How to make Sauerkraut - The Happy Pear

Here's part 2 of our fermenting series. We're making sauerkraut under the guidance of the wonderful April Danann. This is like exercise for your gut, it improves digestion and fills your body with healthy bacteria.
All the best,
Dave & Steve.
#EatMoreVeg

[@kitchenmom]

learned to make Sauerkraut from Oma here in Germany. 5kg Cabbage, 100g salt, caraway seed, juniper berry, Grape leaves and if you like it a little apple. No vinegar, no water. I can believe that this version is delicious but everthing in me screams that this is not sauerkraut!

[@NorthcoastPatty]

+K Kitchenmom Thank you for your recipe.

[@eileenfb1948]

I agree. Some use vinegar but that is different to using salt.

[@dombloggs]

The version with vinegar isn't a sauerkraut at all. And it's actually unhealthy opposed to properly made one.

[@FakeNewsHunter]

why unhealthy?

[@norrishclan]

It's not unhealthy. It just a different way of making a ferment. It's not the traditional way of making sauerkraut, but I'm sure it's delicious.

[@mademoiselleea]

in Romania we use whole cabbages [we slice them later, when we actually use them] and we pickle them up to one year in big plastic barrels :D

[@thehappypear]

+Andra V. Our friend Luca has a similar process in his restaurant it's such an amazing way to preserve food.

[@kongurlov6714]

can you share your recipe

[@TheSweetalchemist]

Typically, commercially pickled items like sauerkraut and cucumber pickles are pickled with vinegar. While the vinegar is fermented, the vegetables have not been fermented. So, the probiotics contained in the jar will primarily be from the vinegar. If the vegetables were fermented the traditional way using water and salt, they would create a wider variety of bacteria than what is contained in the vinegar. Vinegar will also kill a lot of other bacteria, both good and bad bacteria. This makes it good for preserving food because it prevents bad bacteria from growing which would spoil the food. However, when you add vinegar to fermented foods, it destroys much of the good bacteria also.

[@Person12216]

I really really like her. She’s authentic, which is hard to come by in the internet these days. 🙌🏾💜👏🏾

[@Allycat3270]

Fennel seeds are also a lovely addition to sauerkraut it imparts a beautiful flavour

[@klab2125]

I've never had luck making sauerkraut the traditional way. I tried this method and not only was it so much easier to make but the results were amazing. I let mine go for about 3 weeks because I like it sour. And it keeps getting better even after putting it in the fridge.

[@keinohrtini]

K Lab hey, thank you for sharing your experience. Did you really keep the lid closed while fermenting?? It was never recommended in all the other fermentation processes because of the gas. How did you do it?

[@klab2125]

Hi Martina. I fermented in a large Ball brand glass canning jar. But I used a screw-on plastic cap that fits wide-mouthed canning jars instead of the standard metal canning lids and rings.. I either opened the jar once a day to let gasses escape or left the cap on but loosely screwed if I knew I couldn't tend to it for a few days. Definitely keep it on a large plate as the juices bubble out as it ferments! And make sure to keep everything pushed under the brine. Also, the apple cider vinegar must be raw and unfiltered. Braggs is the well known mainstream brand. If regular processed vinegars are used they will prohibit the fermentation process. The difference between this recipe vs traditional recipes is that a salt water brine is used instead of squeezing all the juices out of the cabbage to make a brine, which is labor intensive and time consuming. With the salty water brine I can just chop it and done!

[@keinohrtini]

K Lab thank you so much for your answer! I am definitely give ist a try!!

[@theorganicnomad1617]

Great timing! I was just looking into how to make fermented foods all around. You must be the most underrated channel on KZbin. You guys are great! Thanks for being awesome!

[@thehappypear]

+TheOrganicNomad Thanks so much for the comment. We do our best to paddle our own canoe when it comes to youtube content it's easy to get caught up in the trends. :D

[@theorganicnomad1617]

Glad to hear it. I always watch what you guys are doing. So happy to be a part of your community!

[@rab3926]

how do they look younger now in 2021! absolutely amazing!! Thank you so much for the video!

[@a.p1675]

April is the cutest! Great job guys! ❤

[@The11mueller]

love the positive energy, thank you for all the wonderful inspiration!

[@danalee2438]

this is my favorite happy pear vid and the guest said "wee stir" she got me after that. so this is the simplest kraut recipe Ive seen for kraut, will make some this weekend. love the instructional vid. pls do more.

[@thehappypear]

Absolutely! Glad you enjoyed 😄👍🙌

[@iri554]

Well, here in Germany we only use the white cabbage, the red ones are for the "Rotkraut" - redkraut. Also we don't put water and vinegar in it. I think, your version tastes very very good, but as a german...this is not sauerkraut^^

[@-Brige-]

Hihi, Sauerkraut-Reinheitsgebot (-: Ich mach meins auch nur mit Salz und ev. etwas Gewürzen. Aber die Gärung mit etwas selbstvergorenem Apfelessig zu führen ist doch bestimmt kein schwerer Verstoss gegen das Gesetz, oder doch? (Ins Bier kommen ja auch Brauereihefen rein). So oder so - Grüsse aus der Schweiz!

[@ishmael4489]

My thoughts exactly, and I'm not even German😄

[@minasshow2875]

That's great, will try it with apple cider. In Iran (Persia) called Torshi Calam (sour cabbage ) we add one or two fresh stems of tarragon and use vinegar. It is important to boil the water before and let it cool down and mix the vinegar in the water that would separates evenly.

[@tyronreid-robertson4925]

I absolutely LOVE this video! I love cabbage and I always have too much of it. I guess I'm turning some into sauerkraut. 😀😀😀😀

[@cheriee93]

This is so fascinating ! How to make my own sauerkraut has been on the back of my mind and now I can finally make it! Great work Happy Pear and April!

[@francesandrews5506]

I tweaked this with another recipe by Lucy Watson - feed me vegan and both together are amazing 🥰 Lucy’s recipe has beetroot I made this last year and it just got better and better. Today’s the day to make more 😀☀️

[@lauraoliver129]

You guys smile like you have a secret, you're so fun to watch haha

[@thehappypear]

Maybe we do, haha. :D

[@roys.1394]

Just tried making my own sauerkraut for the first time. I used a method a little different from this and i'm really excited to see how it will turn out. I didnt add any vinegar and left the lid off but covered the jar with a cloth, then used a weight to keep the sauerkraut below the water.

[@thehappypear]

+Roy S. Sounds good! We use the cloth over the top method too for some of our kombucha

[@roys.1394]

+The Happy Pear, Nice, after seeing this video i coulnt resist letting it sit anymore. I ate it and it was a bit mild and sweet, really nice!

[@qualqui]

Back in elementary school my friends and me didn't like one bit the canned sauerkraut they served us in the school cafeteria but....I've recently tried making it at home and it is soooooooooo GOOOD! Thank you The Happy Pear and April for sharing this yummy recipe, trying it out and love my homemade Sauerkraut! :)

[@grimperpl]

I'm Polish and for me it is not the way you should do sauerkraut at home. Adding vinegar is an industrial way of doing it. You shold use just cabbage, salt and cumin. You can add some carrot as well. No water, no vinegar. Actually you should ask some of your Polish neighbours. There's plenty of them in Ireland. :) You should try sauer and half sauer pickles - a classic of East European fermentation ;)

[@thehappypear]

+grimperpl Steve's wife is Polish we'll have to try track down some of her mother's recipes. :D

[@grimperpl]

You should! Check Sour rye soup (zur) which is based on fermented rye and can be full of meat but also vegan. Another classic is borscht - a beetroot soup which should be fermented as well.

[@SpiceChaiBlue]

Amen!

[@klab2125]

The few teaspoons of vinegar used in the recipe is not standard industrial distilled vinegar commonly found in grocery stores. . It's raw, fermented and full of live active cultures and enzymes that actually aid the fermentation. Some people make tier own cider vinegar by fermenting apple cores and peels. But most grocery stores now carry at least one raw cider vinegar, Bragg's brand being the most common.

[@grimperpl]

Sauerkraut is made using spontanous fermentation not using any kind of vinegar. This makes difference between good and bad sauerkraut.

[@andreaskingbo3039]

I made it using tap water (from Denmark) and it turned out very good. I obviously don't have the amount of microbes compared to with distilled water etc., but it still works fine anyway :) Though, I think distilled water would encourage more microbes to settle! I'll have to give it a try. Thanks for the recipe lads - you are great!

[@thehappypear]

Good on ya Andreas- glad all went well! 😄👍🙌

[@andreaskingbo3039]

Yeah - I went with it using Danish tap water and it worked fine, so you're right :)

[@e.g.2296]

I made this (red cabbage only) when this video first came out. I used the food processor to chop the cabbage and it came out too shredded for my liking but still it was ok. Finely slicing the cabbage is the best way I think. One word of caution: don't fill the jar all the way to the top. I did what the video showed...pretty much to the top ...and when I opened it about 20 days later, all the liquid fizzed out of the jar and left the cabbage dry. But it was delicious!! I kept the jar in the fridge and ate it all within 3 weeks.

[@tclmac1]

Great video, just a quick question... 1 The adding of salt, I'm guessing it's for desalination, so when remove cabbage to stuffing into the jar, do I need to squeeze the water out? So I need to wash the cabbage to get rid of the salty taste? 2 I don't grow my own acv, but I do grow my own kombucha scoby and scrubby hotel. Just curious, can I use my scoby liquid, since they are pretty similar to vinegar anyway? Thanks, and appreciate your post. Tai

[@raisins84]

I've been waiting patiently for this series to continue. Thank you so much guys.

[@thehappypear]

+raisins84 No problem. Did you try out ginger bug?

[@guimaraesamanda1]

+raisins84 The same here! I tried the gingerbug and I lovet it! I´m going to make a new gingerade this week.

[@thehappypear]

Amazing. :D

[@raisins84]

+The Happy Pear Not yet, need to find organic ginger first.

[@thebizness5596]

I think you have just given me the secret to my local vegan store. It's a falafel shop so middle eastern but the cabbage they use has a vinegar taste. I'm convinced this is what they do.

[@HuusHuus-zc2zl]

Super Awesome! And a great probiotic but what's differnce between saurkraut and kimchi? I like them both.

[@naturalquality.dehandmade]

love your Videos 😊 positiv Energie good Qualität keep do it like this 😉

[@buskingforlife]

This tastes nice thanks. Now that im using it Ive got it kept in the fridge, am assuming thats correct. Does anyone know roughly how long it should last? Also its supposed to be smelly when i open it?

[@AbigailV]

I tried Sauerkraut the other day in a restaurant and it wasn't that bad as it sounds! Ver pleasantly surprised. This recipe look delicious though. If i was going to make it myself it would be this recipe! thank you for sharing another great video

[@aafsterlife9647]

Is it ok to refrigerate it? It's quite warm where we live and the cabbage is stinking up the cabinet a bit, even in the air tight jar.

[@ii-hc8ti]

It is completely different from my family recipe : No vinegar, more salt, no water. Thats how it was done for generations in my family. I am experimenting all the time, adding different ingredients. My favourite addition is almond kernels. I always add a few tablespoons of liquid from previous butch to a new one to speed up fermentation and give it the right direction, but it is optional.

[@Louise-qk2po]

Brilliant👍😃

[@filiphansen5375]

Hey Dave&Steve. Another great recipe, always a pleassure to follow you two. Currently i am eating a wonderful amount of soup, as the cold weather is slowly overwhelming my tiny country. I was thinking if you guys had any ideas how to give a leak and potato soup an extra kapoow to it :)

[@tinabraxton4906]

I just made some sauerkraut this morning, using a food processor for the first time. It chopped the cabbage vary fine, maybe too fine. But I've put it in the jar to see what happens. Maybe it will just be ready sooner? I'd appreciate your thoughts on this.

[@AcidRockpixs]

Hi made this a month ago with some red cabbage, all seemed to go well. I went to taste it today and was surprised to find that the liquid got thicker. Any tips, is it any good anyway ?

[@halifaxliving]

Could you add a little bit of turmeric in this to keep its friend pepper happy?

[@bullkaka6569]

great video, did the food really get pickled for the winter because of lack of refrigeration? I can't see Ireland being that much warmer than either Scotland, England or Wales. I have spent winters in all of these countries and it didn't take a lot of brains to work out the temperature outside was cold enough to refrigerate my food. Also there is only a very small window of freezing weather when you wouldn't be able to keep cabbages from growing especially for the home gardener. I'm sure that refrigeration is just a guess at a reason.

[@eileenfb1948]

You can't keep a cabbage fresh for much more than a week, even in colder climates and you don't want it to freeze either as it would be prone to defrosting now and then. We are not frozen all winter.

[@Davidmaxwell07]

if you add a small bit of baking soda (I think lol) it will turn it into an "electric blue" sauerkraut... get it ago. as always awesome video guys.. hello from California. later dudes

[@AE-Psalm91]

U don't need to refrigerate after few days on counter? Also do u need to refrigerate after opening? Thx!! Great job

[@thehappypear]

+A Earhart No fermented foods react better in a room with a fluctuating temperature.

[@LBdevereux]

Gona make this

[@1operamom]

If all the cabbage has to be submerged, how is it that the top whole cap leaves are not under the liquid during the ferment? Why wouldn't that top leave go bad or moldy?

[@georgiagp7378]

Excellent question

[@kqp1998gyy]

Thank you wonderFUL

[@lindas.martin2806]

Hi, I am in Mexico where water is treated. I have an ionizer unit I use at home, will that be ok? What are my options?

[@JanColdwater]

Amazing!

[@syncopation0]

Do you place the jars in a water bath?

[@rosyscott7947]

Do I have to put it in the refrigerator after two weeks???

[@IvanIV05]

My mum used to make this, no vinegar or water though. Just salt, pepper, an apple. She used small jars so when she opened one she spent it all.

[@kitty5902]

Wow!!

[@shiningcomet]

We don't add salt to the sauerkraut ?

[@janinem9437]

Little bit confused about what kind of water needs to be used. Is it better to buy "spring water" from a bottle, or to use water from the tap (seems less "treated")? Thanks so much!

[@thehappypear]

+Janine Mathee It's better to buy spring water in a bottle. Or if you live near mountains there's always fresh springs around there.

[@janinem9437]

+The Happy Pear thanks so much!

[@aikaryna]

Doesnt need to be put in the fridge?

[@ziggymarie13]

Cheers to the mother😊

[@thehappypear]

Wooo!!!!!

[@TheGohbomba]

Thanks for the video

You didn't mention jar burping. Won't the pressure build if the lid is airtight sealed?

[@katie-marieparsons4789]

Kilner jars are designed to let the gas out

[@subclavia6779]

Doing it right now! Sure there's no sugar going into the jar to help the process?

[@chisarunicoleta8631]

nope, you could add sugar for sweetness to your preference if you plan on adding more vinegar to make it more sower ,but the cabbage is already sweet by nature( this doesn't work well with cabbage since it can;t be compared to yeast for example like when you put yeast to the fermentation process and mix it with sugar to help it along .)

[@lindaswiat3330]

Can I made sauerkraut with pears 🍐, I am making apple sauerkraut, just thought pear might be good 👍

[@eileenfb1948]

Doesn't it need the air let out of it as it ferments to avoid an exploding bottle?

[@tidawei3633]

It's 31 degrees in bangkok right now, is it better to keep it in the fridge after jarring it?

[@chisarunicoleta8631]

yes you need to place it in the fridge if the heat outside is around that temperature it will spoil and it can no longer be eaten. The place where u store it doesn't have to be the fridge only (just somewhere hot enough to where the fermentation can happen but not to hot because then it spoils around 15-20 degrees would be nice xD since traditionally speaking it would be prepared in autumn months to be later consumed during the harsh winter months )if u don't have such a place then your fridge is the best bet.

[@SonaliMankaSingh]

Oooo. I was just told I should try this!!!

[@thehappypear]

+Nali Vlogs It's so good for you. :D

[@heartbreakmanNo1]

+The Happy Pear I'm thinking steak + salad with souerkraut ?? =/"

[@thehappypear]

+heartbreakmanNo1 Whatever floats your boat. :D Sauerkraut and salad go together so well, the vinegar flavours really lift the salad. :D

[@tiffbott41]

love her accent. I want to say she's Canadian via ireland?

[@thehappypear]

+tiffbott41 She's canadian alright. :D Such a beautiful accent.

[@crumbsfood]

Exercise for your gut?! I am in.

[@TheWaterman1000]

Can you use potassium chloride (lite salt) instead of sodium chloride (table) salt for people trying to limit salt intake intake?

[@itsokaytobeclownpilled5937]

TheWaterman1000 No. But you can rinse the salt off the kraut after it's fermented.

[@naomilouise1540]

It's a bit like 'turshi' which my mum always makes for the winter. You should try that if you like souerkraut :)

[@Laurikoivisto]

Hi, making my first sauerkraut. Do I have to burb it anytime? And at the end, do I just pour out the excess water? Thanks!

[@norrishclan]

Yes I would to avoid build up of gases. Make sure that the kraut is always covered in brine, otherwise it will get mouldy.

[@Mars2152]

Query; does the garlics antibiotic abilities kill the healthy bacteria?

[@sagapoetic8990]

What is bally-galloned water, mentioned at 2:07?

[@norrishclan]

Ballygowan Irish spring water from Co. Limerick :D

[@sagapoetic8990]

Thank you, I was curious

[@harrykelly4665]

are you supposed to drain the jars when you're ready to eat?

[@eileenfb1948]

No don't drain as it needs to be kept in the liquid right up until you are about to eat it. you can drink the liquid as it is very healthy.

[@carmennchoww]

is it okay to add kombucha instead of vinegar?

[@thehappypear]

+Bean Lover You don't even have to add vinegar. :D

[@teriscallon]

Easy enough

[@thebirdisblue]

Is there any risk of the jar exploding? Should I vent it at all? :)

[@BetterDoneYourself]

Absolutely! Fermenting gives off carbon dioxide. Loosen the lid a little. Or just rubber band a paper towel on top.

[@FASIGMAN]

Isn't garlic antibacterial ?.

[@tspacefullstop4161]

Can you use Kombucha instead of vinegar?

[@thehappypear]

You won't get the same effect, I think it's the acidity level maybe?

[@tspacefullstop4161]

Ok dokey..makes sense.

[@klab2125]

I've used a few teaspoons of kimchi juice to help inoculate a batch instead of the vinegar and it turned out great. I've even done it with just straight salt and water in cooler weather.

[@thehappypear]

Oh nice one!

[@sarabea4817]

Anybody know any good reads on foods good for your gut? This is so interesting! It's funny that people are so scared of the word "bacteria" and "living organisms" - they're good for you!! And hey even a lil bit of bad bacteria is okay!

[@thehappypear]

+sara beth April has a blog that's very interesting. She tells some first hand stories about why she eats fermented food. :D

[@sarabea4817]

thanks so much :)

[@ladymariquita]

Do you have to “burp” the jar?

[@Fine39XMEN]

Barbara Poh - Late response here, you probably already got your answer. Yes, you do have to “burp” the jar if you use a lid - about once a day. Or, you can use cheesecloth around the top with a rubber-band and the gases can escape naturally. But you have to make sure the cabbage is completely submerged in liquid.

[@liliaseventeen]

I can't quite figure out her accent. Does anyone know where she's from?

[@calbaby-rh7wv]

Love u boys could you do a beautiful rice pudding that has everyone coming back for seconds

[@barryirlandi4217]

help!! mine went very moldy in only 5 days?? Anybody know why??

[@pedrovalezin4243]

Barry Irlandi Mine had the same problem, still trying to find out why :(

[@eileenfb1948]

Not enough salt, or the air was in contact with the vegetable. It is claimed that it is ok to remove the mould. Yuk! Every day I press mine ro be sure it doesn't go dry, which would make it prone to mould. Keep it covered too. If the room temperature is cool it will not ferment quickly enough to prevent other organisms from growing. On top of the fridge where there is a little warmth.

[@dombloggs]

If you added the vinegar its not a surprise. Use only rock salt without iodine, and make sure that no air is getting in to your sauerkraut.

[@dombloggs]

If there is vinegar added it's not a sauerkraut. It's annoying how pseudo specialist pass on misleading information to the viewers...

[@sweetcanada17]

dom bloggs - it's not the industrial vinegar that can be purchased in the stores. It's home made raw apple cider vinegar. If she had used the stuff from the grocery store I'd agree with you, but she's not using that stuff. The home made raw apple cider vinegar has almost all the same live bacterias as Sauerkraut would have without vinegar added.

[@dombloggs]

While apple cider vinegar is healthy.. real sauerkraut has no vinegar added - doesn't matter how organic or fancy it is. Sauerkraut is made with just salt. End off.

[@khricket]

Oh well.

[@lilithia2]

Is that the Kimchi? (Korean fermented cabbage)

[@annax3932]

no. I'm German and this is a traditional German recipe as it may seem to have similiar ingredients :D

[@thehappypear]

+Razan Ramadan No Kimchi is different again, it's a similar process but with more ingredients. It's the next and last fermenting video we'll have. :D

[@kitchenmom]

+Anna K Sorry but this is not traditional *lol* but it's clearly more european.

[@annax3932]

+K Kitchenmom i don't know I just know that it's a common treat in German recipes :D

[@annax3932]

+Anna K and as the word Sauerkraut can be selected in the two words sauer and Kraut it is in my opinion sure a German "recipe".

[@AE-Psalm91]

Won't the jars explode locked tight?!

[@thehappypear]

+A Earhart A nice strong Kilner jar will be able to handle it.

[@johngoard8272]

Please let April do the talking fellas you both left me a tad confused as to where she was up to and I agree there should be more salt in the mix.

[@bbbvvhk]

Hi, are you guys brother's, you guy look alike

[@thehappypear]

+bbbvvhk We're twins! 😀😀

[@bbbvvhk]

+The Happy Pear- lol no wonder! I found your vids, thank you for what you do!

[@prionoo]

two douches. sauerkraut isn't picked with vinegar. it's fermented

[@klab2125]

Raw apple cider vinegar has live active cultures in it that aid the fermentation. And they didn't pickle it since they only used a small amount.

[@weishitai]

It is unfortunately a heresy. What you are looking for here is malolactic fermentation. No vinegar whatsoever, not because of fermentation issues, but because it would give an off-taste to the sauerkraut. Anyways, those are not the cabbages to be used for traditional sauerkraut, so I guess that it does not matter, it's some new age thing.

[@MrWeAllAreOne]

you dont need vinegar!

[@debkatzz]

ooooh, do you guys know if you can get BAD bacteria in there. My immune system is shot to pieces at the moment, and any bad bacteria could do me so much harm. My gastroenterologist actually asked me what spirulina is today after I asked if I could safely eat it...... I didn't dare ask about fermented foods after that......

[@michaelsiddle837]

You should not be using a metal bowl or any metal utensils, it is bad for the fermentation bacteria.

[@ronromeo9914]

Unfortunately, this is an ignorant cock up and isn’t sauerkraut. We don’t use in the classic way, vinegar!

[@michaelsiddle837]

Wrong, wrong, wrong, you DO NOT ADD LIQUID.The cabbage releases more than enough liquid after you add the salt and massage it. If you needed to add a very small amount of liquid you would add saline. I suggest you watch some other sites to get good advice.

[@sixsixteensevens297]

Stop interrupting her!

[@LatinoShakasula]

looks like rotkraut

[@lizo5514]

i love this video but need more direction on the actual video part and not on their faces !!!

[@willow1279]

Realy! vinegar and water ?? she is not a specialist in sauerkraut. She has not a clue.

[@MsBill4bong]

awesome! :) we Austrians love Sauerkraut :D

[@eifionphillips3004]

What happens when liquid disappears? do you open and put more water or leave it?