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When eaten raw, this sour, umami-rich and complex condiment is one of the simplest and most nourishing whole foods in the world. Made by fermenting cabbage, and other vegetables, with spices and salt (the standard salt-to-cabbage ratio is 2% salt by total weight of cabbage, but a little either way is neither good nor bad, unless you’re actively avoiding salt), a little sauerkraut on the side of my plate each day is how I ensure I get my daily dose of probiotics.
To stabilise the product, some sauerkrauts are heat-treated or pasteurised. This is great for shelf-life but kills the beneficial bacteria and probiotic benefits. Straight from the jar, I tasted a range of sauerkraut from the most economical pasteurised varieties to some pricey mail-order products from the best fermenters in the country.
The best supermarket sauerkraut
Best overall:
Loving Foods organic sauerkraut with caraway and juniper
★★★★★
Bright white sauerkraut with a sour, complex aroma. Crunchy and bounding with intense flavour, with plump fermented caraway seeds and whole juniper berries popping all over the place. Raw and alive with fermentation, and made with just 1% Celtic sea salt.
Best bargain:
Hurly Burly original organic raw sauerkraut
★★★★★
A small plastic jar of funky and savoury-scented raw sauerkraut. White in colour and refreshing on the taste buds, with a freshness and satisfyingly sour twang. Nice and crunchy, a lower-than-average 1.5% sea salt, and brilliant value for an organic raw product.
And the rest …
Raw Vibrant Living organic sauerkraut classic
★★★★★
Fresh cabbage and sourness on the nose with a gentle underlying funk. White and very fresh in appearance. Very crunchy, with a unique sour flavour and pleasant sweetness. At only 0.75%, very low sea salt content, too. Brilliant value.
Jamie Ferments sauerkraut
★★★★☆
This large jar of extra thick-cut sauerkraut opened with a satisfying phwummp! And then crackled with a lively fizz. A classic, satisfying sour cabbage aroma, a mighty crunch, a complex but subtle aniseed flavour from the caraway and whole black peppercorns, and a notably low salt content (0.8%).
Biona Organic golden turmeric sauerkraut
★★★★☆
Very finely shredded sauerkraut with an incredible aroma of fresh turmeric and warming ginger, with a savoury undertone. It’s refreshing to the taste with a bright acidity and well-rounded powerful flavour. Medium crunch. Pasteurised, and 1.68g of salt per 100g. Incredible value for an organic product.
The Cultured Collective fennel, apple & dill sauerkraut
★★★★☆
An explosive jar that fizzed and spurted as I opened it – just what I’m looking for in a sauerkraut that’s alive with beneficial bacteria and wild flavours. Fresh, thick-cut and a very rich, spicy, almost cumin-like aroma. A clear, bold, intense flavour of fennel, apple and cabbage, and a slightly higher sea salt content (2.5%) than the others in this test.
Moryń sauerkraut
★★★☆☆
A huge juicy jar of very finely shredded long strands of white kraut. It’s pasteurised but has a fresh cabbage smell and delicious crunch. It’s fresh on the tongue, too, although thankfully it does still have that quintessential sour twang and a pretty standard 1.94% salt content.
Vadasz garlic & dill sauerkraut
★★★☆☆
Thick-cut with a sweet and savoury dill aroma. This soft-textured kraut has a full dill-forward flavour, hint of garlic and rich fermented-cabbage undertone with a delicious unexpected freshness from the cucumber. Two stars from the Great Taste Awards, and 1.5% salt.
Kühne sauerkraut
★★☆☆☆
A beautiful round barrel of a jar packed with finely shredded pale pasteurised sauerkraut that has a perfectly funky aroma. The texture is tender with some bite and a balanced sweet, sour flavour. At 1.3%, not especially salty, either. Perfect for hotdogs.
Dawtona sauerkraut
★★☆☆☆
Soft, finely shredded short strips of sauerkraut. It has a cooked cabbage aroma and a surprising sour and umami-rich flavour profile, especially considering there is nothing in the ingredients list other than cabbage, water and 1.9% salt.
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For more, read everything you need to ferment at home
