Here's How Long Sauerkraut Is Good For After Opening

Sauerkraut is a tangy, crunchy, and vegetable-rich food that is widely enjoyed and has quite a few uses — for instance, sauerkraut is the secret ingredient you need to keep chocolate cake moist and could be a luck-bringing food to eat for the New Year. The length of time your sauerkraut will last after you've opened its container depends on how your sauerkraut was prepared — that is, whether it was homemade or commercially processed. Kraut purchased in stores could have been prepared through fermentation or pasteurization. The first process uses salt, spices, fermentation-encouraging bacteria, and is usually sold in the refrigerated section. Fermented sauerkraut will generally stay fresh for about four to six months after it's opened. The second processing method, pasteurization, is typically used with canned sauerkraut. Pasteurized sauerkraut typically should be eaten within three to four weeks after opening. Keep in mind, however, that it's always best to follow the manufacturer's recommendation on the label and keep an eye on signs that it's gone bad, like an odd smell, texture, or the presence of mold.

Homemade sauerkraut, a creation that dates back to fermented cabbage dishes made some 2,000 years ago by people in what's now China, was originally meant to have a long shelf life. If you've made it yourself in small batches and have been careful to store it in airtight containers, your fermented sauerkraut may be stored in the refrigerator or in the freezer for several months.

Sauerkraut can go bad for a number of reasons, especially if it's been stored at too warm a temperature (think a sweltering summer's day and your container is on the counter) or has gone far beyond the "best by" date on the package. If you are making your sauerkraut by hand, not trimming or washing the cabbage properly can accelerate spoilage, too, as you may be leaving behind unwanted bacteria.

Remember that the fermentation process creates bacterial growth, though ideally it's only fermentation-friendly bacteria and not the illness-causing sort. Despite fermented cabbage's naturally acidic environment, you should still keep an eye on your sauerkraut. If it has a yeasty or moldy aroma, don't eat it and promptly throw it away. Likewise, if the sauerkraut has a different color or texture than when it was first opened, dispose of it. A blue or green tinge can be an indicator that mold has set in.

Although freezing can help lengthen the shelf-life of sauerkraut, it's not highly recommended. It's true that your preserved dish won't spoil or get freezer burn so long as you package it carefully, but the texture and possibly the flavor of the cabbage will change, becoming more limp. Moreover, any probiotic benefits – namely the beneficial bacteria and yeast — will diminish. This could make the sauerkraut less effective for your gut health and immunity.