Homemade Sauerkraut Mess?

[luv2cook]

I tried to make homemade sauerkraut and made a mess!! I put 5lbs of shredded cabbage in a food grade bucket. Layered cabbage and pickleing salt, then placed a bag of water on top and covered bucket with a clean towel and placed in a warm area in the house. In 5 days the cabbage had turned black and limp and it never did produce a brine. Can anyone give me any tips or tell me what I did wrong.
I remember making it with my Grandma when I was young but I really messed it up this time!
Thanks for any help or tips!

 

[simple life]

I found this online. There are a boatload of recipes for this so maybe if you just try a different one you will have better luck.
Sauerkraut Problems

Soft, mushy sauerkraut can be caused by -


insufficient salt
temperature too high during fermentation
salt was not evenly distributed
air pockets caused by insufficient packing
Pinkish sauerkraut is caused by the growth of certain types of yeast on the surface, due to -

too much salt
salt was not evenly distributed
The sauerkraut was improperly covered or the plate was not weighted down during fermentation.
Sauerkraut turns dark due to -


unwashed or improperly trimmed cabbage
not enough juice to completely cover the fermenting cabbage
salt was not evenly distributed
sauerkraut was exposed to air
temperature too high during fermentation, processing, or storage
Homemade sauerkraut that has been stored too long will turn dark.

 

[Tutter]

Also, older cabbages, and some varieties, don't have the water content needed. I've heard of people adding some salted water in that case, but I'd rather just go with a different variety of cabbage, or fresher heads.

I'm sorry this batch was ruined; I hope that your next one turns out perfectly!

 

[aquarose]

I wish my mother could use a computer. She is the sauerkraut pro.

 

[Grow 4 Food]

The way I did it

Shread all your cabbage that you are going to use. Put in a VERY VERY clean pillow case. Run water over it to rinse it good (in the pillow case) and then start twisting the case. The oject here is to squeeze out all the water that you can.

Once you get to that point spread it out on the table or counter or somewhere that you can get it down to about 1-2 inches thick. Then salt it as if you were going to eat it raw. Then add just a touch more. You are looking for that "ya it is a little salty but I could eat it anyway". You need to move pretty quick once you get the salt on it. Mix it a little and get in your clean food bucket.

once it is in the bucket start squeezeing it again as well as turning it top to bottom. It is going to start making the juice that you need. The more you squeeze and stir the more juice it will make.

It won't take much to get enough to cover it if you press down hard. Once you get there take a VERY clean plate and 3 VERY clean mason jars (filled with water). Place the plate on top of the cabbage and set the jars on top. This will help hold the plate down. You need to get it down enough that the juice comes over the plate. This is why everything needs to be VERY clean. Otherwise it will mold very quick.

Put it is somewhere that is dark and cool. Don't get over about 62-65 degrees. Much warmer will rot it not ferment it. Leave it alone (you can peak) but don't turn or stir it. You are looking for it to start and then stop bubbleing. Once it stops it has made all it will and then you can jar it.

Good Luck!!! Don't forget the VERY CLEAN part!

 

[coopy]

Sauerkraut is not hard to make at all. We make it almost every year.

I am going to find my recipe and post it for you. You need a large glass bowl or if you can afford it buy you a stone crock. It depends on how much kraut you want to make at a time. Tell me what the largest glass container you have is. 1 gallon, 2 gallon, what ever. I have never made it in a plastic bucket.

I will post the way we do it.

 

[coopy]

This is the way we have done it for years. My mother & father-in-law made it this way and so did his parents.

We set our crock in the basement where it is cool. Remember not to put it where it is hot it will rot.

Sauerkraut

Wash your crock jar or bowl and rinse well. Dry.
Take the outer leaves off the cabbage heads. wash the good ones and lay the off to the side. Was the heads of cabbage off really well. You can leave them in the sink so they can drain or put them in a strainer to drain.
Next you will want to cut the cabbage up. You can use a kraut cutter, or a food processor. I have done both.
Put cut up cabbage in bottom of crock or bowl. Pour salt over top of the cabbage. You want it to taste like really really salty. Knead with your hands to make a brine. Add another layer of cabbage. Add more salt. Knead again. Taste again. It has to be salty.
Continue to do this until you have the desired amount. Make sure you leave about 3 or 4 inch space from the top.
Place the leaves you set aside on top of the kraut. Covering the top. Place a plate large enough to cover the leaves. Place a brick or something heavy on top of the plate. The plate should sink into the kraut.
Place cheese cloth or a cotton towel on top of the crock or bowl.
We place our crocks in the basement of our house. Temp needs to be 68 to72 degrees to ferment the cabbage.
In 2 days check the kraut. Skim off any foam that has formed. Place plate and brick back on top of leaves along with cloth.
Ours is usually fermented within a week. (Ball canning book says it should take 5 to 6 weeks) We have never that I can remember left it for longer than a week and a half.
The only thing I can tell you about when it is done is I taste it. If it tastes like kraut I can it. If it needs to sit longer it does.
Process in quart jars for 10 minutes with 10 pounds of pressure. (I know Ball book says to process it for 30 minutes. It gets mushy when we do that)
If I can help you futher just ask.

 

[coopy]

Here is another recipe. but I have never used it.

Sauerkraut in a Jar


Cabbage
1 tsp salt per quart of cabbage (We use more salt than this recipe)



1 Shredded cabbage - very fine
2 mix with salt.
3 Mix and knead with hands to form brine.
4 Put into jars, shaking down, but not packing tight.
5 fill jars with boiling water, remove air bubbles, and seal.
6 Process in boiling water bath for 30 minutes.
7 Keep in warm place, will be ready in two weeks

 

[luv2cook]

Thank Ya'll. I'm gonna give it another try. I think I'll get a stone crock (I've wanted one anyway). The room I had it in was very hot and humid so that may have caused it too. I've got several free cabbages and can't stand to waste! So here we go!!

 

[Tutter]

I, too, use a large crock, and it works well.

Good luck, and let us know how it goes!