Blueberry Apple Sauerkraut Recipe

02. March 2026

This fermented Blueberry Apple Sauerkraut is a nice change of pace from traditional kraut. It’s made with red cabbage so it’s nice and colorful. Eat it with fresh pineapple or as a side dish for pork. Or if you’re like my husband, just grab a jar and eat straight out of it.

 

Salt, Cabbage, and Yields

When I first started making sauerkraut, I was confused about how much salt to use. Every recipe and book I looked at used a different salt to veggie ratio. Some recipes used 1 tablespoon of salt per 1 3/4 lb of veggies. Others stated to use 1 1/2 tablespoon for every 2 1/2 - 3 lbs of cabbage. Another method I found had calculations based on the cabbage weight and the % salinity of the salt. Ooopf! That is too much math. And there’s no need to get overly complicated with it. Keep it simple Steve! 

 

 

There really isn’t an exact amount of salt to use per recipe. Salt is mostly for taste and helps keep veggies crunchy. It’s not a safety issue if you under salt. When making kraut, try lightly salting the shredded cabbage and taste it. If needed, add more salt to your preference before fermenting. It’s better to add less salt than too much. If you over salt the cabbage, you can rinse it in non-chlorinated water to dilute it.

 

And which salt to use? You can use traditional sea salt, coarse or fine. My experience with Himalayan pink salt is that it tastes a little less salty (it has less sodium) and makes the best kraut. Avoid regular or refined table salt. These salts have iodine which can affect fermentation.

You will also see different sauerkraut yields in recipes too. How much cabbage does it take to fill a quart jar? I’ve seen recipes call for small, medium, or large heads of cabbage with no weights listed. Then others have cabbage weights with a range for the yield. The good new is that any leftover shredded cabbage can be used to make slaw or top a sandwich. Waste not want not! 

In the beginning of my kraut making experience, I jotted down the cabbage weight, salt, and seasonings I used for every batch. Eventually, I decided the best and most simple recipe was to use 1 teaspoon of salt for every 1 pound of cabbage. 3 teaspoons of salt is equal to 1 tablespoon. Typically I use 3 pounds of cabbage and 3 teaspoons of salt which usually fills 2 quarts with some leftover. Sometime the extra cabbage will fill another pint jar. If you have more cabbage leftover, you can increase the batch size and add a little more salt. It’s not an exact recipe.

 

Fermentation Supplies

There are a number of fermentation supplies and vessels to choose from. My mom and grandpa used old pickle crocks that probably held 25 pounds of kraut. They were quite large and made HUGE batches. There are also different fermentation gadgets and gismos. You don’t need to get super fancy or pricey equipment though. You can use mason jars with weights or crocks with inverted plates on top. Whatever you choose, just make sure the vegetables stay submerged under the brine.

Some folks use jars with hinged lids. If you go that route, you will need to burp your jar once or twice a day. As your veggies ferment, gasses will build up. If you don’t burp the jar to release the gas, the jar may burst! You could use a standard mason jar and just not tighten the lid all the way so gas could escape too. 

OR, you could invest in Mason Tops. This is what I use because it’s really simple and hands off. The Mason Tops kit comes with Pickle Pebble glass weights. These are heavy glass discs that fit inside a jar and keep veggies submerged under the brine so they don’t spoil. A wooden veggie tamper is used to mash down veggies in the jar. Then the jar is capped off with silicone tops called Pickle Pipes. These nippled lids fit on top of jars, then you add the canning ring on top and screw down. The pipe has a small slit on top which allows gas to release, but doesn’t let oxygen get inside. So you don’t need to manually burp jars. Woot!

The Mason Tops kit has components for 4 jars of food. But you can buy the pickle pebbles or pickle pipes individually too. You can try using a wooden spoon instead of a wooden tamper too. You only need to supply your own mason jars and bands.

 

You can only see the hole in the Pickle Pipe nipple when you squeeze it open. When your veggies are fermenting, gas builds up in the jar and will expel through the pickle pipe hole. Sometimes the gas will put a bulge in the entire silicone lid before it escapes. And sometimes brine will come out of the pickle pipe too! This is why you want a plate or tray under the jars as they ferment. I place my jars on a small metal toaster oven tray. Then I place it on top of my washing machine in the basement. One time the tray wasn’t deep enough for all the brine that flowed out. So the escaping brine overflowed and went down into my washing machine. And that was a hoot!  

 

Blueberry Apple Sauerkraut Recipe

©CanningCrafts 2026

 

PRINT THE RECIPE CARD

Preservation method: Fermentation
Difficulty level: Easy
Yield: Makes approximately 2 quart jars
Fermentation time: 2-3 weeks

INGREDIENTS

• 3 lbs organic red cabbage, I used 2 small heads
• 1 Tablespoon of fine pink Himalayan sea salt*
• 2 small organic apples, peeled and diced into cubes. I used Gala apples.
• 8 oz organic blueberries
• 2 teaspoons caraway seeds

ADDITIONAL BRINE, ONLY IF NEEDED:

• 1 cup of filtered, non-chlorinated water (most municipal tapwater will kill the good bacteria needed for fermenting)
• 1 teaspoon of salt

SUPPLIES

• 2 quart mason jars and bands
• 2 large bowls
• Fermentation kit ( Mason Tops pickle pebbles, wooden pickle packer, and pickle pipes)**

NOTES:

Opt for organic fruits and vegetables if possible. Sometimes pesticides or sprays can interfere with the fermenting process.
* You can use traditional sea salt, coarse or fine. My experience with pink salt is that it tastes a little less salty (it has less sodium) and makes the best kraut. Avoid regular or refined table salt. These salts have iodine which can affect fermentation.
** You can use your own fermentation vessels and gadgets if you don’t have Mason Tops.

PRINT THE RECIPE CARD

 

 

Rinse your red cabbage. Remove the outer leaves, but do not throw them out! You will use the discarded leaves later in the recipe when packing the jars.

 

Cut the cabbages in half and remove the core. The core contains fermentable sugar and is still edible. Shred most of the core up with a coarse grater to add to your kraut. Discard the very butt end of the core stem. 

 

Shred the cabbage into fine slices with a knife, mandolin, kraut cutter, or food processor with slicing attachment. Ideally, make the slices as thin as possible around 1/16th. It doesn’t need to be exact. I use a mandolin style kraut cutter which makes cutting cabbage pretty fast and uniform. Put the shredded cabbage in one of the large bowls.

 

If you’re using a kraut cutter, don’t be a tough guy! When you get close to the end of the cabbage, use the finger guard pusher to finish the job. You will be surprised to see how fast these veggie shredders work. So you may just slice the tips of your fingers off if you aren’t careful. 

 

Mix your salt and caraway seeds into a small bowl. Set aside.

 

Place a handful of shredded cabbage into the second large bowl. Sprinkle with a finger full of salt, approximately half a teaspoon. Thoroughly massage the cabbage with your fingers. You want to squeeze the cabbage to break it down and work in the salt. This will release juices as the cabbage gets softer. Toss in another handful of cabbage, top with some salt, then massage again. Continue this process of layering cabbage and salt until you’re out of both. 

 

Let the bowl of cabbage sit and macerate approximately 30 minutes to release as many juices as possible. The fresher the cabbage, the juicier it should be. If you use older cabbage, let it macerate longer. You may need to add additional brine later on. 

 

Peel the apples and dice into cubes. Clean the blueberries. Toss and mix both gently into the macerated cabbage.

 

Put a handful of the cabbage and fruit into a quart mason jar. Use a wooden tamper to press it down firmly into the jar. Add another handful to the jar and tamp down again. Brine will eventually rise up into the jar as you pack each layer of food. Fill the mason jar to the shoulder. Leave enough room to eventually add your pickle pebble weight. Brine will need to completely cover the weight. Pack your second quart jar using the same method. Add any leftover brine from the bowl to the jars. Do not overfill or under fill jars, see notes below.

 

Take your discarded cabbage leaves and press flat on a cutting board. Set a canning ring on top of the leaf and cut around it with a sharp knife. Place a leaf circle inside each jar on top of the kraut and tuck the edges down into the jar. These “leaf caps” will help keep small bits of kraut from floating to the top as it ferments. 

 

Place a pickle pebble glass weight inside each jar. Press down firmly. This should make brine rise over top of the pickle pebble. You want the cabbage to be completely submerged under the brine. If any bits of cabbage float to the top of the brine, remove them since they can lead to spoilage. 

 

If you don’t use fresh cabbage, the kraut may be dry and not have enough brine to cover the pickle pebble. The cabbage may release enough juices over the next day to be completely submerged. If not, add extra homemade brine using 1 cup of filtered water mixed with 1 teaspoon of salt. Refrigerate leftover brine.

 

Clean the rim of the jar with a cloth. Add a silicone pickle pipe to each jar. Secure canning rings to jars.

Place the jars on a tray or plate in case brine overflows as it ferments. Store in a cool place that is 60˚ to 70˚. Remove the lids periodically to make sure the sauerkraut is still completely submerged under brine. If the brine level has gone down, press down on the pickle pebble to bring it back over your weight. You can add some extra homemade brine if needed.

 

After a few days, you should notice fermentation bubbles. The cabbage should swell up and brine should increase. Sometimes the gas will put a bulge in the entire silicone lid before it escapes. There will be frothy bubbles or foam appear on top of the brine. If you were using green cabbage, the color would turn from bright green into a drab color. But with this purple kraut, it will get a little darker and less colorful. Sediment will form on the bottom of the jar and on top of the pickle pebble weight. Brine may look cloudy and have a strong pickle smell from fermenting gases. All of this is normal. And sometimes you won’t see some of these signs either and the ferment will be just fine. That’s confusing, right? But I’ve made kraut without seeing all the bubble action!

Allow the sauerkraut to ferment for 2 weeks. At that time, you can taste it to see if you like it. It will be mild and tangy after 2 weeks. If you want a stronger flavor, ferment it for up to 3 weeks. Flavor improves with age. In cooler temperatures, fermentation may take a little longer, even up to a month. I almost always ferment my sauerkraut for 3 weeks. The only time I may stop fermenting sooner is if the brine levels have dropped.

 

When you’re done fermenting, remove the pickle pebble and cabbage leaf. Cover jars with your original canning lid and ring. Store in the refrigerator. The kraut will store many months or even a year or longer (but it’s so good it won’t last that long). As you work your way through your quart jar, you can transfer to a smaller jar. This will help cut down on the oxygen in the jar and help prevent surface growths. I’ve had some kraut in my fridge for 2 years and it tasted just as good as the day I made it. You will know if something goes bad. The color, taste, and smell will be off putting.

 

Can I Preserve Sauerkraut for Longterm Shelf Storage?

Ball Canning has directions for canning traditional cabbage kraut. Obviously it’s handy to have ready made jars on your pantry shelf. But the main point to fermenting foods is for the health benefits. All of the good bacteria is great for your gut health. If you preserve kraut in a water bath canner, you will kill the healthy living organisms off.  And understand that before you can sauerkraut, you still have to first ferment it! 

 

Can I Heat and Eat Sauerkraut?

You can heat and eat sauerkraut, but doing so will kill the healthy bacteria. So to get the most healthy benefits from fermented veggies, eat raw and cold. But don’t let that keep you from incorporating kraut in cooked foods! It will still taste great. I will sometimes heat kraut and brine to top mashed potatoes. I slowly warm the kraut over low heat to help preserve some of the healthy probiotics. 

 

TIPS for Successful Fermenting:

Fill each jar up to the shoulders, making sure to leave enough room for the pickle pebble and brine to cover it. 

Don’t OVERFILL the jars! Once fermentation begins, the veggies will be pretty active and bubbly. So this can lead to brine oozing out of the pickle pipe nipple. This can make a mess, so be sure to keep a tray under jars.

Don’t UNDER FILL the jars! If you have too much headspace in the jar, there will be too much oxygen inside. That can lead to oxidation of the brine or veggies. Or you can get a scummy growth on the surface. 

Don’t forget to add your pickle pebble weight. Vegetables need to be fully submerged during fermentation. Sometimes bits of veggies will still float to the surface of the brine. So check your jars periodically to remove any of those floaters so they don’t spoil.

Seal the jar to keep oxygen out, and vent the jar periodically so it doesn’t explode from built up gases. Mason Tops pickle pipes work great for fermenting since they will automatically release gas when needed.

Keep it cool! Fermentation is sped up in warmer weather. Slower temperatures around 60˚ - 70˚ yield better results. Basements are great for fermenting, as long as they aren’t too cold. If it’s too cold, fermentation will take longer.

Once done fermenting, be sure to transfer to your refrigerator right away. Fermented foods are living foods. If you don’t put them in the fridge, they will continue to ferment and become very sour and soft.

 

What can go wrong?

Sometimes you can get a tiny bit of mold or Kahm yeast on the ferment’s surface. Kahm yeast is usually a white film, but it can also look orangish or pinkish in color. This is why you should check your jars periodically. You can scoop yeast off the surface with a spoon right away. Kahm yeast may look icky, but it is not harmful, However, if you don’t catch the yeast right away, it can give an unpleasant taste to your entire ferment. Using an airlock style lid, like Mason Tops, will help prevent these unwanted growths by keeping oxygen out of the jar.

Only once in all my years of making kraut have I ever gotten Kahm yeast. I went too long before checking the jars and the brine had receded a bit. I scraped the yeast off the top, but the final kraut just didn’t taste right. 

Can you over-ferment your sauerkraut?

Yes and no! As long as the brine is still covering the veggies and there’s no mold or yeast, it’s still safe. But ferments can get softer the longer they go. That isn’t an issue for some people! But the taste also changes as it ferments. So if you let your food ferment too long, you may not like the taste or the texture. This is entirely subjective based on your own personal preference though. Some people taste the fermenting food every day. I do not. I almost always ferment for 2 weeks before I taste for the first time. Then I decide if I want it to go for 3 weeks to get a stronger taste. 

So keep in mind the longer you ferment, the softer the food gets. But it also develops a stronger flavor and has more good bacteria. The shorter the ferment, the crunchier the veggies will be, and the taste will be more mild. If you use a short ferment, you’re missing out on the full health benefits of fermented foods. But stop fermenting when you like the taste :)

 

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