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My red cabbage sauerkraut recipe is not too difficult and can save you money. You can make this vibrant lacto-fermented cabbage at home with cabbage and salt; no starter culture is needed! IMHO, fermented red cabbage tastes very similar to green cabbage sauerkraut. It has the same tangy flavor, pungent smell, and it’s a delicious addition to meals. Learn the secret sauerkraut-making trick that will help tell you if you have a successful batch here!
Sauerkraut making is part art, part science. Keep in mind that fermenting red cabbage is a slow food process. If you’re willing to put in the time and invest in a few key pieces of equipment, I think you’re going to be thrilled with the results.
What a great idea to use red cabbage to see the progress being made! 
– Brittany
🛒 Red Cabbage Sauerkraut Ingredients
Here’s what you need to make fermented red cabbage:
- 23 ounces red cabbage (about one small head; save an outer leaf or two)
- 1 tablespoon pickling salt or finely ground sea salt
- 8 dried juniper berries
- ½ teaspoon caraway seeds
One issue with using a volume measurement for salt is that you could end up short if you use a coarser salt grain. One solution is to weigh both the salt and the cabbage. The general rule is to use salt in the amount of 2% of the weight of cabbage.
Use a canning or pickling salt, or a fine grain sea salt, as I did. Do not use iodized salt. While it won’t alter the salt to cabbage ratio, it can discolor the ferment.
I highly recommend that you invest in a fermenting kit that (at minimum) contains glass jar weights and airlock fermentation lids. The jar weight keeps the cabbage under the brine, both during the ferment and later in the fridge. Airlock fermentation lids help maintain the right amount of moisture and air in the jar while keeping dust out.
The fermenting kit I used includes jar weights, airlock lids, and a wooden tamper. The tamper is entirely optional; a mallet works just as well for bashing the water out of the cabbage. However, the tamper is the best option for tightly packing the cabbage into the jar.
You’ll also need a wide-mouth quart mason jar. The USDA recommends not trying to ferment foods in metal containers, other than those that are stainless steel.
Traditional purple cabbage sauerkraut is made in a fermentation crock. However, I found the results less reliable using a crock compared to the mason jar and airlock lid method. The sauerkraut was more susceptible to environmental factors (like temperature and humidity).
Best Cabbage Variety for Sauerkraut
IMHO you should make your first sauerkraut batch with red cabbage, not green. Not only is red cabbage sauerkraut a beautiful magenta color, it also provides an indicator of success.
Remember using red cabbage as an acid-base indicator in junior high chemistry? The red means your ferment has turned acidic, precisely what you want!
Red Cabbage Sauerkraut Salt Ratio
It’s very important to weigh and measure the ingredients in this recipe carefully. Using the advised amount of salt for sauerkraut is important for food safety. It is recommended that you use at least three tablespoons per five pounds of cabbage (source).
Can you make sauerkraut low sodium?
No, don’t try to make this recipe lower in sodium. You can wind up with unwanted bacterial growth when you skimp on the salt.
⭐ How to Make Red Cabbage Sauerkraut
Rinse the cabbage and set aside the outer leaves. Core and shred the cabbage. I find the shredding disc of a food processor is the best cabbage shredder for sauerkraut.
Put the cabbage in a large bowl and sprinkle with the salt. Stir and pound the cabbage for at least 10 minutes. The cabbage should release a lot of liquid, creating a salty brine.
Stir in the dried juniper berries and caraway seeds. (Other herbs and spices to add to sauerkraut include peppercorns, ginger, garlic, turmeric, mustard seeds, or dill.)
Pack the cabbage very tightly into a glass mason jar. Press the cabbage beneath the brine with the outer cabbage leaves you set aside earlier. Put a jar weight into the jar to keep everything down.
Make sure the cabbage is submerged below the level of the brine. If not, you can add more brine (1½ tablespoons salt per 4 cups of water).
Put the airlock lid on the jar. Leave the jar at room temperature to ferment (approximately 70°F/21°C).
Check the jar daily. Open it and skim off any foam or “scum” that has formed on top of the brine. Replace the lid when you have finished. You can also add more brine if needed.
The fermentation process takes three days up to six weeks. I let my batch ferment for five days. Let yours ferment longer if you’d prefer a more tangy sauerkraut.
When it is finished fermenting, discard the outer leaves. Store your sauerkraut in the fridge with a regular canning jar lid and rim. Keep a jar weight in the jar to keep the sauerkraut pressed below the level of the brine.
Fermented Cabbage Tip
If your cabbage was super juicy, a lot of liquid may release after a day or two. You can pour a little of the excess liquid off if your jar is going to overflow. Just make sure the shredded cabbage stays below the level of the brine.
Is pickled red cabbage the same as sauerkraut?
Pickled red cabbage is sometimes called “quick red cabbage sauerkraut” because it’s pickled with vinegar instead of a slow ferment. However, it’s not the method used to make traditional sauerkraut. You can find a recipe for red cabbage sauerkraut with apple cider vinegar here.
🌡️ Fermented Cabbage Storage
Homemade fermented red cabbage lasts in the fridge for up to 3 months. This helps to preserve the potentially beneficial probiotics that may largely be lost during hot bath canning. I enjoy it occasionally as a low-calorie snack, or with my meals.
If you find the sauerkraut to be a little too salty for your taste buds, you can give it a rinse before eating. The downside to this is that you will lose some of the probiotics along with the salt.
Whatever you do, don’t reduce the salt in this recipe! As mentioned above, it is needed to help prevent the growth of unwanted bacteria.
A funky odor or off color (such as brown) indicates your red cabbage ferment has spoiled. If this is the case, it should be thrown out.
Watch How to Make It!
Fermented Red Cabbage Sauerkraut Recipe
Ingredients
- 23 ounces red cabbage (652 grams; about 1 small head; save an outer leaf or two)
- 1 tablespoon pickling salt or finely ground sea salt (not iodized salt)
- 8 juniper berries (dried)
- ½ teaspoon caraway seeds
Instructions
- Important! Please read the post accompanying this recipe before you begin. It contains essential equipment and food safety information that you do not want to miss.
- Wash and sanitize your metal and glass equipment in the dishwasher before you begin. I did not use a boiling water bath to sterilize the equipment, since we are not fermenting in an anaerobic environment nor canning the sauerkraut. I accidentally broke a jar weight in a boiling water bath once, so please be careful!
- Core and shred your cabbage. I used the grating plate on my food processor to save time with this step. The finer you shred your cabbage, the faster it will ferment.
- Put your cabbage in a large bowl and sprinkle with the salt. Stir and pound the cabbage for at least 10 minutes. The cabbage should release a lot of liquid, creating a salty brine.
- Stir in the juniper berries and caraway seeds. (No worries if you do not have these, they are optional but nice.)
- Pack the cabbage very tightly into a glass mason jar. Press the cabbage beneath the brine with the outer cabbage leaves you set aside earlier. Put a jar weight into the jar to keep everything down.
- The cabbage should be submerged below the level of the brine. If not, you can make additional brine by mixing ¾ tablespoon salt per 2 cups of water.
- Put the airlock lid on the jar. Leave the jar at room temperature to ferment (approximately 70°F/21°C.) My house is a little cooler than this at this time of the year, so I snuggled the jar next to a heating pad on the lowest setting.
- Important! Check the jar daily. Open it and skim off any foam or "scum" that has formed on top of the brine. Replace the airlock lid when you have finished. You can also add more brine if needed, but this will likely be unnecessary if you use the airlock lid.
- Your sauerkraut will be ready in three days up to six weeks. I let my batch ferment for five days. Let yours ferment longer if you'd prefer a more tangy sauerkraut.
- When it is finished fermenting, discard the outer leaves. Store your sauerkraut in the fridge with a regular canning jar lid and rim. Keep a jar weight in the jar to keep the sauerkraut pressed below the level of the brine.This recipe makes approximately three cups of sauerkraut, or twelve ¼-cup servings.
Notes
💭 Expert Tips from Dietitian Summer Yule
This is a level 1 recipe (may help support fat loss). Red cabbage sauerkraut is a low-calorie food that is rich in beneficial phytochemicals (such as anthocyanin) and prebiotics. Plus, it’s an excellent source of vitamin C and vitamin K. Unless you have certain medical contraindications (e.g., needing to be on a low-sodium diet), consider adding this ferment to your meal plan. To eat fermented red cabbage, remove the jar weight and scoop the cabbage out with a fork. You’ll leave the brine (and much of the sodium) behind. To reduce the sodium further, you can rinse the sauerkraut before eating.Is fermented red cabbage low FODMAP?
According to Monash University, red cabbage is low FODMAPs. German red cabbage sauerkraut (AKA rotkohl or German sweet and sour cabbage) is typically made with a sweetener and is moderate in FODMAP. Nutrition information is for one serving. Actual sodium content consumed will likely be lower than what is listed, as brine is typically not consumed.
nutrition info disclaimer
All recipes on this website may or may not be appropriate for you, depending on your medical needs and personal preferences. Consult with a registered dietitian or your physician if you need help determining the dietary pattern that may be best for you.
The nutrition information is an estimate provided as a courtesy. It will differ depending on the specific brands and ingredients that you use. Calorie information on food labels may be inaccurate, so please don’t sweat the numbers too much.
“To taste” means to your preferences, which may have to be visual to follow food safety rules. Please don’t eat undercooked food x
Nutrition
👨🍳 Red Cabbage Sauerkraut Recipes
Try serving sauerkraut with these:
- Air Fryer Kielbasa
- Air Fryer Pierogies
- Elk Burger
- Keto Big Mac Salad Bowl
- Air Fryer Pork Shoulder Roast
Fermented red cabbage is also great on hot dogs with mustard, as well as classic Reuben sandwiches. Beets, apple, onion, carrot, fennel, and green beans are some fruits and veggies that go well with sauerkraut. I like to serve it with air fryer brats, homemade unsweetened applesauce, and roasted sweet potatoes.
👨🏾🍳 More Ferments and Pickles
Looking for more recipes for pickled or fermented foods? Don’t miss these:
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Hello! I’m Summer, a registered dietitian and home chef who loves to cook, eat, and create recipes for you! Every recipe on this site has been tested by me to help ensure your success in the kitchen. All eaters are welcome here 🙂
German guy here. The very best way to ferment the sauerkraut is to do it exactly as described but put it in a fermentation jar with a one-way valve. If you do it properly your cabbage will make a ton of CO2 gas which needs to escape. The jar’s environment will thus become anaerobic automatically. Let it ferment at least three weeks.
Google the German word “Gartopf” to find the vessels our ancestors traditionally fermented their cabbage in!
I wrote it wrong. The word to look up is “Gärtopf” or “Gaertopf” – the Umlaut makes all the difference. Get one of these with a “Beschwerungsstein” (weight for keeping it below the liquid) and you’re fully equipped.
A “Gartopf” without the Umlaut is a cooking pot, not what you want for fermenting cabbage!!
Hi Gerhard, thank you for the great information! Coincidentally, I recently won a fermentation crock in a contest… I think it’s essentially a Gärtopf (at least according to what I see on Google). I plan on updating this post in the future after I get a chance to experiment with it. Thank you for dropping by! Summer
What a great idea to use red cabbage to see the progress being made! I’ve only ever had white sauerkraut before. Is there a difference in taste? Thank you for sharing!
Thank you! I think sauerkraut made with white and red cabbage tastes fairly similar. That said, I like the magenta color that you get with red cabbage so much more. I find homemade sauerkraut to be a bit crisper than the sauerkraut on store shelves, even when I let it ferment for longer periods. Thank you for visiting! 🙂
What gorgeous color! I have yet to tackle homemade sauerkraut, but with such a beautiful example I might just take it on soon.
Thank you! I’d love to hear about how it goes if you try it!