Ferment vegetables at home
Cabbage, salt and a glass jar: give it a week or two on the counter and it turns into tangy, crunchy sauerkraut. Here's the video that hooks everyone, and everything you need for your first jar.
Space neededA counter and a shelf
First projectA quart of sauerkraut
Skill levelBeginner-friendly
Good forCooks, gardeners, small kitchens
The video that hooks everyone
The complete beginner's guide to fermenting foods at home
Jars of kimchi, sauerkraut and a dark kvass line up beside a bottle of homemade sriracha, and the video starts fermenting from the very beginning. Press play and see why it hooks people.
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Tool list
What you need to start
Everything you need for your first project, and nothing you don't. It's a jar, a weight and good salt. Crocks and fancy lids can wait until you're making big batches.
Starter kit
01Wide-mouth glass jars, quart sizeGlass is easy to clean and lets you watch the ferment.
02Glass fermentation weightsKeep the vegetables under the brine.
03Airlock lidsLet gas out and keep air and bugs out. A loose lid works too.
04Kitchen scaleSalt is measured by weight, as a share of the vegetables.
05Non-iodized saltCanning, pickling or plain sea salt with nothing added.
06Large mixing bowlFor salting and squeezing the cabbage.
07Chef's knife and cutting boardFor shredding cabbage thin.
08Wooden tamperPacks the jar tight so the brine rises.
09A small tray or plateCatches brine that bubbles over.
The manual tells you what to look for when you buy each one.
- 1Using too little saltSalt keeps the wrong germs out while the good ones get going. Weigh it: 2 grams for every 100 grams of cabbage.
- 2Letting vegetables poke above the brineAnything above the brine can mold. Weigh it down so everything stays under.
- 3Sealing the jar tight with no airlockFermenting makes gas. Use an airlock lid, or a loose lid you open for a moment every day.
