Dill Pickle Sauerkraut

Lidded glass jar filled with dill sauerkraut.

Dill pickle sauerkraut, a crunchy, flavourful way to ferment your cabbage. It's much nicer than plain sauerkraut with a strong dill taste.

Course Fermented, Side Dish, Sides

Cuisine European, German

Diet Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian

Prep Time 15

Fermenting Time 7

Total Time 7 15

Servings

Calories 20kcal

Author Alexandra Daum

Ingredients

400 grams (14 oz.) white cabbage finely chopped or shredded
15 grams (⅓ cup) dill stems removed, finely chopped
1 clove garlic minced
2 teaspoons fine sea salt
½ teaspoon mustard seed

Instructions

Sterilise a lidded glass jar by running it through the dishwasher or by heating them in an oven at 160°C (320°F) for ten minutes. Make sure the jars are heat safe (use canning jars). Set aside.
Add the cabbage, dill, garlic, and salt to a large mixing bowl. Use your hands to mix and massage for about five minutes. The mixture should be reduced by about half in size and release a lot of water. Set aside for ten minutes.
400 grams (14 oz.) white cabbage, 15 grams (⅓ cup) dill, 1 clove garlic, 2 teaspoons fine sea salt
Add the mustard seed to the base of the prepared jar.
½ teaspoon mustard seed
Pack the sauerkraut mixture into the jar, using a pestle or wooden spoon to press firmly. The mixture must be fully covered by the brine (the liquid).
Press a folded cabbage leaf onto the sauerkraut, then add a weight of some kind to prevent the cabbage from rising as it ferments. I use a smaller (sterilised) glass jar filled with water.
Place the jar in a dark place to ferment at room temperature for 7 to 14 days, until it's sour enough for your taste. Refrigerate for several months once fermented.

Notes

Any type of canning jar will work, but remember you'll have to burp it, or pop the lid, a couple times a day if using a flip-top or other tightly sealed jar. My preference is for these old Weck jars that don't seal tightly unless processed, so gas can escape if needed.

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.

Nutrition