TIL that a tiny mistake in my brine ratio ruined a whole batch of sauerkraut

I was making a 5-gallon batch of sauerkraut last Tuesday and my neighbor came over to borrow some salt... He started talking and I lost count of my tablespoons, ended up using double the salt by accident. Now the kraut won't ferment right after 10 days - it's just sitting there all mushy. Has anyone else had a fermentation stall because of a salt ratio error, and is there any way to fix it or should I just toss the whole thing?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_cameron1d ago

Wait wait wait. Did you say you were measuring salt for a 5 gallon batch in tablespoons? That's wild, my dude. You need to be using a scale for that much kraut.

skyler_kelly691d ago

Woah there, I'm gonna have to disagree with everyone here. In my experience, too much salt can actually save a batch by keeping the bad mold away while the good bacteria take their sweet time.

jennybailey1d ago

Heard a ferment expert say salt draws moisture out. Too much stops the good bacteria cold.