The legend is that fermented cabbage was made popular by Genghis Khan after his marauding hordes brought it (and the recipe) with them from China in the 12th century. The recipe traveled to Germany, where it was fermented with salt rather than wine, and given the name "sauerkraut." In 1772, Captain James Cook took 25,000 pounds of sauerkraut on his second Pacific Ocean explorations. Because sauerkraut contains Vitamin C, only one sailor was lost to scurvy in more than a thousand days at sea. His sauerkraut supply lasted a year without going bad.
We used to make kraut but haven't done so for the past three years. Homemade tastes better but we've had trouble growing cabbage plus being on a low salt diet.
I have made sauerkraut a few times, and I like it better than the storebought because you can taste it and then eat it when it tastes good to you. However, mostly, I just buy it in the little refrigerated bag at the grocery store, just because it is quick and easy. Fermented or cultured foods usually have a lot of probiotics , and when they are processed for market, they are usually pasteurized, which kills all of the good bacteria and also the enzymes; so making your own sauerkraut is much healthier than buying it at the store. Regardless, it is a healthy food either way. You can rinse it and get rid of some of the salt , but then you also lose some of the flavor.
We still make sauerkraut, but much less of it than we did when we were feeding a family. We started making it in a crock, then moved to half-gallon jars, now we make it by the quart. Some people here, ferment it to their liking, then put it in the freezer. We can ours usually to keep it from eventually spoiling or getting too sour. I know that kills the bacteria, but it is still great.
You have to look for sauerkraut brands that say 'raw sauerkraut', then read the label. It's not easy to find, and will cost more than the regular canned stuff. Bubbies Sauerkraut ( 25 fl oz jar), is easiest one to find here, but there are likely regional brands.
I keep a can on the emergency shelf to make egg roll in a bowl or crack slaw. In the summer kraut salad is great for a picnic or potluck. Try to find the kraut packed in a plastic pillow for this recipe and don't be too concerned about the amount of sugar most of it stays in the marinade. https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/9456/sauerkraut-salad/
Kraut is one of the Polish-Czech staples to be served over dumplings (Knedliky and Zeli). It always was made "sweet-sour", never as sour as naturally-prepared. Sweet-sour cabbage was made and used the same way; the two probably could not be told apart if you were blindfolded. My first wife used either in Pierogi, Polish dumplings folded into squares, with the filling contained inside. Delicious! Frank
@Frank Sanoica Never cared too much for sauerkraut. Never heard of sweet/sour kraut. That might be better, I don't know. Can you buy sweet/sour kraut?
@Bill Boggs I suspect, but am not positive, most retail-sold sauerkraut has sugar added, maybe not enough to be called "sweet-sour" though. Sauerkraut as it comes "out of the barrel" is mighty sour...... Frank