Easy Red Cabbage Sauerkraut with Carrots
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I know canning is basically a rite of passage for homesteaders… but I’ve just never gotten on board with it.
Give me a chest freezer and a crock any day.
Freezing and fermenting are my go-to methods for putting up the harvest, and fermenting in particular has earned a permanent spot in my kitchen. The health benefits alone (all that gut-friendly probiotic goodness) make it worth the counter space.
Red cabbage and carrot sauerkraut is one of my favorite fall ferments — it’s simple, it’s gorgeous (that magenta brine!), and it’s one of the first things I turn to when the garden starts winding down here in New Hampshire.
Here’s exactly how I make it.
Why I Make Fermented Foods a Regular Part of Our Kitchen
Probiotic supplements are expensive… and really, I’d rather get my beneficial bacteria from food I made myself anyway.
Homemade sauerkraut (and fermented veggies in general, like my gingered fermented root vegetables) give you way more strains of good bacteria than you’ll find in a pill. Every batch is a little different, which means a wider variety of strains than any single supplement could offer.
They also come with digestive enzymes built right in — something a probiotic capsule just can’t replicate.
It’s one of those “reclaim your health” wins that costs almost nothing and takes up almost no counter space.
Why I Love This Red Cabbage Sauerkraut
Red cabbage isn’t just prettier than green… it’s more nutritious too.
It’s loaded with antioxidants, iron, and vitamins A, C, and K. It’s also firmer and holds its structure better than green cabbage, which means a crunchier finished sauerkraut. The tradeoff is that it tends to ferment a little slower… but I think the crunch is worth the wait.
Then there’s that color. Red cabbage turns the whole batch a stunning pink-magenta as it ferments — it’s genuinely one of the prettiest things happening in my kitchen all fall.
The rest of the batch pulls its weight too. Raw garlic is fantastic for immune and circulatory health, and the carrots (also high in vitamins) add a little natural sweetness to balance the tang.
Fermenting has become one of my favorite ways to preserve the garden harvest — no electricity required, just a spot cool enough to hold a steady temperature (a root cellar works perfectly). It often improves the nutrition and digestibility of the food too. And if you’re following a healing diet like I am, fermented foods aren’t optional… they’re indispensable.
Homemade Sauerkraut (Fermented Cabbage)
This recipe is a variation on the classic sauerkraut made with green cabbage. I chose red/purple cabbage for the added nutrients and color. I also added carrots for a hint of sweetness!
Ingredients:
- 1 head purple/red cabbage (about 3 lbs)
- 2-4 large carrots
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 1.5 Tablespoons high-quality sea salt
- 1-quart wide-mouth mason jar
- 1 8 oz or smaller jelly jar
- Coffee filter & rubber band or white top
Instructions:
- Shred the cabbage and carrots using a food processor attachment (or by hand). Some people also like to chop some of the shredded cabbage for a different texture; I like it shredded. Add cabbage and carrot to a large bowl.
- Finely chop or mince the garlic. Add to the cabbage and carrot and toss to mix. Sprinkle sea salt over the mixture and let sit for a few minutes.
- Then with a wooden spoon or cabbage tamper, mash and stir the cabbage. Keep squashing and mashing to get the juices out of the cabbage. This liquid will be the brine to ferment the sauerkraut in.
- Once you’ve got a lot of juices out of the cabbage, you can pour the whole bowl into a quart mason jar. I used a canning funnel to get the cabbage mixture into the mason jar.
- Smash the cabbage down as far into the jar as you can get it. You want all of the cabbage mixture to be under the brine. You can use a cabbage leaf to keep the mixture under the brine or just squish it down with the jelly jar. Leave the jelly jar in there to keep it weighed down while it ferments. You can also use a fermenting weight.
- Put a coffee filter over the top of the jar and a rubber band to secure it. The coffee filter allows for the homemade sauerkraut to breathe without letting bugs or dust in. You can also cover it loosely with a white lid since they are more breathable than the metal lids.
- Let sit at room temperature for a few days to a week or longer (up to 3 weeks), tasting daily to decide if it’s fermented enough for you. Then store in a cool place (refrigerator or root cellar).
Notes:
If you have an old cabbage, it may be too dry to get much liquid out of. In that case, you can add 2 tablespoons of salt to 1 quart of water and add that to cover the cabbage mixture.
Homemade Sauerkraut: Purple Cabbage and Carrot
Ingredients
- Ingredients:
- 1 head purple/red cabbage about 3 lbs
- 2-4 large carrots
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 1.5 Tablespoons high quality sea salt I like this one
- 1 quart wide mouth mason jar
- 1 8 oz or smaller jelly jar
- Coffee filter & rubber band or white top like this one
Instructions
- Shred the cabbage and carrots using a food processor attachment (or by hand). Some people also like to chop some of the shredded cabbage for a different texture, I like it shredded. Add cabbage and carrot to a large bowl.
- Finely chop or mince the garlic. Add to the cabbage and carrot and toss to mix. Sprinkle sea salt over the mixture and let sit for a few minutes.
- Then with a wooden spoon or cabbage tamper, mash and stir the cabbage. Keep squashing and mashing to get the juices out of the cabbage. This liquid will be the brine to ferment the sauerkraut in.
- Once you’ve got a lot of juices out of the cabbage you can pour the whole bowl into a quart mason jar. I used a canning funnel to get the cabbage mixture into the mason jar.
- Smash the cabbage down as far into the jar as you can get it. You want all of the cabbage mixture to be under the brine. You can use a cabbage leaf to keep the mixture under the brine or just squish it down with the jelly jar. Leave the jelly jar in there to keep it weighed down while it ferments. You can also use a fermenting weight.
- Put a coffee filter over the top of the jar and a rubber band to secure it. The coffee filter allows for the homemade sauerkraut to breathe without letting bugs or dust in. You can also cover it loosely with a white lid since they are more breathable than the metal lids.
- Let sit at room temperature for a few days to a week, tasting daily to decide if it’s fermented enough for you.
Notes
FAQs
What’s the Best Temperature to Ferment Sauerkraut At?
Most ferments do best around 65°F, though anywhere between 60 and 70°F works well. This is the temperature of the ferment itself as it sits, not your kitchen air temperature.
A cool closet, pantry, or basement works perfectly for most homes… no special equipment needed.
Why Is My Fermentation Cloudy?
Cloudiness is actually a good sign! It means the lactic acid bacteria are doing exactly what they should — breaking down the sugars and starches in the vegetables.
It’s a completely natural part of the fermentation process, not a sign anything’s wrong.
How Do I Know if My Fermentation Is Safe?
A healthy ferment smells tangy and sour… not rotten. If something’s gone wrong, you’ll know: it’ll smell foul, look slimy, or grow fuzzy mold on top rather than the harmless white film (kahm yeast) that sometimes forms on the surface.
As long as your vegetables stay fully submerged under the brine the whole time, you’re giving the good bacteria the environment they need to outcompete anything bad. When in doubt, trust your nose… if it smells off, toss it.
How to Store Ferments
Ferments will continue to ferment as they sit. In a refrigerator, that will be a very slow process. At room temperature, it will go much faster. So, a cool space is best for long-term storage.
Your refrigerator or a root cellar both work great.
Stored this way, ferments will easily last a year or more.
How to Use Red Cabbage Sauerkraut
Sauerkraut makes a fantastic gut-supporting snack all on its own. But once you’ve got a jar going, you’ll probably start finding reasons to put it on everything. A few of my favorites:
- Add it to sandwiches for a tangy bite and extra gut support — anywhere you’d normally add a pickle, try sauerkraut instead (or both… I won’t judge!)
- Top your eggs and toast with it
- Add it to spring rolls — my kids love this one
- Mix some into salad for extra probiotics and digestive enzymes
- Stir it into cooked meals like sautéed veggies, cabbage rolls, or stir-fries — just add it after the meal is done cooking so it retains as much of its probiotic benefit as possible
- Save the brine to make your own dye-free corned beef
Give It a Try
And that’s it… so simple A few ingredients, a little patience, and your kitchen does the rest.
I hope this red cabbage and carrot sauerkraut earns a permanent spot in your fridge the way it has in mine. It’s one fo my favorite quick ferments and I think you’ll love it!
If you give it a try, I’d love to know how it turns out for you!
And if fermenting has you hooked, you might enjoy my gingered fermented root vegetables next… it’s another one that stays in regular rotation around here.
Want to dig deeper in food preservation? Try These:
- How to Freeze Vegetables (and Fruit!) From the Garden
- How to Preserve Blueberries (13 Unusual Ways!)
- How to Preserve Basil (Freezing + More)
Thanks for posting this at Wildcrafting Wednesday. I have made sauerkraut and love it with purple cabbage. Actually I love purple cabbage in almost everything. I have never tried it with carrots too and I think that is a great idea. Sharing on FB and pinning.
Thanks so much! I love purple cabbage with everything too. My favorite is spring rolls :)
Just made this- so yummy! Would it work if I used less salt?
You could try it. less salt means it may not ferment properly (may go bad) but you should be able to reduce the salt a bit.
Once it’s fermented enough what do you do next?
Does it have to be eaten within a few days? Or will it keep for weeks/months/years?
Does the fermenting liquid have to be drained off or left with the food?
If it keeps for any length of time what is the best way to store it?
I’ve never tried fermenting beofre but I’m keen to try
Fermented foods should be stored in a cool place. A Refrigerator or root cellar works well. Ferments last in a cool place for a year or more. You should not drain off the liquid.
In storing your fermented food, do you store it with just the coffee filter or sone kind of permanent lid?
Good question! I usually use a white plastic lid or the metal ring lids.
Few of us have cranberries growing in their garden, but they make a delicious and nutritious–and gorgeous–addition to red cabbage sauerkraut.
Oh, what a cool idea! Thanks for sharing :)
I’ve been fermenting cabbage for years. I let it ferment for 21 days, as recommended by a more experienced person. He said that most recipes say to let it stand for a week or 10 days; but, the 21 days allows the bacteria to fully populate the jar. While it is fermenting, I keep it in a dark area. After 21 days, the sauerkraut has the perfect flavor. I have made the sauerkraut using just green cabbage, a mix of green and red cabbage, and with just red cabbage. I have also used cabbage mixed with sliced onions and/or carrots.
Yes that’s probably correct. But I personally like my sauerkraut to be a bit crunchier, so I don’t leave it that long. It also depends on the room temperature. The great thing about ferments is you can make it exactly how you like it!