Does Store Bought Sauerkraut Have Probiotics? (and the Best Brands To Buy)

The best store-bought sauerkraut with probiotics is found in the refrigerated section. The label will say 'raw,' 'live,' or 'probiotic,' and it will have NO vinegar in the ingredients list.

To reap all the probiotic health benefits, buy sauerkraut without vinegar. Stick to the refrigerated options to get the probiotics you are looking for.

Why is Sauerkraut Good For You?

Part of eating a nutritious diet includes making sure that you eat plenty of good bacteria, a.k.a probiotics. While you often think of food items like yogurt for your probiotic intake, that is far from the only food from which you can get probiotics.

Sauerkraut can be an excellent source, but you should know that not all store-bought sauerkraut has the probiotics you want.

Raw, fermented sauerkraut is full of probiotics. Probiotics are good bacteria that provide powerful benefits to your body and brain.

They help strengthen the immune system to fight off colds and illnesses. The gut-healthy bacteria help promote overall digestive health, reduce depression and heart health, and even promote healthy skin. 

Is Sauerkraut a Probioitic Food?

Yes, sauerkraut is a probiotic food if it is fermented and not pickled or heat preserved.

Sauerkraut gets its nutritious probiotics when it undergoes fermentation, during which microorganisms on the cabbage digest its natural sugars and convert them into carbon dioxide and organic acids.

Try making sauerkraut at home. Here is our easy homemade sauerkraut with no vinegar recipe.

Buy the Best Sauerkraut with Probiotics:

You should first know how to find the sauerkraut with probiotics. Sauerkraut must be kept at a stable and cooler temperature to keep the probiotics alive. 

Keeping this probiotic-rich food at a steady and cooler temperature means that the most nutritious sauerkraut will be found in the store's refrigerated section.

Sauerkraut in a jar or can is made with vinegar and pasteurized at high temperatures and has no beneficial live probiotic cultures. 

You will often notice the best quality and most nutritious sauerkraut in a pouch or bag rather than in cans or jars.

You should also consider the ingredients because not all sauerkraut is good for you.

Read the label and make sure that cabbage is the first ingredient listed. Other components to look for are other vegetables, spices, and salt.

Avoid any sauerkraut containing vinegar, sodium benzoate/sodium bisulfate, and sugar.

Vinegar is a preservative, meaning the product has been pasteurized rather than allowing for the natural fermentation process.

The ingredients should be natural and straightforward. Otherwise, the product is not as healthy as you might think.

Fortunately, there are some great store-bought sauerkraut options that you can trust to have probiotics.

Best brands of Sauerkraut with Beneficial Live Probiotic Cultures

Bubbies Sauerkraut:

Bubbies are famous for their pickles, but they also make amazing sauerkraut. Bubbies sauerkraut is gluten-free, abundant with live cultures, and absolutely delicious!

Their products include probiotic Kosher Dill Pickles, Bread and Butter Pickles, Horseradish, and Pickled Herring Fillets.

Last update on 2023-09-12 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

Hamptons Brine:

Sauerkraut made by Hamptons Brine relies on wild cultures from the raw cabbage and salt to make their delicious raw sauerkraut and organic kvass, organic sauerkraut juice.

They give their products 28 days to culture into the live, nutritious, delicious sauerkrauts, kvass, and kraut juices.

Last update on 2023-09-12 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

Farmhouse Culture Kraut:

One of the great features of this brand of sauerkraut is the fact that you have several flavors of kraut from which to choose. From the packaging, you can see that it says “Probiotics,” so you know that this is a product that will give you the nutritional benefits you need.

Try their Classic Sauerkraut with caraway and Kimchi Spicy Wakame Ginger Organic.

Farmhouse Culture also makes a delicious  Ginger Beet Gut Shot and a line of Kraut Crisps, which are chips packed full of probiotics 1 billion.

Last update on 2023-09-12 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

Olive My Pickle:

Raw, organic, and full of probiotics, Olive My Pickle makes three delicious flavors of sauerkraut made with saltwater brine and no vinegar, sugar, or food dyes. It is also non-GMO, kosher certified, 100% plant-based, and made with simple, whole-food ingredients.

According to 3rd party testing, this particular sauerkraut has 14 billion colony-forming units (CFUs) of lactic acid bacteria per serving per ¼ serving.

Last update on 2023-09-12 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

Related Topic: Best Fermented Beet Powder Review

Does canned sauerkraut have probiotics?

Does canned sauerkraut have probiotics? Canned sauerkraut does not contain probiotics due to the pasteurization and canning process. High heat kills all the good and bad bacteria and ensures it is shelf-stable.

Due to the nature of the canning and jarring process, preservatives are added to keep the sauerkraut longer, which can negatively affect your health.

So, no, canned sauerkraut is not good for you. However, it offers many great flavors but no good bacteria.

The same principle applies to any fermented foods you buy, including kimchi. Stick to the fermented foods in the refrigerated aisle and ensure you read the label to make sure you purchase the healthiest product.

Related: Sauerkraut vs Kimchi: What's the Difference

Is Store-Bought Sauerkraut Good for You?

Sauerkraut is an excellent food to add to your diet to ensure you get the bacteria your body needs to thrive. Probiotics may seem like a buzzword, but these live microorganisms are incredibly helpful in ensuring your digestive tract works as it should.

Many health problems are associated with a lack of essential probiotics, leaving you feeling sluggish and uncomfortable.

To choose the right sauerkraut, select raw, non-pasteurized options, and found in the refrigerated section at the grocery store.

Does Cooking Sauerkraut Kill the Probiotics?

Yes, cooking sauerkraut can kill probiotics, which is one reason some sauerkraut in stores lack the probiotics you want. The heat used during the pasteurization kills off the probiotics.

You also kill good bacteria as you cook sauerkraut to kill harmful bacteria. Your best bet is not to cook it to get the most nutritional benefit of the sauerkraut.

Does Rinsing Sauerkraut Reduce Probiotics?

When you rinse the sauerkraut, you wash away some of the probiotics, but there will still be a good amount on the cabbage.

There are a few reasons why people rinse their sauerkraut.

Some find the smell and flavor too pungent, so they rinse the sauerkraut to make it less sour.

Others rinse the sauerkraut to reduce their sodium intake. Rinsed or not, you will still get a good dose of gut-healthy bacteria.

Make Your Own Probiotic Gut Shot

Instead of washing the brine down the drain, save it and turn it into a homemade probiotic gut shot. With brand-name gut shots costing, on average, $6 per bottle, why not save some money and make your own?

In a simple shot, this is a great way to get all of the probiotic power from fermented foods. It is so easy, drain the brine and mix it with purified water in a 1-1 ratio. You can drink this as a shot or mix it into your favorite recipes for a quick health boost. 

How To Spot Gut Healthy Foods At The Grocery Store

Eating various fermented foods with live probiotics can benefit your body and brain. Check out my posts on choosing the right fermented foods with probiotics in the grocery or shopping online.

• Best Brands of Pickles with Probiotics
• 11 Types of Cheese with Probiotics
• Where to Find Kimchi in Grocery Store
• Where to Find Miso Paste in Grocery Store
• Does Cottage Cheese Have Probiotics?

Related Sauerkraut Questions

Now that you’ve learned all about which brands of sauerkraut have probiotics and why you would want to eat them, here are a few things you might find interesting…