Easy Beet and Cabbage Sauerkraut Recipe

5 from 1 vote

Make beet and cabbage sauerkraut with just salt and veggies for a simple, probiotic-rich ferment full of flavor.

Prep Time10

Resting & Fermenting Time7 30

Total Time7 40

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Servings: quart (16 1/4-cup servings)

Calories: 22kcal

Mix all ingredients in a large stainless or ceramic bowl (don't use plastic). Use a potato masher to crush the ingredients as you mix them well.
Cover the bowl and let sit 30 minutes. If you remember, stir and crush at the halfway mark (I don't always and it's okay). You should see the mixture releasing juices.
Transfer the cabbage-beet mixture into a wide-mouth quart jar. It's easiest to use a canning funnel to do this. Pack down the vegetable mixture using the wooden spoon (or a special cabbage crusher if you have one). Be very firm with this - you want to pack it tight enough that the juices cover the vegetables in the end.
TIP: Transfer the cabbage-beet mixture in stages, pressing each amount down firmly before adding more. This is the best way to get the mixture packed in as tightly as possible.
Add a glass weight to the top of the vegetable mixture. Press down to make sure that all the vegetables are below the juices. (Some people use a cabbage leaf to press down the top instead of a weight.)
Add an air lock fermenting lid and let sit for about 7 days. You can go as long as 10 days - taste to see if you like the flavor. After it's done, remove the air lock lid and replace it with a regular storage lid.
After fermenting at room temperature, store this in the refrigerator with a regular storage lid for up to 6 months (and probably a year as this has been a traditional way to preserve cabbage for centuries).