If you’re having a hard time keeping the top of your sauerkraut cabbage submerged, it’s likely that there isn’t enough brine in the first place to cover all of the shredded cabbage. In this case, simply press your cabbage firmly down in the crock or jar. and add more saltwater until everything is covered and try again!
The problem with submerging your cabbage only partly under the brine water is that there will be some parts of your sauerkraut (the stuff above the liquid) exposed to air. This means oxygen can get in which could encourage bad bacteria growth or off-flavors over time.
Too high temperature during fermentation. Too low salt content. Keep sauerkraut between 70-75°F during fermentation. Use 1 cup salt for 25 pounds sauerkraut. Iodized salt was used. Uneven salting. Too high curing temperature. Too warm storage conditions, or stored for long period. Cabbage not trimmed and washed properly.
Reduce the sodium content, as well as the tartness, by rinsing sauerkraut in cold water before using. Sauerkraut can easily be made and preserved at home with its basic ingredients of cabbage and salt. Use a researched tested recipe, as the proportion of salt to cabbage is the critical to quality and safety of sauerkraut.
Covering. To avoid surface mold growth, keep the cabbage or pickles submerged at all times. If the juice does not cover the cabbage or pickles, add boiled and cooled brine prepared with 1½ tablespoons of salt in a quart of water.
If you have dry sauerkraut at the end of your first day of fermentation, salt brine or fermented brine (Gut Shots) needs to be added to your jar of fermenting sauerkraut.
A big red flag when your kraut has gone bad is the smell- a weird off-smelling yeasty or moldy aroma. If it is emitting a strong odor, do not eat it and throw it away. In addition to the smell, if your kraut has become a different color or texture, throw it away.
The first stage of sauerkraut fermentation involves anaerobic bacteria, which is why the shredded cabbage and salt need to be packed in an airtight container.
Can you ferment sauerkraut for too long? Yes, there is such a thing as too-long fermentation. A clear sign that you have left your cabbage out for too long a period is that it might turn mushy. However, that is not the only factor to know for sure.
Regular water simply won't do. While you could try to just add some water to your fermentation vessel (without adding extra salt) you would be diluting the salt content of the recipe, which is not a good idea.
An Unsafe Ferment: Visible fuzz, or white, pink, green, or black mold. Get rid of it. This means your ferment was exposed to too much oxygen, bad bacteria was introduced during preparation, or it was too warm. Either way, it shouldn't be consumed.
Your sauerkraut should be ready in about 4-6 weeks. You will know for sure once bubbles no longer appear in the liquid. The longer you allow the cabbage to ferment, the tangier the flavor will be.
A spoiled ferment will smell rancid, like rotting broccoli. A good ferment will have a pleasant sour smell. Note: If there's Kahm Yeast present it may have a strong smell, but once scraped away it should have a pleasant sour smell if it's not spoiled. A spoiled ferment may be slimy in texture.
The short answer is yes. There is no rule against taking the lid off of your fermenter but you should always have a fairly good reason for doing so. That's because there is a risk anytime you remove the lid to your fermenter that you could cause problems with your batch of beer.
Does fermentation need to be airtight? No! In fact, primary fermentation should never be airtight because you run the risk of blowing the top off of your fermenter or breaking it completely. As carbon dioxide is created during the fermentation process, an incredible amount of pressure can build up over time.
Fermenting sauerkraut should be stored in a dark area away from any sources of UV light, such as the sun, as these rays are harmful to the growing probiotics. Storing fermenting sauerkraut with room temperature also ensures that the bacteria and yeast cultures multiply optimally and break down the carbs as needed.
What Happens If Sauerkraut Does Not Have Enough Liquid? If sauerkraut is not fully submerged, it can still ferment, but it will likely take a lot longer. The sauerkraut on the top that's exposed to air will start to rot and turn into mush, while the rest of the jar will slowly ferment.
If you did not get enough juice from salting and pounding your cabbage, you can moisten it a little with a brine, using a 1/2 tablespoon unrefined sea salt with 1 cup of filtered water.
1 tablespoon sea salt per head of cabbage (I use this one) Clean glass jar (I usually use one average head of cabbage per quart-sized mason jar) If you need extra brine: 1 additional tablespoon of sea salt and 4 cups non-chlorinated water.
What does that mean? Fair question since the whole point is to make brine in which to submerge the fermenting vegetables. Dry brining simply means creating the brine in fermentation by only adding salt and allowing the vegetable's natural juices to create the important liquid. No water is added.
The most important thing in making kraut is to keep the cabbage submerged in the salt brine or, more specifically, keep the cabbage away from oxygen. Little scraps of cabbage will inevitably float up now and then — just do your best to push them back in. Don’t be obsessive about this, but be as vigilant as possible.
Technically sauerkraut is made with cabbage (in German, sauer = sour; kraut = cabbage), but once you’ve mastered the basic cabbage approach, keep going — add things to your kraut! Caraway seeds are very traditional (and delicious!), but other spices such as juniper berries or fennel or coriander seeds are also wonderful.
More time means more sour flavor and more probiotics. The beauty of homemade kraut is that you can customize it to your tastes. If you like stronger, sharper kraut, simply leave your jar out on the counter to ferment longer.
Sauerkraut is a low-calorie food; only 42 calories per cup. It's a good source of vitamin C. It's high in sodium because of the salt used in fermentation. Reduce the sodium content, as well as the tartness, by rinsing sauerkraut in cold water before using.
Sauerkraut can easily be made and preserved at home with its basic ingredients of cabbage and salt. Use a researched tested recipe, as the proportion of salt to cabbage is the critical to quality and safety of sauerkraut.
The choice of container to pack the cabbage in is important. Old-fashioned earthenware crocks are traditional and are still a good choice as long as they are not cracked or chipped. Food-grade plastic pails that are sturdy and rigid make excellent containers.
Once the cabbage and salt mixture is packed tightly into a suitable container, it's essential that you cover the cabbage and liquid to exclude air, since the fermentation process requires an anaerobic (air-tight) condition.
Store the container at 70 to 75 F while fermenting. At these temperatures, the sauerkraut will be ready in 3 to 4 weeks.
Hot pack: Bring kraut and liquid slowly to a boil in a large kettle, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and fill jars rather firmly with kraut and juices, leaving ½ inch headspace.
Fermentation is an anaerobic process, which means it needs to occur without oxygen. The problem with submerging your cabbage only partly under the brine water is that there will be some parts of your sauerkraut (the stuff above the liquid) exposed to air.
The easiest way is by using a weight of some sort that will hold the kraut down under liquid while it ferments. This could be anything from a smaller jar filled with water and sealed, to a rock wrapped in a plastic food-grade bag.
There are a number of options to weigh down your cabbage below the brine level. These include:
If sauerkraut is not fully submerged, it can still ferment, but it will likely take a lot longer. The sauerkraut on the top that’s exposed to air will start to rot and turn into mush, while the rest of the jar will slowly ferment.
If air gets into your sauerkraut, it could lead to mold. Mold is a type of fungus that can grow on the surface of your sauerkraut, which will make it discolored and mushy – ew! It also means you probably should discard the whole jar if any signs show up because once one part starts growing mold, there’s likely more spores hiding in the jar.
If your sauerkraut brine disappears or the level drops below the kraut, it’s likely that you didn’t pack your jar tightly enough. When this happens, air can get into the jar and cause spoilage as discussed.
Greetings!! I followed the book “fermented vegetables” and it seemed my ferment was ready at five days. I didn’t want it too sour/“nasty” (my husband and a dear friend were skeptical at letting it sit too long) so i tasted it and jarred it up. it’s in the fridge. My first kraut.
Hello Kirsten, I am making my first batch of fermented pickles. The recipe I used had me place a ziplock bag on the top to weigh down the brine. It now is covered in mold. If I remove the bag carefully will the pickles below still be okay?! Thank you, Adrienne
Hello Kirsten. The brine on my beets is very thick and slimy. They did not bubble very much for the three days I had them fermenting. I wonder if I packed them too much? And if they are safe to eat. They are crispy and do taste OK but I'm worried. This is my first attempt at fermenting. My thanks for this help. Merilyn
Question :: When I pulled this beet sauerkraut out of the back of my refrigerator I found this this white growth on top. Is it still safe to eat? — Jane, CA