Our quick sauerkraut recipe is the solution for when you want to enjoy sauerkraut today. Inspired by traditional German sauerkraut (which can take weeks), this fresh homemade sauerkraut takes just over an hour before it is ready to eat! Jump to the Quick Sauerkraut Recipe
What is Sauerkraut?
Sauerkraut means “sour cabbage” in German and is popular with sausage or other meats. It’s also often added to soups, stews, and salads. Traditionally, we make sauerkraut with cabbage fermented with salt. The fermentation process converts the sugars in the cabbage into lactic acid, which gives sauerkraut its sour taste. This process can take a week or more. Nevertheless, lacto-fermented sauerkraut is highly nutritious and delicious.
How to Make Sauerkraut for Tonight
We aren’t here to tell you not to try the more traditional fermented sauerkraut (our recipe is coming soon). However, we are guessing that not everyone has the patience to wait weeks for their next batch of sauerkraut, so we are sharing this quicker alternative that tastes incredible. This fresh sauerkraut takes just over an hour, and it’s ready to eat — although, I prefer it after it has chilled in the fridge for a few hours.
This recipe is part of our chef series, where we share recipes from our friend and renowned chef, Richard Hattaway. After being disappointed with the store-bought options, Chef Richard developed this fresh sauerkraut recipe years ago. He wanted a quick and easy way to enjoy sauerkraut at home, and this method is how he does it! We genuinely love it, and we hope you do too.
Thanks to caraway seeds, juniper berries, and allspice, this German-inspired sauerkraut perfectly accompanies sausages, hearty meat dishes, soups, stews, smoked fish, and more. Its slightly sour taste and crunchy texture will add a delicious contrast to your meal. Fresh sauerkraut is not as crunchy as the fermented version but has a nice bite.
The Method
This recipe is simple to make. The full recipe is shared below, but here is an overview for you:
Massage shredded cabbage with salt and spices and set aside for 30 minutes. Chef Richard uses classic spices like caraway seeds, juniper berries, and allspice to keep the flavor more traditional. I love the caraway seeds in this recipe!
After sitting with the salt and spices for 30 minutes, here’s what the cabbage looks like. It’s released some of its juices, wilted a bit, and looks floppy.
Cook the cabbage, all the juices from the bottom of the bowl, and spices with onions, apple cider vinegar, and apple cider for 30 minutes.
Bring everything to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook the cabbage, covered with a lid (and, if you have it, a piece of parchment paper set directly on top) for 30 minutes. The parchment paper keeps the cooking environment nice and moist.
Serve or allow to cool and keep in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. Of course, it is delightful immediately, but if you can, let the sauerkraut cool and sit in the fridge for a few hours (or overnight) so that the flavors bloom.
Use the fresh sauerkraut as you would the traditional version. It keeps in the fridge for up to two weeks! We think it gets better over time.
Quick Homemade Sauerkraut
- PREP
This quick homemade sauerkraut recipe is the solution for when you want to enjoy sauerkraut today. Inspired by traditional German sauerkraut (which can take weeks), this fresh homemade sauerkraut takes just over an hour before it is ready to eat!
This recipe is part of our chef series, where we share recipes from our friend and renowned chef, Richard Hattaway. After being disappointed with the store-bought options, Chef Richard developed this fresh sauerkraut recipe years ago. He wanted a quick and easy way to enjoy sauerkraut at home, and this method is how he does it! We genuinely love it, and we hope you do too.
Makes 5 to 6 cups
You Will Need
1 large head green cabbage, nearly 2 pounds
1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced, about 2 cups
1 ¾ teaspoons fine sea salt
2 teaspoons caraway seeds
1 juniper berry, lightly crushed
1 allspice berry, left whole, see notes
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 ¾ cups apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup apple cider
1/2 cup water
Directions
Quarter and core the cabbage, then thinly slice crossways. You should have close to 12 cups (3 quarts) of sliced cabbage.
Add the cabbage to a large bowl with 1 ½ teaspoons of salt, the caraway seeds, juniper berry, and allspice berry. Massage the salt into the cabbage and let it stand for 30 minutes.
Five minutes before the cabbage is ready, heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Stir in the onions, and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Be careful not to brown the onions — if you notice that they begin to take on some color, reduce the heat slightly.
Add the cabbage, its liquid, and all the spices from the bowl to the pot with the onions. Stir in the sugar, apple cider vinegar, apple cider, and water.
Bring to a boil and cook for 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to a simmer and place a sheet of parchment paper on top of the cabbage. Cover the pot with a lid and simmer for 30 minutes. The parchment paper helps to maintain a moist environment for the cabbage. You can make this without it, but keep an eye that the liquid in the pot does not evaporate.
Season with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon of salt, and then allow to cool. Transfer to jars and refrigerate. Keep in the fridge for up to two weeks.
Adam and Joanne’s Tips
- Caraway seeds taste nutty with hints of anise and citrus. They are common in German dishes, such as sauerkraut. Find them in the spice aisle of most grocery stores.
- Juniper berries have a piney taste with hints of citrus. Find them in the spice aisle of grocery stores or online.
- Allspice berries taste like a combination of cloves, cinnamon, and nutmeg. We found whole allspice berries less common in the grocery spice aisle, but Chef Richard recommends buying a “pickling spice blend” instead. McCormick “Mixed Pickling Spice” contains allspice berries, which we purchased for this recipe.
- Nutrition facts: The nutrition facts provided below are estimates. We have used the USDA database to calculate approximate values.
If you make this recipe, snap a photo and hashtag it #inspiredtaste — We love to see your creations on Instagram and Facebook! Find us: @inspiredtaste
Nutrition Per Serving: Serving Size 1/2 cup (assumed 5 cups total) / Calories 59 / Total Fat 1.6g / Saturated Fat 0.2g / Cholesterol 0mg / Sodium 369.4mg / Carbohydrate 9.2g / Dietary Fiber 3g / Total Sugars 4.8g / Protein 1.6g
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