Sauerkraut

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

medtran49 I'm new to making sauerkraut and have only tried it once before (last week which I threw out because it developed an odour I didn't like, though looked fine). I know that you've mentioned before that you make it (and kombucha which I'd also love to make) and was wondering if I could pick your brains please?

I've tried again this week with roughly the same recipe (½ head of white cabbage, 2 raw beets and 2 carrots, plus salt. I guess about 2-3 tbsp in total. It was added in layers to the shredded cabbage and veg and left to stand for 20 minutes covered (I had a visitor arrive unexpectedly) before I carried on and squished it getting the juices out etc then putting it in my fermentation jar.

I needed to visit the cupboard it's in, in the mud room and noticed that its foaming. There's no odour at all but the top layer of veg is discolored.

Is it ok? Should it foam? Or did I need to start again, 3rd time lucky?

I can try for a photo tomorrow. It's dark in there at the best if times but in the dark there's no chance.

 

[medtran49]

It's okay if it bubbles, which I'm assuming that's what you mean by foaming.

I've never made sauerkraut with anything but cabbage, which turns kind of creamish/yellowish eventually. Could the discoloration be the color leeching out from the beets and carrots? I know The Late Night Gourmet has made kimchi with beets and it turned things beet pink.

Did enough liquid come out to cover the top of the veges within 24 hours? It should or you have to add enough brine to cover. The liquid had risen to nearly the top of my latest batch at 5 hours after I jarred it. Need to check it this morning still. As noted in my small-batch sauerkraut thread, I always cover with an outside cabbage leaf (washed of course) and then weight down with a plastic bag with brine in it.

What temp is your cupboard?

As far as odor, it's going to start smelling like sauerkraut (i.e. sour cabbage) and whatever else you put in, in my case caraway and juniper berries. I'm assuming you know what sauerkraut smells like, as it's not really the most pleasant odor.

 

[The Late Night Gourmet]

It's okay if it bubbles, which I'm assuming that's what you mean by foaming.

Yes...I'm not expecting it ti bubble like beer fermenting. I will see an occasional bubble here, a bubble there. That tells you that something is happening.

If you don't think you're seeing any bubbles, that doesn't mean nothing's happening. It could just be fermenting more slowly.

SatNavSaysStraightOn: if you can get a picture, I'd love to see what it looks like.