sauerkraut

[happy acres]

Going to try again this weekend.

 

[so lucky]

At least it is not expensive to experiment with. How long do you give the kraut to ferment? Mine usually takes a month. If it is too crunchy, not sour enough, or still too salty, I let it ferment longer. In my experiences, the longer it ferments, the sour-er it gets. You just have to put it in the fridge to stop the fermentation.
The chemistry of it, the different stages it goes through, apparently can't be hurried along. I thought I had hit upon a shortcut by using kraut juice in a new batch, hastening the process. Well, it missed an important step and got soggy, in 30 days. I guess there are no shortcuts.

 

[happy acres]

I waited about two weeks. Clearly not enough time, but the juice seemed to be .....evaporating? And there was mold starting to grow too. The recipe I tried said 7 days? I'll do it again, but I'll have to add salt water to it I think, to be sure the cabbage stays under. I'll stick it in the pantry where it's a bit cooler than the kitchen. Darker too. Reckon that should fix it?

 

[seedcorn]

That sounds like a good plan. Cooler is better. I do mine in unheated basement.

 

[so lucky]

If you have a place that is cool but not dark, put the whole thing in a big paper bag.

 

[baymule]

That sounds like a good plan. Cooler is better. I do mine in unheated basement.

You Nawthurners....,.always bragging about your durn basement!

 

[happy acres]

Don't have a basement, but I got a real nice pantry!

 

[baymule]

Don't have a basement, but I got a real nice pantry!

Me too!

 

[so lucky]

I love my basement! It is so cool and quiet. If there was a bathroom down there, I would move to "the tomb" That is where I have sour kraut brewing right now, so, on second thought, it might be kinda stinky.

 

[happy acres]

The new batch is in the crock in the pantry now. I added some salt water to this batch. Maybe too much? The brine is about an inch above the plate and weight. Hoping this batch will be better!