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My sauerkraut turned into a slimy science experiment for a solid month
I followed a basic recipe from a book but my batch in a Cincinnati basement just would not firm up, staying weirdly slick for over four weeks. I finally figured out the temperature was way too steady and warm, killing off the good bacteria. Has anyone else fixed a slimy ferment by moving it to a cooler spot?
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patricia_king232mo agoTop Commenter
Ever check if your salt was iodized? That stuff can mess with the ferment.
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the_emma2mo ago
Totally learned that the hard way, patricia_king23. My first kraut batch turned into a weird, slimy science project because I just grabbed the regular table salt. Now I'm paranoid and only buy the big box of plain kosher salt.
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faith_schmidt16d ago
Stopped using the iodized stuff years ago after a total disaster with my pickles. I stick with kosher salt now, no additives at all. The plain canning salt works good too, just don't get the one with anti-caking agents. My grandma always said to avoid table salt for anything you're fermenting and she was right. She used to throw a handful of grape leaves in with her kraut too, but I just keep it simple with the salt.
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