Ukrainian Sauerkraut Recipe

Ukrainian-style sauerkraut with shredded carrots is so good! I often get asked for this sauerkraut recipe. It’s pickled with shredded cabbage, carrots, salt, a little sugar, and water brine, then left to ferment on the counter until the desired sour taste. This homemade sauerkraut, pronounced “Kesla Kapusta,” is our family’s foolproof method of making traditional kraut and can be enjoyed within two days (or 3 to 5 days for more lactic acid to kick in)!

 

We love to add sauerkraut to soup (Borscht), top it over kielbasa, like these Bratwurst and Sauerkraut Sandwiches, stir it into Fried Cabbage, make a sauerkraut salad, and use it as a filling to Polish Pierogi or Varenyky! We will even drink sauerkraut juice if any of us has an upset stomach! It is the fermented food that is so versatile in our Eastern European cuisine.

What Is Sauerkraut?

Sauerkarut is basically sour cabbage that has been chopped and pickled in brine until the good bacteria on the cabbage convert sugars into lactic acid. This inhibits the growth of harmful bacteria, and when fermented right, sauerkraut can be ready to eat anywhere from 2 to 3 days, depending on the temperature of your room.

Making Sauerkraut in the Old Days:

Back in my grandma’s time, making sauerkraut was made in huge batches to preserve the cabbage harvest and eat it throughout the winter. My husband’s grandmother would finely shred white cabbage (the hearty winter cabbage variety that was harvested in November in Ukraine) using a big wooden kraut maker over a huge wooden vessel larger than a barrel.

Before even making sauerkraut, the vessel where the cabbage would ferment needed to be soaked with water for days for all the creases in the wood to swell and shut; otherwise, there could have been potential spills from the cracks in the wood.

Homemade Sauerkraut

This vessel was located in the root cellar, where grandma would heavily salt the cabbage and then pound it with a big wooden pounder. She would then make holes in the cabbage using a utensil and let it sit open for four days in the open to ferment. This allowed the cabbage to release any bitterness during fermentation.

After the fourth day, the liquid from the fermented cabbage would fill in the holes, and it was ready to cover and store the kraut all winter long without refrigeration.

To finish the sauerkraut, Grandma would smooth out the top, cover the surface with cheesecloth, place a wooden press over the top, and weigh it down with a large stone so that the liquid could cover the cabbage. This prolonged the storage life in the cold root cellar, but there was a lot of maintenance to keep up with.

The wooden cover that kept the sauerkraut submerged in the brine had to be washed every week to keep the scum off, or the top layer had to be discarded from mold. Sometimes even twice a week.

All that to say, modern-day fermentation is way easier! You can make small batches in a mason jar to get through as you need and let it ferment on the counter all in the convenience of your home. No root cellar is required, and because most home’s temperatures are above 60°F, there is no need to ferment for days and days (usually 2 to 3 days is enough time for fermentation for me). After fermentation, the refrigerator helps with longer storage.

Now that is an easy sauerkraut recipe compared to the old-fashioned Soviet days.

 

Is SauerKraut Good For You?

There are many sauerkraut benefits. The best way to get all of the available nutrients from fermentation is to leave sauerkraut uncooked. This means to skip the canning and enjoy raw sauerkraut for the best health benefits!

Not only is it best to eat sauerkraut raw, but the fermentation process increases the bioavailability of nutrients making sauerkraut even more nutritious than the original cabbage!

So, leave the live beneficial microbes like lactobacilli in uncooked sauerkraut for the sake of gut health and better digestion!  Do not freeze sauerkraut if you want the healthy enzymes to be present.

Every culture has its way of sauerkraut preparations. For instance, Korean kimchi is a Japanese staple of Lacto-fermented cabbage and vegetables, and Moldovians pickle whole cabbage heads for making Sarmale (cabbage rolls). However, in Russia and Ukraine, we like to add grated carrots or sometimes beets for color to sauerkraut, whereas German sauerkraut is nestled with caraway and mustard seeds. Adding additional vegetables makes it better!

How is Sauerkraut Made?

Traditionally the process of sauerkraut is to cure the cabbage by salting and letting it ferment.

My mom’s side of the family for making sauerkraut is to massage shredded cabbage well with salt to release its natural liquid known as its own brine. Whereas my husband’s mom adds water to make a type of mild sauerkraut. I make mine with water, too, only I like a little more lactic acid production so I leave it out to ferment in the water brine for at least two days before refrigerating.

The difference between the two methods is that the pure salting method tends to be more bitter-tasting for our liking, and it’s more prone to spoiling if you don’t get the salt-to-cabbage ratio right. Whereas the pickling method with water makes a more desirable taste that is milder in flavor, you’re still getting the lactic acid from fermentation, but it isn’t as harsh in flavor.

How To Make Sauerkraut with Carrots:

Making sauerkraut is very easy in our modern times! There are 2-ways to make fermented cabbage at home. Be sure to peel off the outer leaves when starting.

• Traditional Method: Use 3 tablespoons of salt for every 5 pounds of cabbage. If you have 3.5 pounds, use two tablespoons. Shred the cabbage finely using a Mandoline or kraut maker and layer with salt, then massage the salt into the cabbage with your hands until it releases juice. Sometimes, salting the cabbage and leaving it to sit for 10-20 minutes brings out the juices so that it will be easier to mix. Keep your cabbage beneath the juice and ferment for 2-3 days to the desired sour taste. This works great in a gallon mason jar!
• Foolproof Pickling Method- in a large bowl, shred the cabbage finely and add half of the salt, sugar, and shredded carrots. Set the cabbage aside and stir the remaining salt into cold water. Place the cabbage mixture into a vessel, pot, or jar and cover with the water brine. Keep the cabbage under the liquid for 2-5 days in a cool, dark place on the counter to ferment. This method works great for great-tasting sauerkraut in salads, soups, and more!

Best Cabbage For Sauerkraut?

White, also called Dutch cabbage– with smooth, pale green leaves is the best cabbage to use for making sauerkraut. White Cabbage has the highest moisture content, which is ideal for sauerkraut. It has thicker compacted leaves than green cabbage and is heavier. Green cabbage is light in weight and ferments quickly. Storebought cabbage will work, too; just peel off the outer leaves and look for pale white leaves on the head of the cabbage; also, pick it to choose the heaviest head.

How Long Does Sauerkraut Last?

Does sauerkraut go bad? Sauerkraut will last for months in the fridge when properly fermented; then, it must be stored cold. First, you need to ferment the sauerkraut at room temperature for at least two days, give it a taste test, and if it’s not too sour, let it sit for another day or two. This will drastically depend on the temperature of your room; when I make it in the summer, it takes two days to ferment at 77°F.

Then, you must store the fermented cabbage in the fridge (below 60°F). Properly fermented cabbage should have clear and watery liquid, not slimy. Always store cabbage under the brine, and when you take sauerkraut out from the jar, try to drain the liquid back into the jar before removing it. That way, your cabbage has enough liquid to cover the surface and prolong its use.

Pickling Saurkraut with water ensures that there is enough liquid to work with is such a foolproof way to make sauerkraut; it’s too hard to mess up!

Recipes With Sauerkraut:

Need recipes using sauerkraut? Here are some ideas for how to eat sauerkraut! Homemade kraut can make lots of sauerkraut meals!

• We like to make fried cabbage and stir in sauerkraut and sometimes ribs or pork to make it a one-dish meal. The meatless version makes a great filling for Polish Pierogi, Belyashi, and Piroshki (meat pies).
• Sauerkraut is typically a side dish for many meals in Eastern European Cuisine. We can eat it pickled straight from the jar or turn it into a quick sauerkraut salad by adding sunflower oil, black pepper, and raw sliced onions.
• Sauerkraut soup (Kapusniak) is a great way to use up leftovers! Simply cook some vegetables in stock (like carrots and potatoes) and add some herbs and spices. My mother-in-law adds tomato sauce to her version. We like to add sauerkraut to a pot of Borscht too!
• Sauerkraut is so good with Boiled Potatoes or a side of Mashed Potatoes!  Add some Homemade Rye Bread for a meal of itself!

 

 

Everything You Need To Make Sauerkraut At Home:

• Mandoline Slicer– makes shredding cabbage a breeze!
• 1-Gallon Glass Jar-perfect for storing sauerkraut in the fridge for longer storage.
• Large Mixing Bowl– be sure to use an extra-large bowl, as cabbage can triple in volume when shredding.
• 8-Quart Pot– use a large pot for fermenting sauerkraut. This ensures no spills or overflows.
• Sharp Knife- I like to slice the head of cabbage in half for easier shredding.