Fermented Beets + Cabbage (Probiotic Rich Beetroot Sauerkraut)

Looking for a fermented beet recipe? This fermented beet sauerkraut recipe uses a combination of raw beetroot, cabbage (white or red), apple, ginger and garlic. The versatile beetroot kraut can be tossed through salads and piled on top of your avocado toasts or even served along roast meats or fish.

Fermented Beet And Cabbage Recipe

The earthiness and sweetness of beets is balanced and smoothed out by the crunchy, mild cabbage while the garlic and ginger gives it a kick and extra health benefits. And the apples provide just a hint of natural sweetness to the beetroot kraut.

I loved this crispy, crunchy, sour fermented beetroot and cabbage combination the first time I tried it! It reminded me of this red cabbage sauerkraut. But the taste has more earthiness and a deeper flavor.

I use beetroots a lot: for making beet salads, beet crackers, beet and sauerkraut soup, a healing beet smoothie or a detoxing beetroot juice. So this recipe was a must try for me.

If you love fermented veggies, also check out:

• Fermented Cauliflower
• Fermented shaved carrot salad recipe
• Fermented Cucumbers (Dill Pickles) No Vinegar
• Fermented Fresh Fish (Mackerel) Recipe
• Fermented Watermelon Recipe (Vs Pickling)
• Fermented Tomatoes Guide

Beet Sauerkraut Benefits

This beet sauerkraut is perfect for cold and flu season, delivering tremendous health benefits while body is fighting the bad germs. The fermentation process makes this beetroot kraut (as it contains garlic and ginger) a brilliant immune boosting, nutrient-dense, probiotic-rich super-food that helps to keep your gut flora (microbiome) well balanced.

Related: Creamy Chickpea Salad With Red Sauerkraut

Beets are one of my favorite vegetables and their blood purifying, immune stimulation, detoxifying and anti-inflammatory properties made me want to take advantage of that!

But I couldn’t ferment beets on their own because the sweet root vegetables gives the bacteria way too much sugar to eat and you end up with a very active batch that doesn’t keep long. It will produce a thick slimy juice that goes bad easily. Believe me, I tried it!

The only option is to ferment the beets together with cabbage, which is low in sugar. A general rule of thumb for making beetroot sauerkraut, is to keep the ratio at 55-60% cabbage, and 35-40% beetroot, then the other 5% – spices or other additional flavoring.

Here I opted for garlic and ginger – the best antibacterial and anti-inflammatory agents known in nature!

Related: Red cabbage soup with sauerkraut

Fermented Beets Benefits

It is already well known that probiotic-rich fermented foods have a lot of health benefits help us fight inflammation, strengthen, heal and protect the gut lining and help us better absorb nutrients and minerals.

Related: Cancer Killer Juice: Pomegranate, Red Cabbage And Blueberry

Plus they are not only beneficial for the gut health, but are essential for our mental health as well (as the brain function is connected to the gut function).

• 1. Beets in particular are packed with anti-inflammatory phytonutrients, loaded with essential minerals like magnesium, potassium, copper, iron, plus they are a great source of Vitamins: A, B, and C, as well as healthy fiber. And fermenting the beets, facilitates the absorption of these vitamins and minerals into the body.

Related: Best Cabbage Juice Recipe For Ulcers

• 2. Long term beet fermentation (raw) also preserves these nutrients. The beneficial bacteria consume and break down (due to enzymes – not naturally present in the food before fermentation) the sugars and starches (naturally present in beets) into alcohols and acids. Thus acting like a natural preservative without using vinegar and sugar.

• 3. Lacto-fermented beets just like the raw beets, have very powerful antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and detoxifying properties, also they improve our intestinal flora and enzyme activity [3]. Therefore fermented beets are excellent for our digestive system especially for those who have an autoimmune condition.

Related: Simple Easy Cabbage and Carrot Salad

How To Make Red Cabbage And Beet Sauerkraut

All you need to ferment the beets and other ingredients is salt, a touch of water (maybe), and a system to keep everything submerged in. 

Here are step by steps instructions for making beetroot kraut:

1. First work on shredding or slicing beets. Cut in whatever shape you desire. The chunkier the crunchier. Personally, I like smaller thinner pieces because it works well as a garnish. Plus by exposing as much surface area as possible helps pull out the juices. Everything must be the same thickness, so that everything ferments evenly.

See This.

For this I’m using a mandoline to julienne the beets and apples and the slicer to thinly shred the cabbage. The ginger and garlic will be thinly grated also, the smaller the better.

• 2. Transfer the shredded red cabbage to a large bowl with plenty of space for you to get your hands in and mix it around. Leave your beets and apples to the side for now.

• 3. Add salt. You’ll want to use a really nice, coarse, unprocessed good quality salt, like this Celtic Sea Salt.

• 4. Massage the cabbage mixture with your hands until it breaks down and becomes soft (about 3 min) and then let it sit for 10 minutes to give it time to break down more and release more juices.

• 5. Add the julienned beets, give it another 2 minute massage, then mix in the apples, ginger and garlic until it is combined evenly.

• 6. Transfer into a container. Here you can use a fermentation kit but if you are willing to improvise like I do, just use a regular half gallon glass jar, and find weights (like a small heavy glass jar filled with water). Keeping the beet and cabbage kraut in an anaerobic environment (submerged in the liquid) during the fermentation period is the key to success.

7. Pack the everything tightly, pushing it all the way down until it submerges in its own juices. Leave about 1½ inches of space from the top of the jar. If there is not enough brine to cover the cabbage and beetroot sauerkraut, add more brine by combining a teaspoon of sea salt with 1 cup of water.

8. Cover the top of the jar with a small plate (or saucer) or a coffee filter secured with a rubber band, this will prevent contamination with other bacteria and will give the beetroot sauerkraut enough oxygen to keep fermenting.

9. Culture at room temperature (65-70°F is preferred) for 4-5 days before transferring it to the refrigerator. The longer it stays out the more sour it becomes, so this is a matter of personal taste. Once refrigerated, the beet and cabbage kraut will keep for up to a year.

RELATED: Shrimp Cabbage Salad

Tips For Fermenting Beets And Cabbage

• The golden ratio for fermenting is 1.5 tsp of salt per lb (~500g) of vegetables. But I’m using a little bit less. When fermenting sweet vegetables like beets, the use of cabbage, which is in low sugar will give the best results. A general rule of thumb is to keep the ratio at 55-60% cabbage, and 35-40% beetroot, then the other 5% – spices or other additional flavoring.
• You don’t want to introduce any non-clean bacteria to your fermented beet sauerkraut, so make sure any utensils or fingers used are clean.
• When fermenting your red cabbage and beetroot sauerkraut, leave at room temperature for 3 days at minimum, or for up to three weeks maximum. The longer you leave your fermented beet and cabbage kraut, the more sour its flavor will become.
• During the first few days of fermentation: carbon dioxide will be produced. The jar might become very full with liquid that can seep out. That’s why I recommend not screwing a lid. Instead place a small saucer (or lid – loosely) on top, and a larger plate under the jar, to collect the overflowing liquid.

Serve The Beetroot Kraut With:

• Cabbage Fritters (Fried or Baked)
• Chicken Liver Patties
• Healthy Butternut Squash Casserole (Vegan)
• Savory Vegan Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes
• Potato Fritters With Crab Meat
• Quinoa Poke Bowl With Shrimp
• Gluten Free Swedish Meatballs 

More Beetroot Recipes You Might Like

• Simple Beetroot Salad With Walnuts Prunes And Avocado (Vegan)
• Pumpkin And Beetroot Salad (Vegan)

If you made this red cabbage and beetroot sauerkraut, then please leave a comment or a star rating below! Your feedback is really helpful for me and readers!