How to Make Pickled Cabbage (8 Steps)

Although many people identify pickled cabbage, or sauerkraut, as a German food, it had actually been a staple in Asia for about 1,000 years before it made its first appearance in Europe. There is evidence that Chinese laborers ate this food during the construction of the Great Wall of China over 2,000 years ago. Because pickled cabbage is very high in Vitamin C, Dutch sailors ate it in an effort to prevent scurvy during long voyages at sea, over 300 years ago. Around the year 1776, pickled cabbage was introduced to America, where it quickly became a commonly served food.

Things You'll Need

5 lbs. cabbage
Food grater
Large bowl
3 tbsp. sea salt
Sturdy wooden spoon
1-gallon capacity or larger ceramic crock, or food-grade bucket

Plate that fits snugly inside your crock or bucket
Plastic jug filled with water
Large towel
Spoon
Clean jars with lids

Instructions

Grate 5 lbs. of cabbage with your food grater, grating each cabbage head entirely, including the hearts. Add the grated cabbage to your large bowl a bit at a time, as it is grated. Each time you add grated cabbage to the bowl, sprinkle a small amount of salt on top.
Mix the grated cabbage and salt together in the large bowl, using your hands or a sturdy wooden spoon. Pour a small amount of the grated cabbage mixture into your ceramic crock or food-grade bucket.
Pack the cabbage down tightly into your container, using your fists. Continue adding small amounts of cabbage and packing them down, until all of the cabbage has been packed as tightly as possible into the container.
Lay your tight-fitting plate on top of the packed cabbage. Place the plastic jug full of water on top of the plate. Then, drape your towel over the whole thing; this will keep dirt and insects out.
Press the plastic jug down firmly into the container of cabbage, forcing the cabbage to further compact. Press down on the plastic jug once every few hours, until the liquid brine rises above the plate. This can take up to 24 hours.
Move your container full of cabbage into a spot where it will not be in your way. This could be an unused corner of the kitchen, for example.
Taste your pickled cabbage after three days have passed. If it seems tangy enough to suit your tastes, begin spooning it into jars, sealing the jars with tight-fitting lids. If the pickled cabbage does not taste right just yet, allow it to continue pickling, testing its flavor every day.
Store these jars full of pickled cabbage in the refrigerator for up to three weeks. You can also heat-process pickled cabbage into Mason jars for longer storage.

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