My neighbor saw my first batch of sauerkraut and said 'It looks alive, in a good way.'

2 comments

2 Comments

Wait, isn't sauerkraut supposed to look alive? That's the whole point of fermentation. Your neighbor gets it, that's a great compliment. It means you did it right and all those good bubbles and fizz are happening. Sounds like a successful first batch to me.

taraj119d ago

Hold up, @faithb76, I gotta push back a little. A lot of new fermenters see bubbles and think it's great, but it can actually mean you're losing too much brine and your kraut might end up too soft or yeasty. My first batch fizzed like crazy and it turned into a slimy mess. The neighbor might call it "alive," but there's a line between active and over-fermented. Sometimes a slower, quieter ferment in a cooler spot gives you a better crunch.