Look, I’ll be the first person to tell you that I don’t really like sauerkraut. I grew up eating it, of course, usually in warm dishes, and it’s just not really my thing. But! Dill pickle sauerkraut! That’s something I can really get behind, and it’s delicious, very much like a dill pickle in flavour and with a nice crunchy texture. I’ll happily eat this all summer and you might like it too even if you usually don’t like fermented cabbage.

The base ingredients are all the same as for fermented dill pickles, only with cabbage instead of cucumbers. I eat (and drink) a lot of fermented food and this is one of my favourites despite being sauerkraut. You will need fresh dill for this recipe so it’s specifically for summertime.

If you have my cookbook you might recognise this as a recipe from the fermented section. This version is vastly improved (why did I add actual mustard to the cookbook version?) and, of course, includes more information and step-by-step photos. I don’t have any special fermentation tools – the less stuff, the better, in my mind – so you don’t need specific fermenting jars, weights, or airlocks for this recipe.

Recipe Rundown: Dill Sauerkraut

• Flavour: shockingly precisely like a good dill pickle. Look, I’m obsessed with dill pickles – I used to drink pickle juice, hiding under the table so my mother couldn’t find me – and this comes very close. It’s salty as all lacto-fermented food is, quite sour, with strong dill, garlic, and mustard seed coming through. Note that this is based on Canadian pickled cucumbers and I’m not sure how common this exact type of pickle flavour is elsewhere.
• Texture: pretty crunchy and nice. Try to cut the cabbage evenly for a consistent texture.
• Difficulty: sauerkraut isn’t hard to make, as long as you keep a couple things in mind: the containers must be sterilised, the sauerkraut must be submerged, and you can’t change the salt amounts. If you follow the recipe you’ll be fine.

Ingredients

• Dill: I haven’t tried making this with dried dill, since it’s a ferment, so I make it in summer when both dill and cabbage are in season and then store it for the colder months. I imagine it would be fine with half the amount of dried dill.
• Mustard seed: yellow or brown should both be fine. You can also sometimes get ‘pickling spices’ in packages (at least in Canadian grocery stores) and that would work too.
• Cabbage: plain white cabbage. When buying cabbage, look a very dense, firm head.
• Salt: I always use fine grain sea salt. Using a different type of salt will change the salinity in the brine so make sure you also use sea salt.

If you have dill to use, try it in this vegan cucumber salad, green dense bean salad, and vegetarian borscht.

Step by Step Photos

Step 1: chop or shred the cabbage and add to a bowl with the other ingredients.

Step 2: massage until about half the size, then set aside for a few minutes.

Step 3: add the mustard seeds to the base of a sterilised jar.

Step 4: top with the sauerkraut, pressing firmly.

Step 5: press a cabbage leaf onto the sauerkraut to submerge, then top with a weight.

Step 6: ferment for several days, until as sour as you’d like.

How to Store

While sauerkraut can be stored in a cellar for ages, it’s easiest and safest for most people to keep it refrigerated once it’s fermented to your liking. It will keep for several months in a sealed container in the refrigerator.

Expert Tips

• Submerge the cabbage: as with any ferment, air in the jar is your enemy. Well, not really, but the food you want to ferment touching air will result in spoilage. Make sure everything is submerged under the brine or the top of the sauerkraut will mould. A cabbage leaf pressed on top, weighed down with another jar filled with water, is usually good enough. You can use special weights for this but I usually use a smaller glass jar that fits easily inside the jar if needed. Some people use plastic bags filled with more brine but since we avoid plastic I’ve never tried this. I’ve even used a ceramic dish sometimes for more liquid ferments like vinegar.
• Keep time in mind: on submersion, if you want to ferment your sauerkraut for longer than a few days, you will definitely want to use a weight rather than a folded cabbage leaf. The shorter the ferment the crunchier the cabbage will be, and the longer the ferment the more acidity you’ll get. It’s up to you depending on the flavour and texture you want.
• Top up the brine: if you find that, during the fermenting period, your cabbage expands and is moving above the liquid in the jar (this shouldn’t happen with a weight, but just in case) you can top if off with more brine to cover. Dissolve 4 grams of salt in 100 grams of water and add as needed.
• Ideal temperature: the best temperature for fermenting just about anything is room temperature, between 15-24°C. Any warmer and it will ferment too quickly. Keep your sauerkraut jar in a dark place away from direct sunlight while fermenting.
• Leave some space: sauerkraut will bubble up when fermenting and expand, so be sure there’s enough room at the top of the jar to allow for this. Otherwise you’ll have leaking. Just to be safe it’s best to place your jar on a plate during the fermentation process.

More Fermented Recipes

Rye Sourdough Starter
Apple Cider Vinegar
Ginger Bug (Fermented Ginger)
Fermented Ginger Beer

If you make this Dill Pickle Sauerkraut recipe or any other fermented recipes on Occasionally Eggs, please take a moment to rate the recipe and leave a comment below. It’s such a help to others who want to try the recipe. For more OE, follow along on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest, purchase the Occasionally Eggs cookbook, or subscribe for new posts via email.