Apple Sauerkraut Recipe

Cabbage is incredibly useful for our bodies, especially when it comes to digestion. Raw or fermented cabbage boosts stomach acid, so sauerkraut is a great choice to eat with, or preferably 10 minutes before, a meal. However, not everyone loves the taste of traditional sauerkraut. You can “flavor” your sauerkraut any way you want to. There are lots of options including curtido (recipe here), kimchi, a beet sauerkraut mixture, or whatever creative idea you can come up with.  And today’s recipe is another sauerkraut variety using apples. Apples are a great choice because they sweeten the cabbage, making it easier on the tastebuds. When making this recipe, I find that I don’t taste the apples overmuch, but the addition of the apples, as well as the carrots and spices makes the sauerkraut more mild tasting. 

As cabbage is high in Vitamin C, using cabbage in your ferments means you will end up with a large amount of Vitamin C in your food.

Due to the high sugar content of the apples, you should leave more headspace than normal, and this ferment will need to be moved to the fridge sooner than a traditional sauerkraut would. (I like my plain sauerkraut to sit out for at least a month.) Remember, cabbage is a low sugar vegetable, which is why it can be fermented for so long on the counter without growing yeast. For Apple Sauerkraut, I’d recommend leaving it on the counter for one to two weeks before moving it to cold storage or the fridge. Watch your ferment! If your lid starts to bend, you may need to “burp” your ferment to release some of the gas buildup. Make sure to do this in a sink because usually some liquid escapes with the gas. Another trick I’ve found is that when I am closing the jar lids, I hand tighten the lid firmly but not excessively. This allows for a small amount of room for the gas to escape and can prevent the over-buildup of gas. 

Ingredients:

• 1 Small – Medium Head of Cabbage
• 2 Gala Apples
• 3-5 Carrots
• 2 inches of Ginger
• 10 sprigs of Thyme
• Salt

Directions:

Slice the cabbage into thin strips.

Place a bowl on top of your scale. Weigh your bowl in grams + write it down because your scale will turn off.

Add the sliced cabbage to the bowl. Subtract the weight of your bowl from the mixture, then add 2% of the weight of your mixture in salt. For example, if your mixture is 1000 grams, add 20 grams of salt. 

Coat the cabbage in salt then toss the cabbage gently so those cells can start to break down. Leave for about 10 minutes.

While the cabbage rests, cut the apple into quarters. Grate the apple on a grater with large holes or use a food processor. If you’re grating by hand, the skin will protect you from grating your fingers but be sure to not press too hard. Grate the carrot on the large holes. The amount of carrot and apple you add is dependent on the size of your cabbage head.

Add the apple, carrot, and ginger to the cabbage. Massage all together until the cabbage is at your desired texture and is releasing it’s juices.

Add the mixture to a jar. Fill the jar with filtered water to just below the shoulder. 

Tuck in a cabbage leaf on the top to keep the mixture under the water level. Multiple cabbage leaves may need to be used. 

Add a couple of dashes of salt on top of the cabbage leave to keep the brine extra salty. This will help prevent any mold growth.  

Clean the rims of the jars inside and out with a clean rag. Dry and top with new or completely undamaged metal lids and rings. The rims, lids, and rings need to be dry and intact to prevent molding.