Red Cabbage Sauerkraut with Cloves and Orange Marmalade
Bright and tangy, this red cabbage sauerkraut with orange and cloves is a delicious twist on a traditional ferment. Ground cloves add a warm, spiced depth, while a few spoonful of orange marmalade brings a gentle sweetness and citrusy lift that pairs beautifully with the earthy cabbage. It’s an easy, small-batch recipe that brings color and bold flavor to your plate—perfect alongside roasted meats, holiday leftovers, or a simple slice of buttered sourdough.
Why You’ll Love This Red Kraut Recipe
- It makes a beautiful change from traditional white cabbage sauerkraut. The deep purple-red color makes it especially pretty served as a side dish for special occasions.
- It has a delicious sweet-and-sour flavor. The tangy cabbage, warm cloves, and hint of orange complement meat and fish dishes beautifully.
- It only needs four ingredients. Not counting the water, this recipe is incredibly simple, yet the finished sauerkraut has plenty of flavor.
- You don’t need any special equipment. There’s no need for fermentation weights or a kraut pounder. All you really need is a couple of clean canning jars with lids.
Tips for the Best Kraut:
- Use unrefined salt. I recommend using a simple, unrefined salt such as sea salt or Himalayan pink salt. Avoid regular table salt if it contains anti-caking agents or other additives, as some additives may interfere with fermentation.
- Use the right amount of salt. This recipe uses a slightly higher salt concentration than many traditional sauerkraut recipes. The extra salt helps balance the sugar from the orange marmalade while still allowing the cabbage to ferment properly.
- Use filtered water. If possible, use filtered water rather than chlorinated tap water. Chlorine can inhibit the beneficial bacteria responsible for fermentation, so filtered water gives your red cabbage sauerkraut the best chance of fermenting well.
- You don’t need a kraut pounder. If you don’t own one, the flat end of a wooden rolling pin works well for pounding the cabbage. You can also use a sturdy wooden spoon or potato masher. I wouldn’t personally use a pestle from a pestle and mortar set, though—one wrong move and you could end up with a smashed jar!
- Keep everything below the brine. Make sure there are no pieces of cabbage floating above the liquid, and tuck your cabbage leaves down firmly so they lie flat beneath the brine. Anything exposed to air is more likely to develop mold, and that’s the last thing we want!
- Don’t burp your jars. There is no need to regularly open your jars during fermentation to release gas. Opening the jars breaks the seal and introduces fresh air. The one-piece European-style lids I use, as well as standard two-piece canning lids, can allow excess fermentation gases to escape without needing to be opened. Your jars do not need to be burped to ferment safely.
Ingredients
- 1 medium head red cabbage, about 1 kg (2.2 lbs) once shredded
- ¾ teaspoon ground cloves
- 4 tablespoons orange marmalade
- Fine sea salt or rock salt, calculated at 2% of the weight of your shredded cabbage (For example for 1000 g of shredded cabbage, you will need 20 g salt.)
This recipe will make two 750ml jars or one 1500ml jar of sauerkraut.
How to Make Red Cabbage Sauerkraut Step By Step
Isn’t this red cabbage beautiful? To prepare your cabbage, remove the tough outer leaves, then cut your cabbage in quarters and with a sharp knife finely shred it. Don’t cut the core, it is too tough to use. Compost it instead.
Reserve 1 or 2 of the tough outer leaves – you will use them to hold down the sauerkraut in the jars (no need for fermentation weights). I heard that some people use the core to make a probiotic rich drink by placing it in a jar and pouring some of the salt and water brine over it, then fermenting for a few weeks. If you ever tried that, let me know in the comments!
Place the shredded cabbage in a large mixing bowl or pot – I used my jam pot for this purpose. Add the marmalade and sprinkle in the ground cloves. If your marmalade includes large slices of peel, chop them smaller. Mix it all together well with your hands or a wooden spoon.
Now is the time to pound the cabbage into jars. Add a handful of cabbage to the jar, pound it in with the end of your rolling pin, add a handful more, pound it in – repeat until your jar is full up to the neck of the jar. You want to use some muscle while doing this to make sure the cabbage is packed nice and tight.
It is important to leave 1/2 inch headspace. Firstly, because you need room to add in the cabbage leaf on top to hold down the shredded cabbage. Secondly, because your jar will overflow as it ferments if you pack it too full.
Choose one of the outer leaves that you have set aside. Cut out the middle vein. Fold each half of the leaf again in half to get a triangle shape. Press each leaf into one jar. Tuck in the ends. You want it to make a flat seal – nothing sticking out once the brine has been poured in.
Mix the salt with filtered water in the proportion shown in the ingredients section. Make sure all the salt has dissolved – this is easier to do if you the water is warm. Fill both jars with the brine up to the top – don’t leave any room for air. Screw the lids on TIGHTLY.
Make sure you label the jars with today’s date. I usually write the date with a permanent marker on the lids (if written on the side of the jar it is often accidentally wiped off). Then set the jars somewhere warm and out of direct sunlight. After a day or two the jars will start hissing and leaking some of the liquid so set them in a bowl or tray to catch the overflow. This will stop after a few days and you will be able to remove the tray underneath.
How Do I Know When My Sauerkraut Is Ready?
It takes about 3 weeks for the red cabbage sauerkraut to ferment. If it is very warm, it may only take 10 days, if your house is cool it may take up to 6 weeks. Start checking after 10 days if it is the middle of the summer and your house is very warm. If it is winter, I wouldn’t bother checking until at least 3 weeks have passed. Set a reminder in your calendar to check on the kraut. When it is ready, the cabbage will be softened and pleasantly sweet and sour. It won’t be salty despite the salt brine you’ve added to. If it still tastes a little salty and the cabbage is still hard, tighten the lid back on and let it continue fermenting.
Once the sauerkraut is ready, transfer it to the refrigerator. If you continued keeping it at room temperature it would slowly overferment and get mushy. It wouldn’t spoil per se, but it would not be pleasant to eat. It would only be good for the compost pile.
Serving Ideas
Below are some of our favorite ways to serve this ferment which I hope you and your family will love as much as we do!
- Serve alongside roasted beef, duck, or chicken (such as these slow roasted chicken legs)—its sweet-spiced tang balances rich meats beautifully.
- Tuck it into a sourdough sandwich with sharp cheese or leftover roast for a quick and flavorful lunch.
- Add a spoonful to a bowl of hearty winter stew or bean soup for a pop of brightness.
- Pair with creamy mashed potatoes and sausages for a rustic, comforting supper.
- Add it to cold beetroot salad instead of balsamic vinegar.
- Try it with eggs and toast at breakfast—especially good with fried eggs or a quiche (for example my crustless quiche recipe).
- Add to a seasonal snack board with cured meats, cheeses, and fermented vegetables.
- Use it as a tangy topping on a baked potato with butter and herbs.
How to Store Red Cabbage Kraut
Once your red cabbage sauerkraut has fermented to the flavor you like, the refrigerator is the best place to store it. Cold temperatures slow fermentation dramatically while preserving the flavor and crunch. If you left it on the counter, it would continue to ferment and slowly lose the crunch and become mushy. In the refrgerator, the flavor will generally continue to develop slowly, but much more slowly than at room temperature.
Always use a clean utensil when taking sauerkraut from the jar. Properly fermented sauerkraut that remains submerged in brine and refrigerated can keep for many months, often 6 months or longer. The quality will slowly decline though so I personally wouldn’t store it for more than 12 months.
Red Cabbage Sauerkraut with Orange and Cloves
Equipment
- Kraut pounder, rolling pin, or wooden spoon
- 2 750ml canning jars with lids
Ingredients
- 1 medium head red cabbage (about 1000 grams once shredded)
- 4 Tablespoons orange marmalade, peel chopped
- ¾ teaspoon ground cloves
- Fine sea salt or rock salt (calculated at 2% of the weight of your shredded cabbage)
Instructions
- To prepare the cabbage, remove the tough outer leaves, then cut your cabbage into quarters. With a sharp knife finely shred the cabbage. Don't slice the core, it is too tough to use. Compost it instead. Reserve 1 or 2 of the tough outer leaves – you will use them to hold down the sauerkraut in the jars (no need for fermentation weights).
- Place the shredded cabbage in a large mixing bowl or pot – I used my jam pot for this purpose. Add the marmalade and sprinkle in the ground cloves. If your marmalade includes large pieces of peel, chop them smaller. Mix it all together really well, either with your hands or with a wooden spoon.
- Add a handful of cabbage to the jar, pound it in with the end of your rolling pin, add a handful more, pound it in – repeat until your jar is full up to the neck (leaving 1/2 inch headspace).
- Choose one of the outer leaves that you have set aside. Cut out the middle vein. Fold each half of the leaf again in half to get a triangle shape. Press each leaf into one of the jars. Tuck in the ends. You want it to make a flat seal – nothing sticking out once the brine has been poured in.
- Mix salt with filtered water in the proportion shown in the ingredients section. Make sure all the salt has dissolved fully. Fill both jars with the brine up to the top – don't leave any room for air. Screw the lids on TIGHTLY.
- Label the jars with today's date. Then set them to ferment somewhere warm and out of direct sunlight. After a day or two the jars will start hissing and leaking some of the liquid so set them in a bowl or tray to catch the overflow. This will stop after a few days.
- It takes about 3 weeks for the cabbage to ferment. If it is very warm, it may only take 10 days, if your house is cool it may take up to 6 weeks. Start checking after 10 days if it is the middle of the summer and your house is very warm. If your house is cold wait for at least 3 weeks before checking for doneness. When the sauerkraut is ready, the cabbage will be softened and pleasantly sweet and sour. It won't be salty despite the salt brine you've poured over it. If it still tastes a little salty and the cabbage is still hard, screw the lid tightly back on and let it continue fermenting.
- There are so many ways to serve this ferment. You could have it with fried eggs and sausage for breakfast. Or you could use it in cheese or meat sandwiches for lunch or served alongside roast meats for dinner.
Notes
- Everything should be submerged under the brine – make sure there are no pieces of cabbage floating on top and the leaves on top that you have used as a seal are tucked in and flat.
- There is no need to ‘burp’ the jars so don’t do it! You will only unnecessarily break the seal and increase the chance of mold. Both the European style one piece lids that I am using and the two piece American lids are made to release the extra gases which form during fermentation. Your jars won’t explode.
- Once the sauerkraut is done fermenting, transfer it to the refrigerator and use within 6 months if possible.
