Sauerkraut question

[journey11]

I'm getting ready to can up my first batch of homemade sauerkraut. It has been fermenting for 8 weeks and is looking good except for a little discoloration at the top of the jar, from oxidation I believe. It doesn't look or smell spoiled at all, just a slightly browned color. Is there any harm in stirring it in or should I scoop it off? I hate to lose any!

 

[Smiles Jr.]

Yeaaaaaa! Your 'kraut looks very good. We make a small crock of 'kraut about every 4 months and I don't think it would hurt anything if you stir the discolored stuff into the rest of the cabbage. It's all good. Many folks would want to remove it though. It looks like you have chopped the cabbage into tiny pieces, please let us know how you like it. Did you do that with a food processor? I usually shred the cabbage into one to two inch long slivers.

GOOD JOB . . . I think I can smell it from here.

 

[journey11]

Yeaaaaaa! Your 'kraut looks very good. We make a small crock of 'kraut about every 4 months and I don't think it would hurt anything if you stir the discolored stuff into the rest of the cabbage. It's all good. Many folks would want to remove it though. It looks like you have chopped the cabbage into tiny pieces, please let us know how you like it. Did you do that with a food processor? I usually shred the cabbage into one to two inch long slivers.

GOOD JOB . . . I think I can smell it from here.

I used my food processor because it was quicker and more uniform than doing it by hand, but I don't really like it to be quite so fine. I need to invest in a kraut cutter now that I know I can do it.