Question about making cultured food

[a1icia]

I'm making cultured cabbage for the first time and I'm a little concerned.

The directions say to make sure all the air bubbles are out so no harmful bacteria forms. How do you know if all the air bubbles are out? And, how would I know if there were harmful bacteria in it?

I made a large batch and don't want it to go to waste but I also don't want to make myself sick either.

Is anyone experienced making this stuff?

Your wisdom is greatly appreciated.

[Ilse W.]

All you have to do is "apply weight". When I make sauerkraut for example, I make it in a big crock and make sure the liquid covers it completely. Then I cover the whole thing with a cheese cloth followed by a plate that fits inside the crock, and the whole thing then gets weighed down with a heavy rock (or you could use a gallon jar filled with water). If you make it in a smaller container, just make sure it is covered with liquid after you press the cabbage down.

[Veganforlife]

Press down on the cabbage - HARD to squeeze any air out. You can do this!:D

[a1icia]

I put a weight on it and I pressed it down really good but I just lifted up the cloth a little to look at it and bubbles are still rising up and it's been almost 24 hrs. Is that normal?

[a1icia]

Checking it again and there are definitely some fizzy bubbles at the top. Is that normal or should I just throw it out?

[coco]

the fizzy bubbles are the fermenting, stop fooling with it!

one thing about making ferments like that (for me) is not knowing if you've introduced bad bacteria or not. the instructions say to scoop off any mold that forms on the surface but eww! mold and things i am going to eat, i don't know... i guess people have been doing it that way for years but i'm not totally convinced.

i have been using The Perfect Pickler, it's a sealed environment so no bad bacteria, no mold etc. i've done cukes, mixed veggies and beets so far, kraut is up next.

i try to make smaller batches when i'm trying out a recipe for the first time because you just never know how it's going to turn out or if you'll even like it.
best of luck with yours though, hope it's good!

[DebB]

I also am a newbie with the Perfect Pickler. I've made 3 bathches of kraut so far and they're fantastic! I've got the gallon size. I'm really happy with it. *Ü*

[Ilse W.]

I let my sauerkraut ferment in a cool dark place for 6 weeks or more. It will keep bubbling and I scoop all the foamy stuff off the top once every few days. My family has been doing it this way for many generations.

[a1icia]

Wow, I'm gonna have to get The Perfect Pickler. That's so cool. Thanks for sharing this, Coco and DebB.

EmmaT - Thank you for sharing your information. I feel much better about my kraut batch now.

[rawPower]

Recently I've been using a 5-liter Harsch sauerkraut crock. My first batch of kraut was amazing, some of the best kraut I've ever had!

A channel around the mouth of the crock is filled with water to create an airtight seal, to prevent yeast from forming. In theory you don't have to open the crock at all until you're ready to 'harvest' your kraut!

However, on my second batch, approximately three weeks into the fermenting process, I opened the crock to find a film of foamy yeast on the surface. Is anyone else using the Harsch crock, and have you had this issue?

Thanks in advance,
rawPower