A beginner's guide to making sauerkraut at home

Three ingredients, one jar

Making sauerkraut at home is one of the simplest, most rewarding ferments you can try. All you need is cabbage, salt, and time.

What you'll need

• 1 medium head of green cabbage
• 1 tablespoon sea salt (non-iodized)
• A clean quart-sized jar

The method

1. Slice the cabbage thinly and place it in a large bowl.
2. Salt it and massage with your hands for about 10 minutes until the cabbage releases its liquid and becomes a brine.
3. Pack the cabbage tightly into your jar, pressing out air pockets.
4. Submerge the cabbage under its own brine — this is what keeps the good bacteria happy and the bad bacteria out.
5. Wait. Leave the jar at room temperature for 1-3 weeks, opening briefly every day to release gas.
6. Taste after a week. When it's tangy enough for you, move it to the fridge to slow fermentation.

If you see a white film on top, don't panic — that's harmless kahm yeast. Just skim it off. But discard any batch that smells putrid or grows colorful mold.

Once you've mastered plain sauerkraut, try adding caraway seeds, juniper berries, or grated carrot. Fermentation is forgiving, and every batch teaches you something new.