Two month old kraut taught me about salt ratios the hard way

Started my first batch of sauerkraut back in February using some random recipe from a blog. After 8 weeks I opened the jar and it smelled like a sweaty gym sock, not tangy cabbage. Turns out I only used 1.5% salt by weight instead of the recommended 2-2.5%. Everything went soft and slimy instead of crisp. Now I weigh my salt on a kitchen scale every single time. Anyone else have a batch go wrong because they got lazy with measurements?

3 comments

3 Comments

xenam8415d ago

Did you use tap water? Mine got ruined by chlorine once.

casey26815d ago

I've used tap water in all my grows and never had an issue, maybe your water is just extra harsh or you didn't let it sit out first. Could the chlorine actually help kill off some bacteria that messes with the roots?

the_riley14d agoTop Commenter

Honestly, I used to be on team tap water too. I thought letting it sit out was good enough and never really had a problem. But then I tried switching to distilled for a run and saw way fewer yellow tips and better root growth. So you might be onto something about chlorine helping some people, but I think it really depends on your specific water. Mine has a ton of minerals in it, and I think that was actually causing more buildup than any bacteria issue.