Ever-searching for ways to eat more strawberries, I was intrigued by Sandor Katz’s suggestion to use dried fruits in sauerkraut.

Why dehydrate berries instead of using them fresh? Fruits, which are typically higher in fructose, tend to attract yeasts as fermentation microbes. Yeasts create ethanol, which makes great wine, beer, and other boozy libations, and that’s why those beverages typically start with fruit. But we want to achieve a lactic acid fermentation with sauerkraut. By using berries sparingly, and by dehydrating them first, it seems to “slow the yeasts down”, and still allows the berry flavor to come through in a subtle way. This also seems to give the lactobacillus an opportunity to proliferate without having to outcompete the yeasts during the fermentation. We want the finished sauerkraut to be lactobacillus dominant; we aren’t trying to make boozy kraut, after all (that’s an experiment for another day). You could even wait a day or two after making the kraut to add the berries.

Strawberries add just the right amount of sweetness, while still maintaining the balance of saltiness and sourness in the kraut. Strawberry sauerkraut is a great complement to almost any meat dish (grilled fish, pulled pork, bacon, chicken, burgers). You can also toss a spoonful or two into a green salad.

I ferment most sauerkraut batches a month or longer. With this strawberry recipe, I shorten that to about two weeks, to minimize the chance for yeast to form (which could potentially throw off the flavors.) This recipe also does not last as long in the fridge as other krauts– it tends to soften after about a month. I recommend consuming it within that time.