
Tangy, garlicky, and fragrant with fresh thyme and rosemary, this homemade fermented kraut is a serious upgrade from anything you'd pull off a grocery store shelf. The whole process relies on nothing more than cabbage, sea salt, garlic, and a handful of fresh herbs — completely free of nuts in any form, so there's zero need to scrutinize labels or worry about shared-facility warnings. Massaging the salt into the shredded cabbage draws out its natural liquid, creating the brine that does all the preservation work without any vinegar shortcuts. After a week or two on your counter, you end up with a deeply sour, complex condiment that tastes like it came from a specialty deli. It's incredible piled onto sausages, stirred into grain bowls, or eaten straight from the jar with a fork — no judgment. The refrigerator life stretches up to three months, so one batch goes a long way toward keeping your meals interesting.
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Learn more →8 servings



Remove 2–3 outer leaves from the cabbage and set them aside. Quarter the cabbage, remove the core, and shred it as thinly as possible — about 1/8-inch ribbons — using a chef's knife or mandoline.
Weigh the shredded cabbage in a large mixing bowl. Add the sea salt at a ratio of 1.5–2% of the cabbage's weight (the 1 tbsp listed is calibrated for 2 lb / 900 g of cabbage). Toss well, then massage and squeeze the cabbage firmly with clean hands for 8–10 minutes, until it releases a significant amount of liquid and the shreds become limp and translucent.
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