How to Make Sauerkraut: Salt Ratio, Fermenting and Storage

By the Garden Voila editorial team · Updated October 27, 2026 · How we verify

To make sauerkraut, finely shred fresh, firm cabbage, mix 5 pounds of cabbage with 3 tablespoons of canning or pickling salt (about a 2 to 2.5 percent salt-to-cabbage ratio by weight), and massage or pound it until it releases enough juice to make a brine. Pack it tightly into a clean crock or wide-mouth jar, press it down so the cabbage stays completely submerged under the brine, and weigh it down. Ferment at 70°F to 75°F for three to four weeks (five to six weeks at 60°F to 65°F), checking regularly and skimming any surface scum. When it tastes pleasantly sour and stops bubbling, refrigerate it, where it keeps for several months, or can it for shelf storage. Keeping the cabbage under the brine and using the right amount of salt are the keys to safe, crisp sauerkraut.

Sauerkraut at a glance

How does sauerkraut fermentation work?

Sauerkraut is made by lactic acid fermentation. Lactic acid bacteria that naturally live on cabbage leaves convert the cabbage’s sugars into lactic acid, which gives kraut its sour flavor and lowers the pH enough to preserve it. Salt plays two roles: it draws water out of the cabbage to form the brine, and it holds back spoilage organisms while letting the salt-tolerant lactic acid bacteria thrive. Several species take over in sequence as acidity rises, which is why temperature and time affect the flavor. Keeping the cabbage under the brine excludes oxygen, which prevents molds and yeasts from growing on the cabbage itself. The Clemson University Home and Garden Information Center guide to making sauerkraut explains why the correct salt concentration is essential for a safe ferment.

What do you need to make sauerkraut?

• Fresh, firm, heavy heads of cabbage, ideally late-season varieties harvested within a few days. Cabbage that has been stored for a long time has less sugar and juice.
• Canning or pickling salt. Avoid iodized salt, which can inhibit bacteria and darken kraut, and do not reduce the salt.
• A fermentation container: a stoneware crock, food-grade plastic bucket or large glass jars. One gallon holds about 5 pounds of shredded cabbage. Do not use metal containers or crocks with cracked glazes, which may contain lead.
• A weight: a plate that fits just inside the container topped with sealed jars of water, or a large food-grade plastic bag filled with brine, or purpose-made fermentation weights. Airlock lids for jars also work well.
• A sharp knife, mandoline or food processor to shred cabbage, and a kitchen scale.

How do you make sauerkraut, step by step?

1. Clean everything: wash the container, weight and tools in hot, soapy water and rinse well.
2. Prepare the cabbage: remove outer leaves and any damaged parts, rinse the heads, quarter them and cut out the cores. Weigh 5 pounds of cabbage.
3. Shred the cabbage finely, about the thickness of a quarter, with a knife, mandoline or food processor slicing blade.
4. Salt: in a large bowl, sprinkle 3 tablespoons of canning salt over the 5 pounds of shredded cabbage and mix thoroughly with clean hands. Let it stand 5 to 10 minutes so the salt starts drawing out juice.
5. Massage or pound the cabbage for several minutes until it wilts and releases juice.
6. Pack the cabbage firmly into the container a handful at a time, pressing down hard with your fist or a wooden tamper to remove air pockets. Pour in any juice from the bowl. Leave at least 4 to 5 inches of space below the rim of the container to allow for bubbling.
7. Check the brine: the juice should cover the cabbage by at least an inch or two after pressing. If it does not after 24 hours, add brine made from 1 1/2 tablespoons of canning salt dissolved in 1 quart of water, boiled and cooled.
8. Weigh it down with a plate and water-filled jars, a brine-filled food-grade bag, or fermentation weights, so the cabbage stays submerged. Cover the container with a clean cloth or loose lid to keep out dust and insects while letting gas escape.
9. Ferment at 70°F to 75°F, ideally out of direct sun. Bubbling usually starts in a day or two.
10. Check two or three times a week: remove any scum or white film from the surface, keep the cabbage under the brine, and rinse or replace the weight if needed.
11. Taste after two to three weeks. Kraut is fully fermented when bubbling stops and it is pleasantly sour, typically after three to four weeks at 70°F to 75°F.
12. Store: pack the finished sauerkraut and its brine into clean jars and refrigerate, or can it.

How do you make sauerkraut in a jar?

Small batches work well in quart or half-gallon wide-mouth jars. Use the same ratio, about 1 3/4 pounds of cabbage and 1 tablespoon of canning salt per quart jar. Pack tightly, leaving 2 inches of headspace, and weigh the cabbage down with a small zipper bag filled with brine, a glass fermentation weight, or a smaller jar that fits inside the mouth. Use an airlock lid, or cover with a loose lid and “burp” the jar daily to release gas. Place the jar on a plate to catch overflow. Jars ferment the same way as crocks but are easier to fit in a kitchen.

Is the scum or film on sauerkraut safe?

A thin white film on the brine surface is usually kahm yeast, a harmless but off-flavored yeast that grows where air meets brine. Skim it off whenever you see it. Colored, fuzzy mold (pink, black, blue or green) is a different matter: if mold has spread into the cabbage, or the kraut is pink, dark, soft, slimy or has a putrid smell, discard the batch. If only a small spot of mold is on the weight or the brine surface and the kraut below smells and looks normal, some experts advise removing the top layer and continuing, but when in doubt, throw it out. Keeping the cabbage fully submerged and the container clean prevents most problems.

What causes sauerkraut problems?

How do you store and can sauerkraut?

Fully fermented sauerkraut keeps for several months in the refrigerator in covered jars, where it continues to sour very slowly. For shelf storage, you can can it. Bring the kraut and its liquid slowly to a simmer between 185°F and 210°F (do not boil), pack it hot into clean jars, cover with hot juice leaving 1/2 inch of headspace, and process in a boiling water bath following a tested recipe, for example 10 minutes for pints and 15 minutes for quarts at 0 to 1,000 feet for the hot-pack method in the USDA guide. Raw-pack canning takes longer. Canning destroys the live bacteria, so if you want probiotic kraut, keep it refrigerated instead. See water bath canning for beginners for canning basics.

What flavors can you add to sauerkraut?

• Classic: caraway seeds, juniper berries or dill seed, about 1 to 2 teaspoons per 5 pounds.
• Vegetables: shredded carrots, beets, onions or apples, up to about a quarter of the total weight, keeping the same salt ratio for the total weight.
• Red cabbage kraut: makes a vivid purple kraut; add shredded apple for sweetness.
• Spices: garlic, ginger, turmeric, black pepper or chili flakes.

Weigh all vegetables together and use the same salt ratio. Kimchi, a Korean fermented vegetable dish made with napa cabbage, radish, garlic, ginger and chili, uses similar principles but different salting methods.

How do you grow cabbage for sauerkraut?

Large, dense, late-season cabbages with high sugar content make the best kraut. Varieties such as ‘Late Flat Dutch’, ‘Danish Ballhead’, ‘Kaitlin’, ‘Storage No. 4’ and ‘Megaton’ are favorites for fermenting. Plant transplants in spring for summer heads or in midsummer for fall heads, which are sweeter after cool weather. Harvest when heads are firm and solid, and make kraut within a few days of harvest. Protect plants from cabbage worms and flea beetles with row covers. See our guide to growing cabbage for spacing and timing.

Is homemade sauerkraut good for you?

Raw, unpasteurized sauerkraut contains live lactic acid bacteria, along with fiber, vitamin C and vitamin K. It is a traditional fermented food in many cuisines. However, it is also high in sodium, so people watching their salt intake should eat it in moderation. Canned or store-bought pasteurized kraut no longer contains live bacteria. The Wikipedia article on sauerkraut describes its long history in Central and Eastern European cooking and its use on long sea voyages to prevent scurvy.

Common sauerkraut mistakes

• Reducing the salt to make low-sodium kraut; this invites spoilage.
• Using iodized or flake salt by volume; use canning salt and measure accurately, ideally by weight.
• Leaving cabbage above the brine, where mold and yeast grow.
• Fermenting in a warm room, above 75°F to 80°F.
• Using metal containers or cracked or unknown glazed crocks.
• Sealing jars tightly without an airlock, which can cause pressure buildup.
• Using old, dry cabbage that does not release enough juice.

Fermentation is just one way to preserve the harvest. For vinegar pickles, see how to make pickles, and for storing whole heads of cabbage, root crops and other vegetables, the USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning includes tested sauerkraut and fermented pickle recipes.

Preserving more of your harvest? Our food preserving guide helps you choose the right method for each crop.

Sauerkraut FAQ

References used in this guide: Clemson University HGIC, Making Sauerkraut; National Center for Home Food Preservation, USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning; Wikipedia, Sauerkraut.