Nutmeg Free Homemade Sauerkraut
Tangy, crunchy, and deeply satisfying, this homemade sauerkraut is one of those fridge staples that makes everything it touches taste better — from a simple bratwurst to a grain bowl or a Reuben-style sandwich. It's made with just two ingredients: green cabbage and fine sea salt, which means there's absolutely nothing hidden in the mix and no reason to squint at a label. Many store-bought versions sneak in preservatives or spices that can be hard to track down, so making your own puts you completely in control of what goes into the jar. The process is straightforward — shred, salt, massage, pack, and wait — and the fermentation does all the real work over the course of a week or two at room temperature. That slow, natural fermentation is what builds the bright, complex sourness that makes sauerkraut so addictive, and you can taste it along the way until it hits exactly the level of tang you love. Once it's chilled and sealed, it keeps beautifully in the refrigerator and just gets better with time. If you've never fermented anything before, this two-ingredient recipe is the perfect place to start.
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Learn more →Ingredients
16 servings
- 1 small head green cabbage (about 2 lb), outer leaves reserved
- 1 tbsp fine sea salt (non-iodized)
Instructions
- 1
Peel off and set aside 1–2 large outer cabbage leaves. Quarter the cabbage, cut out the core, and slice the remaining cabbage into thin shreds about 1/8-inch thick.
- 2
Place the shredded cabbage in a large mixing bowl and sprinkle the sea salt evenly over it. Massage and squeeze the cabbage firmly with clean hands for 8–10 minutes, until it has released a significant amount of liquid and feels limp and wet — the brine should pool visibly at the bottom of the bowl.
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