Updated October 2026

How to Make Sauerkraut: The USDA-Tested Method

3 tablespoons of canning salt per 5 pounds of cabbage, 70 to 75°F, and 3 to 4 weeks.

Shred 5 pounds of cabbage, mix in 3 tablespoons of canning or pickling salt, pack it until the brine covers it, weigh it 1 to 2 inches under the brine, and ferment at 70 to 75°F for 3 to 4 weeks. That is the National Center for Home Food Preservation's tested recipe. At 60 to 65°F it takes 5 to 6 weeks, below 60°F it may not ferment, and above 75°F it can turn soft.

Salt calculator

Enter the weight of shredded cabbage. With canning salt, the USDA ratio comes out at roughly 2.25 to 2.5% by weight.

Method

1. Use firm, fresh heads and shred within 24 to 48 hours of harvest. Remove outer leaves, quarter, core and slice to about the thickness of a quarter.
2. Work in 5 pound batches: add 3 tablespoons of salt, mix with clean hands, and pack firmly until juice is drawn out.
3. Leave at least 4 to 5 inches between the cabbage and the rim of the container. Allow 1 gallon of container per 5 pounds.
4. If the juice does not cover the cabbage, add boiled and cooled brine at 1½ tablespoons of salt per quart of water.
5. Weight the cabbage 1 to 2 inches under the brine with a plate and water-filled jars, or with a sealed food-grade bag holding 3 quarts of water and 4½ tablespoons of salt.
6. Cover with a clean towel. With a brine bag, do not disturb the crock until bubbling stops. With jar weights, check two or three times a week and remove scum.

Containers

A 5-gallon stoneware crock holds about 25 pounds of cabbage. Food-grade plastic and glass work well; quart and half-gallon Mason jars are acceptable but tend to spoil more. Never let food touch trash bags or other non-food-grade plastic.

Problems

• Scum on the surface: skim it off as often as needed.
• Soft kraut: too warm, or too little salt.
• Soft, slimy or foul-smelling kraut, or mold that has spread: discard the batch without tasting.
• Kraut that will not sour: usually below 60°F.

Sauerkraut and fermented dill pickles are the vegetable ferments with USDA-tested methods. Kimchi and other brined vegetables are common, but follow a recipe from a university extension service rather than an untested one.

Storing and canning kraut

Fully fermented kraut keeps several months tightly covered in the refrigerator. To can it, heat kraut and juice slowly to a boil, pack hot with 1/2 inch headspace and process in a boiling water canner: pints 10 minutes and quarts 15 minutes at 0 to 1,000 ft, pints 15 and quarts 20 at 1,001 to 6,000 ft. Canning kills the live cultures.

Sources we checked (October 2026): USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning (2015) through the National Center for Home Food Preservation: Sauerkraut, General Information on Fermenting, Suitable Containers, Covers and Weights for Fermenting Food, Causes and Possible Solutions for Problems with Fermented Pickles.

Common questions