Hawaiian Sauerkraut Recipe - Easy Steps Making Pineapple Kraut (2024)

A homemade Hawaiian sauerkraut recipe is truly ono! A Hawaiian pineapple sauerkraut recipe transforms an average kraut into an enjoyable pineapple dish.

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I grew up a local girl from the city of Aiea, HI. Leaving the islands to establish a life elsewhere was the hardest decision of my life, but one I made nevertheless.

When asked what I miss most about my beautiful Hawai’i Nei the answer is always this, the beautiful aloha spirit and the food. Yes, most definitely the food.

The food scene in Hawai’i is incredible. It is a melting pot of multiple cultures consisting mainly of Hawaiian, Korean, Japanese, Portuguese, Pilipino, and American.

Oh, how I miss the food.

I have an author friend, Stephanie Thurow, who truly understands what I have stated. She spent some time on the Big Island of Hawai’i and values the cultural food community as much as I do.

When she wrote her book, WECK Home Preserving, Made-from-Scratch Recipes for Water-bath Caning, Fermenting, Pickling, and More, she created this recipe which I am about to share. And I’m going to tell you, it makes this local girl’s heart happy to have this Hawaiian sauerkraut recipe in my fridge! What’s better than a pineapple sauerkraut recipe?

Also, while you’re at it, you might as well try your hand at making my smoked kale kraut recipe. It is incredibly delicious and I know you’ll enjoy it.

Hawaiian Sauerkraut Recipe

As with any sauerkraut recipe it is important to use the freshest ingredients possible. Unlike most kraut recipes this is a 10 to 14 day ferment. How long it will take to complete will depend on the temperatures of your home.

Fermentation occurs best between 60 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit. This is why there is no set time frame as to how long it will take an item to ferment. The taste of the ferment is the main determining factor for completion.

A Few Tips

• Bubbling is an indicator that organisms are feasting on the sugars and starches of the fermenting items. This is a good sign.
• Not all items create bubbles, or a high amount of bubbles. Don’t worry, fermentation is still occurring.
• Ferments do require being burped regularly to release the build up of gases, especially if a sealed jar is used. Sealed jars consist of WECK canning jars, mason jar with metal lids, or swing top jars.
• Warming tools can be used for homes which are kept cooler than 60 degrees Fahrenheit. A simpler solution, store pickling ferments on top of the refrigerator to keep the vessel warm to encourage fermentation.

Ingredients

• 1 head organic green cabbage, 2 to 2 1/2 pounds
• 2 carrots, 1/2 cup washed, peeled, and grated
• 1/2 cup fresh pineapple, grated
• 1/2 cup yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt

Equipment

• large non-reactive mixing bowl, glass or stainless steel
• 1 quart WECK jar or wide mouth quart size mason jar
• kraut pounder
• fermenting weight

Instructions

1. Remove the outer leaves from the cabbage and discard. Wash the cabbage with cold water. Cut the cabbage in half lengthwise and remove the core from each half. Shred the cabbage into thin shreds, 1/8 inch thick. reserve shredded cabbage in a large non-reactive pot or mixing bowl.
2. Sprinkle the salt over the cabbage and mix together. Massage the salt into the cabbage shreds until you are able to squeeze a handful of cabbage and liquid drips away. This is the natural brine that is created through the process of dry salting. The process can take a few minutes or take many. How long will depend on how fresh the cabbage is.
3. One the natural brine is created, add in the remaining ingredients and mix together well. Transfer the cabbage mixture into a clean quart size mason jar and push down with a kraut pounder or your fists as you pack the jar. *See notes for low brine levels below.
4. Pack the jar tightly and pour any brine in the jar, making sure to leave a 1 to 2 inch headspace. Additional brine will more than likely form by the next day. Place a fermenting weight onto the kraut mixture and add the lid and rings tightly.
5. During the fermentation process make sure to burp and check the kraut daily to ensure the brine remains over the shredded cabbage and no mold is present.
6. On the 7th day taste your kraut to determine that it is done. A fermented kraut will have a slightly sour taste to it and will no longer have the fresh produce flavor. Allow the ferment to continue until the sour in sauerkraut appears to your liking.

Notes

On occasion a sauerkraut ferment, like this Hawaiian pineapple kraut, will not release enough liquid to create a brine, leaving the raw kraut exposed to air. This problem is easily resolved by creating a brine for it.

Add 1/2 teaspoon of unrefined salt, like Redmond Real Salt, with 1 cup filtered water. Add the brine to the mason jar making sure to cover the raw cabbage mixture by 1 to 2 inches.

Keep in mind, this Hawaiian sauerkraut recipe can take 14 days to complete. Taste the pineapple kraut daily beginning on day 7.

How to Store Hawaiian Pineapple Sauerkraut Recipe

Once the ferment is completed, swap out the metal ring and lids for a plastic mason jar lid. Ferments are high in acidity, to prevent the metal from corroding it is best to use plastic lids.

Store ferments in a cool dark location such as a root cellar or refrigerator. Keep in mind, ferments continue to ferment regardless of where they are being stored. The cool temperature of the refrigerator or root cellar slows the fermentation process drastically, but it does not stop it.

When stored properly a ferment like this Hawaiian pineapple sauerkraut recipe will keep up to 18 months. However, I do not believe it will be around that long!

My Book

The Farm Girl’s Guide to Preserving the Harvest is a comprehensive book covering multiple methods for preserving foods in the comfort of your home. Learn how to safely can, dry, ferment, cure, freeze, and store foods fresh as a sustainable homesteader would. The tips, tricks, and recipes within this book will provide you the confidence and knowledge needed to own your food source.

PRINTABLE RECIPE CARD

Enjoy this Hawaiian Kraut Recipe. In truth, there’s nothing to not love about it!

This pineapple sauerkraut is a spinoff of most Hawaiian sauerkraut recipes you’ll find. The sweet flavor of the pineapple creates a unique Hawaiian kraut, which makes it ideal for pork dishes such as kalua pork.

*This Hawaiian kraut recipe is shared with permission of Skyhorse Publishing, Inc.