Quick Sauerkraut

This quick sauerkraut recipe can be made in 30 minutes and taste like it had been marinating for days. Let it sit overnight for a stronger flavor or eat within the hour as one of our simple cabbage recipes.

You don’t even have to let this sit overnight to enjoy it. If you do like yours really cold though that would be my suggestion. To me I have to have it quite chilled to enjoy it, some find it just as wonderful right out of the pot. The decision is yours my friends.

4 Ingredient Sauerkraut

You literally only need 4 ingredients for this, I don’t count water as one. If you are totally opposed to garlic then it would be only 3 with the vinegar to give it that zing, either way it is crazy easy.

I add this to all sorts of cabbage recipes in Instant Pot too. Whether it is left whole, chopped, roasted, minced, to everything savory. I mean if you don’t I don’t know if we can be friends. 😉

This time you are just going to break apart and add whole cloves into the mix. You’ll still get that great flavor permeating but not as intense as if it were minced and worked into everything. Whole will allow you to dig them out at the end, just remember how many you added so you don’t forget one. lol

What spices are good in sauerkraut?

You can keep it simple with just salt and pepper or add things like caraway seeds, juniper berries, dill and/or celery seeds. When making homemade you can test out several ways to see which is your all time favorite combination.

How long does it take for cabbage to become sauerkraut?

The old fashioned method suggests 3-4 weeks! Yes longer is better and the flavors will evolve over time for sure but if you need to make it fast we have an overnight recipe for you here.

As far as what you’ll need other than the ingredients themselves, a large cooking pot and wooden spoon come in handy. OH and a large or a few small mason jars are my favorite ways to store this for later. Very similar to making pickled red cabbage.

Ok so as you can see we went super simple, you can take it from there. You might have a “secret seasoning” that is a must. The only other I have added is some red pepper flakes for heat that my husband enjoys, and I have made an Old Bay recipe version that was quite nice too.

What is the best cabbage to use?

I mean you could technically use any type however green cabbage is the most common for the color, flavor and texture. If you used the purple or red variety it would stay more firm and not soften as much which may not be as desirable.

How thin should you cut the cabbage?

This is up to you but I prefer 1/2 inch width. The thinner they are the more it will soak up the liquid and become a stronger flavor. Also when it comes to softening slightly, smaller pieces will relax a bit better vs. thick.

What makes sauerkraut sour?

White vinegar gives it that zing. You may have a gallon of this at home for cleaning purposes but we are going to cook with it for this one. Rice wine vinegar would work too but it wouldn’t be as rich or zingy as that variety is in fact milder.

As you cook down your vegetable the liquid will absorb. You need to keep an eye on it now and then to rotate and make sure the bottom doesn’t get too browned. If your heat is too high and it absorbs quickly, turn down the heat and add a bit more water.

Tips for Success

Chop up and or shred head of cabbage. I think thin strips are best. Smash garlic head, remove the outside on cloves but leave those whole. Place everything into heavy soup pot and simmer / bring to a boil over low heat for about 20-30 minutes.

Keep an eye on the pot so that none of the leaves get too done and/or burned on the bottom. Gently stir every 5 minutes or so to rotate in the pot. The liquid should be nearly gone and cabbage tender when done. Remove garlic cloves and pour into a large bowl. Let cool in the fridge for a good 15 minutes to 30 and then place in glass jars.

You should enjoy this quick and easy within the next 2 weeks. We love it best served on top of Instant Pot brats or Smoked brats inside hoagie buns!