MSG Free Garlic-Herb Sauerkraut
Fermented foods have a reputation for being tricky to make at home, but this garlic-herb sauerkraut is genuinely approachable — and the results are so much better than anything you'll pull off a grocery store shelf. Store-bought versions often sneak in vinegar, preservatives, or flavor enhancers to speed up production, so making your own is the only way to guarantee what's actually in the jar. Here, the magic comes entirely from lacto-fermentation: just cabbage, sea salt, garlic, thyme, rosemary, and a bay leaf working together over the course of one to two weeks. The garlic mellows and deepens as it ferments, while the fresh herbs lend a subtle, almost woodsy complexity that makes this kraut feel genuinely special. Massaging the cabbage until it releases its own brine is the key step — it's a little meditative, and it means no additives are needed to get the fermentation going. Daily check-ins keep things on track, and by day five you can start tasting until it hits that perfect tangy-sour note you're after. Pile it on sausages, stir it into grain bowls, or eat it straight from the jar — it's that good.
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Learn more →Ingredients
8 servings
- 1 medium head green cabbage (about 2 lb), outer leaves reserved
- 1 tbsp fine sea salt (non-iodized)
- 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 1 bay leaf
Instructions
- 1
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.
- 2
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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