How to make sauerkraut

Learn the easy process of making the fermented cabbage that everyone is talking about

Sauerkraut is a fermented cabbage that originates from Germany. With only two simple ingredients - cabbage and salt - it's an easy recipe to get you on the road to fermenting your own food.

The salt draws the liquid out of the cabbage, encourages fermentation and is also the preservative. German sauerkraut traditionally uses 5 per cent salt to cabbage but if you prefer a less salty version, you can confidently use 2.5 per cent salt instead.

For more, read Ray McVinnie's feature: Making and cooking with sauerkraut.

Step 1

Get two clean plastic buckets and drizzle boiling water over both to sterilise.

Step 2

Add 1kg of finely sliced cabbage (I use a mandoline) to one bucket.

Step 3

Sprinkle on 25g of salt (5 tsp). If you have less cabbage, keep to ratio of 5g salt per 200g cabbage.

Step 4

Squeeze firmly with clean hands for a minute or two until the juice comes out of the cabbage.

Step 5

Place second bucket on top of juicy cabbage and half fill with water to weight it down.

Step 6

Cover with a clean teatowel and tie around top of buckets to keep out beasties.

Step 7

Leave at room temperature for 2-3 weeks to ferment until nice and sour.

Step 8

Transfer to a jar and store in fridge. If there’s any mould on top just scrape it off first until you get to the clean sauerkraut.