Sauerkraut means sour cabbage in German but it does not originate from that country. Rather, sauerkraut dates back some 4,000 years when it was first produced in China. Today, American’s alone consume 387 million pounds of sauerkraut per year.
The popularity of this condiment has allowed many quality sauerkraut brands to emerge recently amongst others that have been around for decades. Here are many of the popular and tasty brands you might consider for your next sauerkraut craving.
Brands of Sauerkraut
Amish Wedding
Website: liparifoods.com
Buy It: amazon.com
Amish Wedding is a brand of Lipari Foods based out of Warren, Michigan-based. The company was started in 1963 after Jim Lipari and John Bazzo developed a BBQ sauce that they called Bazzo Sauce. Through the years, the business expanded with the addition of numerous products, warehouses, distribution, and manufacturing facilities. The company now stocks more than 24,000 regular items and serves 25 states.
Amish Wedding is Lipari’s jarred products brand based on Amish-style recipes. Its sauerkraut can be purchased in 2-pound bags, 16 oz. jars, and 32 oz. jars.
Bubbies
Website: bubbies.com
Buy It: amazon.com
Bubbies was started by Leigh Truex in 1982 with its first product, pickles. Truex eventually sold the business to Kathy and John Gray who helped transform it into a viable business. After consulting with business professionals, they changed the packaging and took on other tasks to ensure success.
Today, the company makes pickles, sauerkraut, and condiments. Its sauerkraut products are:
- Classic Sauerkraut
- Spicy Sauerkraut
Cleveland Kitchen
Website: clevelandkitchen.com
Buy It: amazon.com
Cleveland Kitchen specializes in making fermented foods. As its name suggests, the company is located in Cleveland, Ohio and its owned by two brothers and a brother-in-law. The trio began the business by producing products after work and then selling them at farmer’s markets on the weekends.
The brand has since grown like crazy with its products in major stores like Kroger and Walmart. In addition to an assortment of krauts, Cleveland Kitchen makes pickles, kimchi, and dressings.
These are its sauerkrauts:
- Classic Caraway
- Gnar Gnar (Bell Pepper, Jalapeno, & Chilis)
- Beet Red
- Curry Kraut
- Roasted Garlic
- Whiskey Dill
Cortland Valley
Website: glkfoods.com
Buy It: amazon.com
Cortland Valley is owned by GLK Foods, which is headquartered in Wisconsin. It is the largest producer of kraut globally. In addition to the Cortland Valley brand, GLK Foods is also the parent company of the Silver Floss, Flanagan, and Saverne sauerkraut brands. Traditional and organic sauerkraut are sold under the Cortland Valley label.
Del Monte
Website: delmonte.com
Buy It: amazon.com
Del Monte is known for its canned fruits and vegetable. It is one of the largest in the category. Frankly, it’s difficult to step into most grocery stores and not see one of their products. The company was founded in 1886 and has since grown its sales to about $1.8 billion annually with 40,000+ employees.
Del Monte’s sauerkraut comes in 8 and 14.5 oz. sizes. The crisp sauerkraut is made with a traditional recipe that contains only cabbage, water, and salt.
Eden
Website: edenfoods.com
Buy It: amazon.com
This Clinton, Michigan company was started in 1969 as a co-op to source macrobiotic foods. It is the oldest organic and natural food company in North America with most of its food grown locally. Some of the early foods sourced were soy sauce and miso. It has since added many natural and organic foods to its products sold under the Eden label such as soy milk and applesauce.
Eden’s sauerkraut is made with organic sweet cabbage straight from a nearby farm. One family produces it from seed to packaging for a homemade authentic flavor. Here are photos of the process from farm to shipping.
Eden Foods makes these sauerkraut products:
- Organic Sauerkraut
- Three Onion
- Kimchi
Farmhouse Culture
Website: farmhouseculture.com
The founder, Kathryn Lukas, learned the importance of fermented foods in a diet while working as a chef in Europe. She brought what she learned about fermentation home with her to start Farmhouse Culture. Its kraut is made with organic cabbage and is considered vegan.
Farmhouse Culture makes these sauerkraut items:
- Old Fashioned
- Sea Salt and Caraway
- Ginger Beet Kraut
- Garlic Dill Pickle Kraut
- Sriracha Ginger Kraut
Flanagan
Website: glkfoods.com
The parent company of Flanagan Kraut is GLK Foods. The Flanagan brand was started by Dave and Henry Flanagan in 1900. GLK has evolved into the world’s largest kraut producer with the help of not only the Flanagan brand but Silver Floss, Cortland Valley, and Saverne as well.
Frank’s
Website: frankskraut.com
Buy It: amazon.com
Frank’s is one of the top sauerkraut brands produced in the Midwest. The company has been making sauerkraut since 1905 using its original recipe. The parent company of Frank’s also owns SnowFloss Kraut featured below.
These are the products made by Frank’s:
- Frank’s Kraut
- Bavarian Style
- Mustard Kraut
- Polish Style
- Hot Dog Kraut
- Kraut Juice
- Sweet & Smoky BBQ Kraut
Hengstenberg
Website: hengstenberg.com
Buy It: amazon.com
Hengstenberg is a German food company that began in 1876. Its first products were vinegar and cucumber with mustard being added shortly after. However, it wasn’t until 1932 that the company introduced the first pasteurized sauerkraut called Mildessa. It soon was a favorite of many sauerkraut lovers. Mildessa is still made today in these varieties:
- Mild Wine Saurkraut
- Bavarian Style
- Wine Sauerkrat with Original Black Forest Bacon
- Wine Sauerkraut with German Sparkling Wine
- Wine Sauerkraut with Riesling
- Mild Sauerkraut
- Mild Sauerkraut with Bacon
- Mild Sauerkraut with Pineapple
- BBQ Kraut
Jake & Amos
Website: jakeandamos.com
Buy It: amazon.com
Pennsylvania headquartered Jake & Amos has been offering its customers its vegetable and fruit canned products for 15 years. Its sauerkraut is made with cabbage, water, vinegar, salt, and a preservative called odium Meta-Bisulfite.
Kruegermann
Website: kruegermann.com
Buy It: amazon.com
Kruegermann was started by Carl Kruegermann in the late 1800s near Berlin, Germany. Its first product was pickles. While the company has German roots, the business was rebooted in Los Angeles by the grandson of Carl after his family fled communist East Germany in the 1960s. The company is still owned by the family.
Today, Kruegermann makes these sauerkraut products:
- Berlin Style Sauerkraut
- Sauerkraut Juice
Kühne
Website: kuehne-international.com
Buy It: amazon.com
Kühne roots date back to 1722 Germany when Daniel Epinius opened a vinegar distillery, which was taken over by Friedrich Wilhelm Kühne in 1762. The Kühne name for the business came about in 1832 when Carl Ernst Wilhelm Kühne took the helm of the business. Toward the late 1800s and into the very early 1900s the company added to its product line: mustard, mayonnaise, gherkins, and sauerkraut in 1903.
The company currently makes these sauerkraut products:
- Barrel Sauerkraut
- Classic
- Fasskraut Natural – Mild
- Fasskraut Ready-To-Serve
- Fasskraut with Bacon & Onions
- Wine Kraut
Libby’s
Website: libbysvegetables.com
Buy It: amazon.com
Libby’s has been in business since 1868. The company got its start in Chicago where its first product was canned corned beef. It wasn’t until 1904 that they started to sell sauerkraut and other condiments. Today, Libby’s is the second-largest canned vegetable brand in the United States.
These are the sauerkraut products made by Libby’s:
- Bavarian Style (15 oz. can)
- Crispy Sauerkraut (8, 14.5, 27, & 32 oz. sizes)
McClure’s
Website: mcclures.com
Buy It: amazon.com
McClure’s was launched in 2006 by Bob and Joe McClure using their grandma’s recipe as the foundation for its products. At the time, Bob was living in New York and working as an actor while Joe was home in Michigan working on a PhD and seeking a classical guitar career. The products were initially made in both Brooklyn and Detroit. As the business grew, all manufacturing was consolidated to Michigan with a warehouse location in New York.
Today, McClure’s makes potato chips, pickles, bloody mary mix, relish, and sauerkraut. It makes one style of sauerkraut which is pictured above.
Olive My Pickle
Website: olivemypickle.com
Buy It: amazon.com
Olive My Pickle offers fermented and probiotic foods to consumers. The company offers 35 varieties of pickles, olives, kraut, kimchi, vegetables and brine. Its kraut is gluten-free and vegan. The company uses lacto-fermentation which produces lactic acid. This acts as a natural preservative and helps preserve vitamin and enzyme levels, according to Cultures for Health.
These are the krauts made by Olive My Pickle:
- Classic Caraway Fermented Kraut
- Turmeric + Cumin Fermented Kraut
- Carrot + Dill Fermented Kraut
- Fennel + Orange Fermented Kraut
- Heat + Spicy Fermented Kraut
- Red + Ginger Fermented Kraut
Pickled Planet
Website: pickledplanet.com
Buy It: amazon.com
Pickled Planet is the creation of Courtlandt Jennings which he launched in 2002 out of Hamlet, Oregon. His goal was to create the best organic fermented veggies in the region and surely many people believe he succeeded. Similar to Olive My Pickle, Pickled Planet uses lacto-fermentation to produce its products.
These are the organic kraut products made by the company:
- Great Plain
- Veda Kraut
- Velvet Sea
- Basil Garlic
- Love Kraut
- Beat Kraut
- I-Boost
- Aralia Kraut (Seasonal)
- Nettle Kraut (Seasonal)
Saverne
Website: saverneproducts.com
Buy It: amazon.com
Saverne is owned by GLK Foods similar to Silver Floss, Cortland Valley, and Flanagan brands. It specializes in small-batch lacto-fermented sauerkraut. The kraut is available in raw and artisanal varieties. Saverne makes the following flavors of kraut:
- Bavarian
- Curtido
- Organic Traditional
- Dill & Garlic Kraut
- Craft Beer Kraut
- Siriracha Kraut
Sauer Frau
Website: sauerfrau.com
Buy It: amazon.com
Sauer Frau is the first sauerkraut brand to come in a squeezable container like you might find for ketchup or mustard. The packaging helps keep the kitchen cleaner compared to traditional jars or cans. The serious-looking woman character on the bottle is Sauer Frau, a German woman who seriously knows how to make some excellent kraut.
Sauer Frau kraut products include:
- Classic
- Craft Berr Mustard Sauerkraut
- Bavarian
Silver Fleece
Website: deifratelli.com
Buy It: amazon.com
Silver Fleece is a brand of the Hirzel Canning Company. In addition to the Silver Fleece sauerkraut brand, the company sells canned tomato goods through the Dei Fratelli name. The company began in Ohio in 1923 where it harvested cabbage to transform it into sauerkraut. It was sold in kegs and barrels back in the day, but thankfully today it can be purchased in 14.5 and 27 oz. cans.
Silver Floss
Website: glkfoods.com
Buy It: amazon.com
Silver Floss is another sauerkraut brand of GLK Foods. It makes the top
SnowFloss
Website: frankskraut.com/snowfloss-kraut
Buy It: amazon.com
SnowFloss and Frank’s (featured above) are related brands with twin products. The company makes these sauerkraut products:
- Classic
- Bavarian
- Polish Style
The Brinery
Website: thebrinery.com
Buy It: amazon.com
The Brinery was launched by David Kilgenberger in 2010 when he started making small-batch sauerkraut. The company now processes approximately 200,000 pounds of vegetables a year that come from farms in Michigan and Ohio.
The products made by The Brinery are uniquely named. Here is what they make:
- Fair n’ By (Green Cabbage, Filtered Water, Sea Salt)
- Stimulus Package (Green Cabbage, Filtered Water, Caraway Seed, Sea Salt)
- Storm Cloud Zapper (Green Cabbage, Red Beets, Fresh Ginger Root, Filtered Water, Sea Salt)
- Sea Stag (Green Cabbage, Carrots, Burdock Root, Seaweed, Turmeric, Filtered Water, Sea Salt)
- Galaxy Rose (Green Cabbage, Watermelon Radish, Filtered Water, Sea Salt)
Vlasic
Website: vlasic.com
Buy It: amazon.com
Vlasic was started by Frank Vlasic in the early 1900s. While we know the company primarily as a pickle brand today, it began by making milk and cheese out of a creamery in Detroit. Frank’s son Joe eventually diversified the business into selling pickles. The pickle business took off when the company decide to sell them in glass jars. They became so popular that milk and cheese were dropped as products.
Today, Vlasic makes jarred pickles, peppers, relish, and sauerkraut. Its sauerkraut products are:
- Old Fashioned
- Polish
Wildbrine
Website: wildbrine.com
Buy It: amazon.com
Wildbrine specializes in fermented products such as salsa, sriracha, kimchi, and kraut. The company’s roots come from a nonprofit organization where one of the founders (Rick) helped produce fermented kraut for cancer patients who were associated with the nonprofit. The kraut was such a hit that they began to sell it locally.
Today, Wildbrine makes these USDA organic sauerkraut products:
- Arame & Ginger
- Caraway Apple
- Dill & Garlic
- Jalapeno & Lime
- Green Sauerkraut
- Raw Sauerkraut
Wisconsin’s Best
Website: wisconsinbest.com
Buy It: amazon.com
The company is best known for its sausages and cheese made in Oregon, Wisconsin. It’s a privately owned family business that is also woman-owned. Wisconsin’s Best also makes an assortment of condiments including sauerkraut. Here are its products:
- German Sauerkraut
- Bacon Bavarian Sauerkraut
Wise Goat
Website: wisegoatorganics.com
Buy It: amazon.com
Wise Goat is made in small batches to make certain the overall process, including fermentation, is done properly. The company uses local and organic ingredients to provide extremely fresh products. The name “Wise Goat” was used for the company name after the founder noticed how selective baby goats were with their eating habits. Many of us likely could benefit from being a bit more selective in our diets as well.
Wise Goat makes these organic sauerkraut products:
- Classic Kraut
- Spicy Garlic Kraut
- Golden Kraut
- Supergreen Kraut
- Borscht Kraut
- Kraut-Chi
Woodstock
Website: woodstock-foods.com
Buy It: amazon.com
This sauerkraut is labeled as USDA Organic and Non-GMO. It’s made with the simple ingredients of organic cabbage, water, and salt.
Wos Wit
Website: wos-wit.com
Buy It: amazon.com
John and Dorthy Kresge had excess vegetables from their farm, which they decided to can. This was the start of Wos-Wit. The canning operations were initially done in the family kitchen until the company outgrew the space. They built a cannery on their Pennsylvania Dutch farm to keep up with demand.
Today, Wos-Wit is owned by the Zukivich family who still uses original recipes for products. According to the company, 82 different foods are produced out of the canning facility located at Grouse Hunt Farms in Tamaqua, Pennsylvania. One of those products is Old Fashion sauerkraut which is available in 16 and 25.5 oz. sizes.
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Image Credit – jeffreyw/flickr