Fermented Beet Kvass Sauerkraut

Name: Fermented Beet Kvass Sauerkraut
Prep time: 58 min
Total time: 58 min
Yield: 16 servings
Cuisine: Eastern European
Ingredients: 2 lb (900 g) green cabbage, outer leaves removed (keep 1 clean, intact leaf), quartered, cored, and thinly shredded into ⅛-inch (3 mm) strips; 10½ oz (300 g) raw beets, scrubbed, peeled, and coarsely grated; 4 tsp (24 g) fine sea salt, non-iodized; weigh it for accuracy; 1 tbsp (7 g) caraway seeds, whole; 2 cloves (8 g) garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced (optional); 1 cup (240 ml) filtered or dechlorinated water, room temperature (optional); 1 tsp (6 g) fine sea salt, dissolved in the water (optional)

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

Crunchy, tangy, ruby-pink sauerkraut made by massaging shredded green cabbage and raw beets with sea salt and caraway, then letting it ferment in its own brine. Earthy beet sweetness and a kvass-like tang make it ideal beside sausages, rye bread, or boiled potatoes.

Prep: 58 min
Cook: —
Wait: 8 days
Total: 8.1 days
Makes: About 1.5 quarts (1.4 L), roughly 16 servings of ¼ cup

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Ingredients

16 servings

2 lb (900 g) green cabbage, outer leaves removed (keep 1 clean, intact leaf), quartered, cored, and thinly shredded into ⅛-inch (3 mm) strips
10½ oz (300 g) raw beets, scrubbed, peeled, and coarsely grated
4 tsp (24 g) fine sea salt, non-iodized; weigh it for accuracy
1 tbsp (7 g) caraway seeds, whole
2 cloves (8 g) garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced (optional)
For the top-off brine (only if needed)
1 cup (240 ml) filtered or dechlorinated water, room temperature (optional)
1 tsp (6 g) fine sea salt, dissolved in the water (optional)

Equipment (8)

2-quart (2 L) wide-mouth glass jar
Fermentation weight, or a small clean glass jar that fits inside the mouth of the large jar
Large non-reactive mixing bowl (at least 5 quarts / 5 L)
Sharp knife and cutting board, or a mandoline or food processor with a shredding disc
Box grater or food processor with a coarse grating disc
Kitchen scale
Fermentation airlock lid, or a regular lid to loosen daily
Plate or tray to catch overflow

Steps

Before you start

Plan on 7 days of fermenting at 65–72°F (18–22°C), plus a day of chilling. Cooler rooms take longer; warmer rooms ferment faster and softer.
Wash the jar, lid, weight, and your hands with hot soapy water and rinse well. Use non-iodized salt only: sea or kosher with no anti-caking agents.
Weigh the salt on a kitchen scale. Fermentation safety depends on about 2% salt by weight of the vegetables, and teaspoon measures vary by brand.
Wear gloves when handling the beets if you don't want stained hands, and work on a board that can take staining.

1
Clean the equipment
- Wash the 2-quart (2 L) jar, weight, mixing bowl, and utensils in hot soapy water and rinse thoroughly.
- Peel off the outer 2–3 leaves of the cabbage and discard any that are limp or damaged, then set aside 1 clean, large, intact leaf for covering the ferment later.
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Ready when: Everything is rinsed free of soap and smells neutral.
Tip: Soap residue can inhibit fermentation, so rinse well.
2
Shred the cabbage
- Quarter the cabbage through the stem and cut out the dense core from each wedge.
- Slice each wedge crosswise into strips about ⅛ inch (3 mm) thick, using a sharp knife or a mandoline.
- Weigh out 900 g (2 lb) of shredded cabbage into the large bowl.
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Ready when: Strips are thin and uniform, with no thick chunks.
Tip: Thinner shreds release brine faster and ferment more evenly.
3
Grate the beets
- Scrub and peel the beets, then coarsely grate them on a box grater or food processor disc.
- Weigh out 300 g (10.5 oz) and add to the cabbage.
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Ready when: Beet shreds are about the size of matchsticks, not fine pulp.
Tip: Grating too finely makes the kraut mushy and turns the brine muddy.
4
Salt and massage
- Sprinkle the 24 g (4 tsp) sea salt over the cabbage and beets.
- With clean hands, squeeze and knead the mixture firmly for 5–8 minutes, until it softens, darkens, and pools with deep magenta liquid.
- Let it rest in the bowl for 20 minutes, then massage 1–2 minutes more.
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Ready when: A handful squeezed over the bowl releases a steady stream of liquid.
Tip: If it's still dry after the rest, keep massaging; older cabbage takes longer.
5
Add caraway and garlic
- Stir in the caraway seeds and the sliced garlic, if using, until evenly distributed through the vegetables.
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Ready when: Seeds are scattered throughout with no clumps.
6
Pack the jar
- Transfer the mixture to the jar a handful at a time, pressing down hard with your fist or a wooden spoon after each addition to remove air pockets and bring brine above the vegetables.
- Pour in all the liquid from the bowl.
- Leave 1½ inches (4 cm) of headspace at the top, as the kraut expands.
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Ready when: Brine rises at least ½ inch (1 cm) over the vegetables when pressed.
Tip: If brine doesn't cover the vegetables, stir 1 tsp (6 g) salt into 1 cup (240 ml) water and add just enough to submerge them.
7
Submerge and cover
- If brine is short, dissolve the 6 g salt in the water and top up until the vegetables are fully covered.
- Fold the reserved cabbage leaf over the surface, tuck in the edges, and set the weight on top so everything stays below the brine.
- Seal with an airlock lid, or screw on a regular lid loosely.
- Set the jar on a plate.
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Ready when: No vegetable pieces poke above the brine.
Tip: Anything above the brine can mold. Keep it submerged.
8
Ferment for a week
- Keep the jar at 65–72°F (18–22°C), out of direct sunlight, for 7 days.
- Each day, press the vegetables down to release trapped gas bubbles, and if using a regular lid, loosen it briefly to vent.
- Bubbling begins in 1–3 days and brine may rise and overflow onto the plate.
- Start tasting at day 5.
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Ready when: Brine is cloudy and fizzy, the smell is pleasantly sour, and the cabbage tastes tangy yet still crunchy.
Tip: White film (kahm yeast) can be skimmed off, but fuzzy mold or a rotten smell means discard the batch.
9
Chill and store
- When the flavor is as tangy as you like (up to 14 days if you prefer it sharper), remove the weight and cabbage leaf, and place the tightly sealed jar in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours before serving to settle and mellow the flavors.
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Ready when: Kraut is cold, crisp-tender, and tangy.
Tip: Keep the kraut under the brine in the fridge, using a clean fork each time.

Good to know

Tips

Always weigh the vegetables and salt: 2% salt (24 g for 1.2 kg) gives safe, crisp, balanced results. Too little salt risks spoilage; too much slows fermentation.
Fermentation is faster in a warm kitchen, so taste earlier in summer and expect longer in winter.
Use the pink brine as a tangy shot, or stir a spoonful into soups and dressings, much like beet kvass.
Don't use chlorinated tap water for the top-off brine; let it stand overnight or use filtered water.

Make ahead

"This is a make-ahead recipe by nature: ferment up to 2 weeks at room temperature, then it keeps and improves in the fridge for months."

Storage & reheating

Refrigerator: up to 4–6 months in a sealed jar, kept submerged in brine; flavor gets more sour over time. Room temperature: only during the fermenting stage (7–14 days). Freezer: not recommended, as it softens the texture. Serve cold or at room temperature straight from the jar; if heating, add at the end of cooking to keep crunch.

Substitutions

caraway seeds → dill seeds or juniper berries. Use the same amount of dill seed, or 6–8 lightly crushed juniper berries, for a different but classic flavor.
green cabbage → red cabbage. Gives a deeper purple color and slightly firmer texture; same weight.
fine sea salt → kosher salt (no additives). Weigh 24 g rather than measuring by volume, since crystal sizes differ.
garlic cloves → 1 tbsp grated fresh horseradish or ginger. Adds a sharp, warming bite.