Fermented Cabbage and Carrots (Family Sauerkraut Recipe)

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fermented cabbage and carrots in a jar and on a plate

5 from 2 votes

Fermented Cabbage and Carrots (Family Sauerkraut Recipe)

A simple, three-ingredient fermented cabbage and carrot recipe passed down through generations in my Russian-Ukrainian family. Made with just cabbage, carrot, and a precise 2% salt ratio, this quick-fermenting sauerkraut is ready to eat in just three days, with a mild, tangy crunch that gets more sour the longer it sits in the fridge. No special equipment needed — just a jar, a weight, and a skewer for daily de-gassing.

Prep Time20

Fermentation/Resting Time3

Total Time3 20

Course: Condiment, Fermented Food, Side Dish

Cuisine: Eastern European, Russian, Ukrainian

Keyword: fermented cabbage, fermented cabbage and carrots, homemade sauerkraut recipe, quick sauerkraut, Russian sauerkraut, Ukrainian sauerkraut

Servings:

Author: Olya Shepard

Equipment

Kitchen scale
large mixing bowl
Fermentation jar (or wide-mouth glass jar, 1–1.5 quart / 1–1.5 liter)
Light fermentation weight (a shot glass, small jam jar, or coffee cup works well)
Wooden skewer or chopstick (for daily de-gassing)

Ingredients

Vegetables

2.2 lb. green cabbage, thinly sliced
1 medium carrot, coarsely grated

Seasonings

20 g coarse salt, pickling or kosher — see Notes for measuring by weight vs. volume
1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns

Instructions

Thinly slice the cabbage and coarsely grate the carrot.
Weigh the cabbage and carrot together, then calculate 2% of that weight in salt (20 g salt per 1 kg vegetables) to keep the ratio precise.
Combine the cabbage, carrot, black peppercorns and salt in a large bowl and mix thoroughly by hand, massaging gently until the cabbage begins to release liquid.
Pack the mixture tightly into your jar, pressing down firmly by hand as you go to remove air pockets and force the liquid to rise above the vegetables.
Place a light weight, such as a shot glass or small jam jar, directly on top of the cabbage to keep it fully submerged in its own brine.
Leave the jar at room temperature for 3 days. The cabbage should stay fully covered in liquid throughout fermentation; this is the most important visual check for food safety.
Twice a day, pierce the cabbage in 4–5 places down to the bottom of the jar with a wooden skewer or chopstick to release trapped carbon dioxide from within the mass, not just from the surface.
After 3 days, transfer the jar to the refrigerator. It's ready to eat immediately, and it will continue to develop a more pronounced sour flavor over the following weeks in the fridge.

Nutrition Facts

Fermented Cabbage and Carrots (Family Sauerkraut Recipe)

Amount per Serving

Calories

% Daily Value*

Fat

0.2

Saturated Fat

0.1

Polyunsaturated Fat

0.05

Monounsaturated Fat

0.04

Sodium

1329

Potassium

325

Carbohydrates

Fiber

Sugar

Protein

Vitamin A

1865

Vitamin C

Calcium

Iron

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy only. This information comes from online calculators. Although whatsinthepan.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates.

Notes

Diet: Vegan, Vegetarian, Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free

Measure salt by weight, not volume. A teaspoon of salt can range from about 3 g (Diamond Crystal kosher) to 5 g (Morton kosher) to 6 g (table salt) depending on the brand, since crystal size changes how much fits in a spoon. Using a kitchen scale for the 20 g is far more reliable than any teaspoon conversion, and it's what keeps this ratio consistent batch after batch.

If your cabbage doesn't release enough brine to fully submerge itself within the first few hours, top it off with a matching 2% saltwater brine (2 g salt per 100 g water) rather than adding more dry salt to the mix.

Don't use iodized table salt or salt substitutes. Iodine and anti-caking agents can inhibit fermentation and cloud the brine, which is why pickling or kosher salt is standard for this method.

A thin white film on the surface (kahm yeast) is usually harmless and can be skimmed off; it tends to form when the cabbage isn't kept fully submerged. Fuzzy colored mold, on the other hand, means the batch should be discarded. Keeping the weight on and checking submersion in the first day or two is the best way to avoid both.

Leave at least an inch of headspace in your jar. The cabbage will bubble and expand during the first couple of days as fermentation gets going, and a jar packed too full can overflow.

This is a "young" sauerkraut by design. Its 3-day ferment is much shorter than the 1–4 week timeline common in Western recipes, giving a milder, slightly sweet tang rather than a fully sour flavor. If you prefer more sourness, simply let it sit longer in the fridge; the flavor deepens gradually over the following weeks.