Fermenting sauerkraut (lacto-fermentation)

Where to buy & price

Just examples of where to look and roughly what to expect to pay, get everything from wherever works for you, at whatever price you find.

Cabbage ~KSh 30–60/head. Non-iodized salt ~KSh 30–60. Jar reused.

Cold storage / timing

None during fermentation (room temperature by design); refrigerate the finished product afterward.

Reagents & materials required

Procedure, step by step

1. 1

   Finely shred about half a head of cabbage.

2. 2

   Estimate the cabbage's weight, then add non-iodized salt at roughly 2% of that weight (about 1–2 teaspoons per medium cabbage).

3. 3

   Massage and squeeze the salted cabbage firmly with clean hands for 5–10 minutes, until it releases a substantial amount of liquid (brine).

4. 4

   Pack the cabbage tightly into a clean jar, pressing down so the brine rises above the cabbage and submerges it completely, add a splash of water if you need a bit more liquid to fully cover it.

5. 5

   Cover the jar loosely, not airtight, fermentation gases need somewhere to escape, and leave it at room temperature (18–22°C) out of direct sunlight for 5–10 days.

6. 6

   Check daily: press the cabbage back under the brine if it floats up, and watch and smell for bubbling (a sign of active fermentation) and a gradually souring smell.

7. 7

   Taste-test starting around day 5 and periodically after. Once it's as sour as you like, move it to the fridge to slow the fermentation down.