Tangy, crunchy, and probiotic, this homemade sauerkraut recipe is the perfect gut-friendly condiment! Otherwise the same as my no-pound recipe, this kraut is made in a stoneware crock for the ultimate in big batch fermenting. I’ve included my best troubleshooting tips and a free video to walk you through the fermentation process!
Want to make homemade sauerkraut in a stoneware crock?
It’s a super fun and beautiful process!
Not to mention, it’s the ultimate in batch cooking because you’re making a whole bunch at a time in a big, beautiful crock.
At our house, we have both a 1-gallon and 3-gallon crock from Ohio Stoneware. I feel such satisfaction when I fill them up with sauerkraut or other fermented foods.
And of course… we enjoy the health benefits of those fermented foods. The probiotics in sauerkraut are oh-so-good for the gut. Just a few tablespoons of the juice with a meal is the best digestive aid around. (No more antacid tablets!)
I could eat gobs of kraut… and making it in a crock ensures that we have plenty around. 🙂
Ready to make some together?
Table Of Contents
Ingredients
- Cabbage – Choose organic whenever possible. They will not only be more healthy and contain more nutrition overall, but organic farming disallows the use of pesticides which would otherwise interfere with the fermentation.
- Sea salt – We recommend unrefined, fine-grain sea salt such as this ancient sea salt from Redmond Real Salt. Don’t use standard table salt. It has added iodine and anti-caking agents. The iodine is antimicrobial and can prevent a good fermentation.
Best Fermenting Vessels
Special thanks to Ohio Stoneware for supplying the 1-gallon crockI used for the video. Their USA-made products arefantasticand affordable. In addition to the style I used in the video, they also have largertraditional style crocks with a water gutter to keep them air-tight (we have a 3 gallon size of that style). You can follow my instructions for this no-pound sauerkraut for smaller quart-jar/mason jar quantities.
You can follow the recipe below with any fermenting container(s). Glass jars or bowls are best; avoid plastic, as the acids in the fermented foods may leech plastic into your food.
However, if you want to do it in a stoneware fermentation crock as I’ve done, here are the supplies you need:
- Complete 1-gallon kit from Ohio Stoneware — includes crock, weights, and lid
- 1-gallon crock from Ohio Stoneware
- Lid for 1-gallon crock from Ohio Stoneware
- Prepper Pro(optional; helps pack the cabbage down into the crock tightly)
- Ohio Stoneware weights for 1-gallon crock
Homemade Sauerkraut Directions
Notice the finished texture of my batch of sauerkraut, above. It should be salty, sour, crunchy, with a yellowed color. Keep an eye out for these characteristics when you follow the directions below.
1. Combine the shredded cabbage (or thinly sliced cabbage) and sea salt in a large bowl. Stir. Taste and ensure it tastes pleasant but a bit on the salty side.
2. Cover the bowl with cheesecloth or a light cloth and let it sit for 30 minutes or an hour to get juicy. (The salt will begin pulling moisture out of the cabbage.)
3. Using the Prepper Pro or another utensil, pack well into a clean 1-gallon crock to 2/3 or 3/4 full.
4. Place a few cabbage leaves on the top of the mixture, followed by the weights. Then put the lid on the crock.
5. Let ferment at room temperature (about 72 degrees Fahrenheit) for 5 to 10 days.
6. Check inside the crock a few times in the first 24 hours to ensure that the cabbage has released enough juice to keep the sauerkraut completely submerged. If cabbage mixture has lifted in jar and has created air pockets in the mixture, pack it back down. Skim off any mold or fuzz that develops on top (everything beneath the brine should be fine).
7. The fermentation process may proceed faster at warm temperatures or if cabbage pieces are small. The mixture will be bubbly, and the vegetables will soften. Stop the fermentation when you like the flavor and texture. (We like ours best with a fermentation time of about 5 to 7 days.)
8. Move the entire crock to a refrigerator or cold storage, or transfer to smaller jars first.
9. Ensure the sauerkraut is submerged in brine even in cold storage to avoid unwanted bacteria from forming. If it ever goes dry, add salt water or kraut juice from another batch until all fermented cabbage is covered.
10. You can eat right away or let it age more in cold storage. Repack well each time you get in and out of the container. Enjoy!
Sauerkraut FAQs
If you’re new to lacto-fermentation, it can be intimidating. Is it safe? Will your kraut spoil? Here are some tips to boost your confidence and help you stay on the right track.
My sauerkraut doesn’t have enough liquid to submerge the mixture, even after 24 hours. What should I do?
Tamp the mixture down as far as it will go. Dissolve 1 teaspoon of a mineral-rich salt into 1/2 cup of pure, uncontaminated water, and pour to cover.
My sauerkraut is producing way too much liquid — it leaked and spilled everywhere. What should I do?
It is a good idea to keep a towel under the jar in case of liquid leaking out. If the mixture does leak, open the jar and remove some cabbage (but not juice if you can help it) to lessen the volume in the jar.
My sauerkraut won’t stay down. What should I do?
Every day, tamp it back down to release the air bubbles lifting the mixture up. You want to keep it submerged. Feel free to use fermenting weights to help, or even half of an apple wedged down into the jar to keep the mixture covered by brine.
Help! I don’t see any bubbles in my sauerkraut.
Look for other signs of fermentation, such as texture changes, color changes and the whole mixture starting to develop sourness from the lactic acid that’s produced. If you’re seeing these signs, all is well. If you’re not, is your ferment kept in a warm enough place to allow the beneficial bacteria to thrive?
I think I see mold in/on my sauerkraut. Is it safe to eat if I skim it away, or should I toss the whole thing?
It depends. Please reference this post for preventing mold during fermentation, and what to do if it happens.
How can I tell if my homemade sauerkraut is spoiled or not?
Trust your nose! Though be aware that if it repels you but is not spoiled, it might be because you’re unaccustomed to fermented foods and need time to adjust to a new normal. If you aren’t sure, you can take a little taste and see how it goes. It’s always OK to be on the safe side and compost the ferment or feed the chickens with it.
Check out this #AskWardee for the signs that your ferment is on the right track. And here are hard and fast signs that a ferment has gone wrong:
- It’s moldy. Pink or fuzzy is not good.
- It’s mushy.
- Its smell repels you because it’s putrid or rotten, not just sour. Your nose KNOWS this!
- When you taste it, it gives you an upset stomach. (Don’t confuse this with a healing reaction, though.)
Any time you get into a jar, repack it carefully to keep all food submerged and under protection of brine.
How can I tell if my sauerkraut is done?
Go ahead and open it up and smell and taste it! No two ferments are going to be exactly alike — this is a flexible process and you really have to open the jar and dig in to see what’s going on in there. I discuss the typical signs of a finished ferment in this article.
Other Fermented Vegetable Recipes
- Simple, No-Pound Sauerkraut
- High Vitamin C Sauerkraut
- Homemade Kimchi: An Easy Korean Sauerkraut Recipe(pictured above)
- Old-Fashioned, Crunchy, Fermented Garlic-Dill Pickles
- Lacto-Fermented Carrot Sticks
- 5-Spice Apple Chutney {lacto-fermented!}
- Spontaneously Fermented Sparkling Apple Cider {fall’s easiest ferment!}
- Homemade Raw Apple Cider Vinegar Recipe
- Fermenting Trouble Shooting FAQ’s
Do you make fermented foods in crocks? Please share your tips in the comments! And please give us a rating on the recipe card below. Then snap a photo of your homemade sauerkraut and tag us on social media!
In the video, I mentioned my FREE Fermenting Formulas Cheat Sheet— it’s a gift from me to you. Here’s a link to that.
3.58 from 59 votes
Homemade Sauerkraut In A Stoneware Crock
You'll love making sauerkraut at home in your stoneware crock!The probiotics in sauerkraut are oh-so-good for the gut. Just a few tablespoons of the juice with a meal is the best digestive aid around. Makes approximately 1 gallon.
CourseFerment, Side Dish, Vegetable
CuisineTraditional
Prep Time 45 minutes
Fermenting Time 5 days
Total Time 5 days 45 minutes
Servings 128 servings
Calories 4 kcal
Author Wardee Harmon
Ingredients
- 5poundsfreshorganic cabbage - shredded (reserve a few clean outer leaves)
- 3tablespoonssea salt
Instructions
Combine the shredded cabbage and sea salt in a big bowl. Stir. Taste and ensure it tastes like salty cabbage -- still pleasant but a bit on the salty side.
Cover the bowl with cheesecloth or a light cloth and let it sit for 30 minutes or an hour to get juicy. (The salt will begin pulling moisture out of the cabbage.)
Pack well into a clean 1-gallon crock to 2/3 or 3/4 full. (I use the Prepper Pro to pack the cabbage down tightly.)
Place cabbage leaves on the top of the mixture, followed by the weights. Then put the lid on the crock. Let ferment at room temperature (about 72 degrees Fahrenheit) for 5 to 10 days.
Check inside the crock a few times in the first 24 hours to ensure that the cabbage has released enough juice to rise above the cabbage leaves by about an inch (so the sauerkraut is completely submerged).
In about a week, check the sauerkraut to see if it's done. It should be salty, sour, crunchy and transformed from cabbage to kraut! (See video above for texture example.)
Move the entire crock to a refrigerator or cold storage. If it's too big, transfer the kraut to smaller jars that will fit your cold space.
Ensure the sauerkraut is submerged in brine even in cold storage. If it ever goes dry, add salt water or kraut juice from another batch.
You can eat right away or let it age more in cold storage.
Repack well each time you get in and out of the container.
Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
The fermentation process may proceed faster at very warm temperatures or if cabbage pieces are small. If cabbage mixture has lifted in jar and has created air pockets in the mixture, press the mixture back down to remove air holes. Skim off any mold or fuzz that develops on top (everything beneath the brine should be fine).
Nutrition Facts
Homemade Sauerkraut In A Stoneware Crock
Amount Per Serving
Calories 4Calories from Fat 9
% Daily Value*
Fat 1g2%
Saturated Fat 1g6%
Sodium 167mg7%
Potassium 30mg1%
Carbohydrates 1g0%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 1g1%
Protein 1g2%
Vitamin A 17IU0%
Vitamin C 6mg7%
Calcium 7mg1%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Free Fermenting Formulas Cheat Sheet
If you like this, then you’ll love myFree Fermenting Formulas Cheat Sheet.
It’s a free gift for you. It’s where I share formulas for all kinds of ferments, beverages and salsa and kraut and pickles and relish, oh yes. So you can create your own safe to eat, delicious, yummy, healthy, fermented foods.
This post was featured in 60 Easy and Nourishing Picnic Recipesand39 Nourishing Postpartum Freezer Meals To Prepare While You’re Pregnant.
This post was originally published and written by Wardee Harmon on 8/23/16. It was updated and republished on 4/28/21.
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