage -beet mixture is submerged- leaving at least an inch of space at the top of jar. Top with a whole cabbage leaf ( or fermentation weight) and press it down once more. Cover with loosely with a lid and place on a pan ( to catch any liquid).
- Then place in a cool dark place ( ideally 65 -72 degrees F ) for 3-5 days. It may take longer to ferment if it is colder. I often place mine in the cooler part of my kitchen, covered with a big dishcloth. You can check it daily to make sure cabbage is under the brine.
- After 3-4 days, check for activity. When you tap the jar, tiny bubbles should rise to the top, indicating it’s fermenting. Once fermented to the desired amount, place it in the fridge. The longer it ferments the more sour it will taste.
- Once it’s chilled the smell will surprisingly mellow out and it will actually seem edible! So let it chill overnight, discard the cabbage leaf, then give it a taste!
Notes
Do not use pre-shredded cabbage. You need the natural bacteria from a whole cabbage. Farmers market cabbage works especially well.
If you are finding you need to add quite a bit of water to get the cabbage to be submerged, make a brine first. A basic fermentation ratio is 1 heaping teaspoon sea salt to every cup water.
You can also use fermentation weight to keep the kraut submerged, or a sterilized round smooth stone ( boil in water to sterilize), or use a small ziplock bag, filled with a little water, as a weight, placed over the cabbage in the jar.
Any cabbage that is exposed to air, will likely get moldy. Feel free to remove the mold if it is just on one area, you likely can salvage the rest.
Nutrition
- Calories: 45
Keywords: how to make sauerkraut, beet sauerkraut, sauerkraut recipe, easy sauerkraut, easy sauerkraut recipe, cabbage sauerkraut