---
title: 'EASY Spicy Sauerkraut 4 Ways! | Homemade Spicy Sauerkraut with a Kimchi Vibe!'
source: 'https://youtube.com/watch?v=6G5jZ3KmkZo'
video_id: '6G5jZ3KmkZo'
date: 2026-06-28
duration_sec: 267
---

# EASY Spicy Sauerkraut 4 Ways! | Homemade Spicy Sauerkraut with a Kimchi Vibe!

> Source: [EASY Spicy Sauerkraut 4 Ways! | Homemade Spicy Sauerkraut with a Kimchi Vibe!](https://youtube.com/watch?v=6G5jZ3KmkZo)

## Summary

Erica from Buttered Side Up demonstrates how to make spicy sauerkraut in four flavor variations, starting with a base method for preparing cabbage. She covers two neutral-flavored versions (jalapeño-carrot and crushed red pepper-carrot) and two kimchi-inspired versions (one with gochugaru and one with ginger, garlic, and red onion). The video includes detailed steps for salting, massaging, packing jars, and fermenting.

### Key Points

- **Cabbage preparation** [0:17] — Weigh cabbage, wash, remove wilted leaves, cut out core, rinse, drain, and set aside one outer leaf. Finely chop or shred with a food processor.
- **Salting and massaging** [0:56] — Place shredded cabbage in a large bowl, sprinkle with unrefined sea salt (e.g., Redmond, Himalayan pink, Celtic sea salt). Let sit 15 minutes, then massage for 5 minutes to release moisture.
- **Version 1: Jalapeño-Carrot** [1:26] — Add shredded carrot and sliced jalapeño. Spice level controlled by removing seeds and membrane.
- **Version 2: Crushed Red Pepper-Carrot** [1:44] — Add ½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes and shredded carrot. Neutral flavor, less spicy than version 1.
- **Version 3: Kimchi Vibe with Gochugaru** [1:59] — Add shredded carrot, 1 tbsp minced ginger, 1 clove garlic, 2 green onions, 3 tbsp gochugaru (Korean red pepper flakes). Kimchi-like flavor.
- **Version 4: Kimchi Vibe without Gochugaru** [2:18] — Add shredded carrot, 1 tbsp ginger, 2 cloves garlic, ¾ tsp crushed red pepper flakes, ½ thinly sliced red onion. Alternative kimchi vibe without gochugaru.
- **Packing the jar** [2:34] — Pack mixed ingredients into a sterile quart jar. Use a cabbage leaf circle on top, then a fermenting weight. Loosely screw on a plastic lid (avoid metal). Place jar in a baking dish to catch overflow.
- **Fermentation and monitoring** [3:32] — Ferment in a warm spot out of direct sunlight for about 2 weeks (adjust based on temperature). Check periodically for mold and brine level; top up with 2% salt water if needed.

## Transcript

hey everyone i'm erica from the blog
buttered side up and today i'm going to
show you how to make spicy sauerkraut
four ways i have two that have more of a
neutral flavor
and then two that have more of a crouchy
vibe with
ginger and garlic added now all four
versions start with the same method for
preparing the cabbage
before you do anything else to it weigh
your cabbage then you'll want to wash it
remove any wilted or brown leaves from
the outside
cut out the core and rinse it thoroughly
letting the water run between the leaves
[Music]
drain well pull off
one of the outer leaves and set it aside
you'll see why you need this later
finely chop the cabbage
i like to shred it with a food processor
this not only saves
time it also tends to make the cabbage
juicier in my experience
place the cabbage in a large bowl
and sprinkle the salt on top make sure
that you use unrefined sea salt
i use red mint sea salt personally but
you could also use
himalayan pink salt or celtic sea salt
let the cabbage sit for 15 minutes
then get in there with your hands and
massage the cabbage for five minutes
this encourages the cabbage to release
its moisture which is what will act as
the brine for your sauerkraut
[Music]
now it's at this point that you're going
to add in the other ingredients that
will determine
the flavor profile for version one add
in a shredded carrot and a sliced
jalapeno
you can adjust the spice level by how
well you clean your jalapeno
so if you make sure to remove all of the
seeds and all of that white membrane it
won't be that spicy but if you leave all
that in it will definitely have a
spicier flavor for version two
add half a teaspoon of crushed red
pepper flakes and a shredded carrot
this version definitely has the most
neutral flavor profile
and we found that it was less spicy than
the jalapeno version but of course you
can ramp up the spice by increasing the
amount of crushed red pepper flakes
for version number three add a shredded
carrot one tablespoon of minced ginger
a clove of garlic two green onions and
three tablespoons of gochugaru
or korean red pepper flakes this version
definitely has
more of a crouchy flavor profile now if
you want that crouchy flavor but you
don't have any kochikaru on hand
you can make version number three add a
shredded carrot one tablespoon of ginger
two cloves of garlic three quarters
teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes
and half of a red onion that's been
thinly sliced
okay so now we've gone over the four
different flavor profiles and let's get
on to packing this into jars
once you have all the ingredients well
mixed you can pack it into
a sterile quart jar to sterilize your
jar pour boiling water into it
[Music]
now with very clean hands pack the
sauerkraut into the jar
pressing firmly down
[Music]
now take that cabbage leaf that you
saved earlier and cut out a circle
that's a little wider than your jar
place it in the jar
this keeps the cabbage submerged under
the brine place a fermenting weight on
top
and make sure that your fermenting
weight is sterile as well now a weight
isn't 100 necessary but it does help to
keep everything under the brine
preventing mold
loosely screw a plastic lid on top of
the jar i don't recommend that you use a
metal lid since it can rust
i like to put my jars in a baking dish
to catch any overflow that will most
likely happen let the sauerkraut ferment
in a warm spot out of direct sunlight
until it's as sour as you like it
i like to ferment mine for two weeks but
of course this is going to change
depending on how warm your kitchen is
check in on your sauerkraut periodically
to make sure that it's doing okay you
want to check for any mold and you also
want to make sure that the brine doesn't
get too low if the brine goes below the
vegetables then you can top it up with a
two percent salt water solution
all right so after two weeks you'll have
some delicious spicy probiotic
sauerkraut
if you found this video helpful please
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videos
thanks so much for watching see you next
[Music]
time
i think that's everything i love this
served a stir-fry