Caraway sauerkraut is one of our favorite versions of the original. It's easy to make and a great recipe for supporting gut health.
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Why this recipe works
- Caraway sauerkraut is loaded with beneficial bacteria that support gut health. That has a cascading effect on other body systems.
- Caraway is a delicious spice that is traditionally used to support gut health and digestion, making it a natural match for fermented veggies.
- It's a great riff on this homemade sauerkraut recipe and is easy to make.
What's in it?
- Green cabbage is the heart of most sauerkraut recipes. It is sometimes marketed as "white cabbage" in some grocery stores. You can also use red cabbage, which ferments a little more quickly. Napa cabbage works in a pinch but is best reserved for homemade kimchi.
- Salt helps keep cabbage crisp while it ferments, and it gives sauerkraut much of its flavor. Salt also helps keep bacteria responsible for spoilage away while the healthy bacteria establish themselves during the earliest phases of fermentation. I use finely ground, mineral-rich sea salt in my fermented vegetable recipes. Ancient sea salt and pickling salt are also popular choices, but avoid table salt, as the additives can sometimes negatively affect fermentation or leave your sauerkraut with off-flavors.
- Caraway seeds give caraway sauerkraut its distinctive flavor. They impart a delicate but earthy note of spice reminiscent of anise, parsley, and carrot. Use whole caraway seeds in this recipe, not ground.
Recipe Tips
- Fresh cabbage works best. The fresher the cabbage is, the more juice it has and the more brine it will produce. Older vegetables tend to be dryer and may not produce enough liquid to completely submerge the shredded cabbage as it ferments.
- Slice the cabbage by hand or using a sauerkraut slicer. Avoid using food processors because they process the cabbage too quickly. As a result, sauerkraut made this way tends to be mushy.
- Use the right equipment, including a wide-mouth jar, airlock or fermentation seal, and weights. These help create the optimal conditions for fermentation and prevent contamination by stray microbes, such as mold. The proper equipment also supports the growth of good bacteria, such as lactic acid bacteria.
- Cabbage should always stay submerged in brine. Vegetables floating on the surface of brine are likely to mold, which can spoil the whole batch.
- Temperature matters. Your kraut will ferment faster in a warm kitchen and more slowly in a cold one. The optimal temperature is around 60 to 70 degrees.
- Set your jar of sauerkraut on a clean cloth or in a bowl, especially during the first few days of fermentation. The jar may leak brine during the beginning days of the fermentation process, which tend to be the most active.
- Trust your senses. If the cabbage smells putrid rather than pleasantly sour, discard it. If the brine is weirdly viscous, it's a good idea to toss the batch out. And if signs of mold appear, I recommend dumping the sauerkraut too.
Helpful Fermentation Equipment
While you can make awesome fermented foods with a lidded mason jar, it's helpful to have a few key pieces of equipment.
A glass jar with a fermentation seal or airlock is optimal since it allows the carbon dioxide that builds up during fermentation to escape while preventing the free exchange of air.
For this reason, it's helpful in preventing mold growth and ensuring a healthy, safe ferment. If you make fermented foods often, purchasing dedicated fermentation kits is a smart choice.
Helpful Hints
It's normal for sauerkraut to bubble. This indicates that fermentation is active, and you'll see more bubbles during the first few days of fermentation.
It's also normal for the juice or brine to become cloudy. This happens during the middle stage of fermentation and indicates that lactobacillus bacteria are taking hold.
How to Serve Sauerkraut with Caraway Seeds
With its pleasant salty notes and potent acidity, caraway sauerkraut is delicious served on top of hot dogs with plenty of mustard or on the side of roast pork.
You can sauté some thinly sliced apples and onions in a skillet with a little bacon fat or olive oil, and then stir in the kraut until it's just warmed through. This version makes a delicious side dish.
I also like to slather homemade sourdough rye bread with a little herb cream cheese, then top it with thinly sliced ham and a little caraway kraut.
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Variations + Substitutions
Juniper berries are a great addition. They lend a herbal, gin-like spice to caraway sauerkraut. Be careful to remove them before serving because while their flavor is delicious, the berries themselves are unpleasant to eat.
Mixing in dill seed or chopped fresh dill is another option. Dill is in the same plant family as caraway seed, and their flavors marry well together.
Kohlrabi and is an excellent addition to caraway sauerkraut. As a cruciferous vegetable, kohlrabi is in the same family as cabbage and ferments beautifully. It also tastes delicious with caraway seeds and is a popular vegetable commonly used in the cuisine of Northern and Eastern Europe.
Other fermented vegetables you'll love
Common Questions
How do I know when it's done?
Fermentation is a long process. Unlike baking, where precise timing is critical to the dish's success, timing on fermented foods is largely subjective. Some people like younger kraut, and others like more mature kraut that is highly complex and acidic.
Begin tasting your sauerkraut at around the 3-week mark. It should smell pleasantly sour. It should taste salty, sour, and a little funky with distinct pops of caraway.
How do I know it's safe to eat?
Like other fermented vegetables, caraway sauerkraut should be free from visible signs of mold. It should also taste and smell pleasant, if a little funky. If it tastes or smells putrid or "off" in any way, it's best to discard it and try again.
Additionally, if you're concerned about food safety, you can always test your sauerkraut with a PH meter. It should read less than 4.5 on the PH scale, although this practice is largely considered unnecessary in most cases since sauerkraut achieves the proper acidity rather quickly. It just offers a little reassurance for new or nervous fermentation enthusiasts.
What if I don't have the right jars and weights?
I strongly recommend that you buy the right equipment to make fermented foods, including fermentation jars or crocks, glass weights, and airlocks. The proper equipment makes a massive difference in the quality of your sauerkraut and other fermented vegetables.
If you don't have the budget to invest in the right equipment, ferment your cabbage in a mason wide-mouth mason jar with a tight-fitting lid. Wedge a cabbage leaf inside the jar so that it keeps the sliced cabbage completely submerged in brine. This works in place of glass weights, although some people weigh their cabbage down with a ziplock bag filled with water.
Carbon dioxide builds up during fermentation and needs to escape, which is why I recommend airlocks. If you do not have one, burp the jar every day. You may need to burp it twice a day during the first few days of active fermentation. This allows the excess gas to escape.
Brushjl says
Oh my, this was so good. I used it with a "Mennonite" cabbage and sausage recipe, but transformed it into cajun with this sauerkraut and andouille sausage.