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View Full Version : sauerkraut...lacto-fermented vs "regular"?



kaybee
11-23-2009, 06:30 PM
hey i want to try making sauerkraut again but every time but one that i have made it--and every brand that ive purchased in the health food shops except ONE (DEEP ROOTS), ive hated. the one that i really liked said that it was lacto-fermented... i know all kraut is lacto-fermented in a sense, but im wondering if adding probiotics might help.

Ive only had ONE version of sauerkraut that I ever really liked--one made from red cabbage and sold by Deep Roots out of Canada (its raw). That one was fabulous, and the batch of sauerkraut I made using that as a starter turned out good. but every other time Ive tried sauerkraut, either raw out of a jar or that I made myself, it has some "undertaste" that reminds me of decomposing stuff that is just like YUCK to me. but the deep roots one was REALLY good and every time I got it I would eat the whole package. they had packages of fresh-raw fermented carrots too and I would come out of the store and scarf down the package as soon as I got to the car. But thats the only brand of sauerkraut that didnt have this YUCK taste to me. anyway, i cant get that brand here and i cant get it as a starter. im wondering if using some of my probiotics caps from the fridge would help to get the good taste that i like....? although when i went to the bio-lacto/deep roots information online it looks like they have discovered some special other culture to add that speeds up the process--and probably that gives it the taste i am looking for--but i dont have access to whatever that culture is...

anyway, any suggestions? i LOVED the lacto-fermented kraut from deep roots but all the others i have tried have been yuck, including the rejuvenative foods one.... i just picked up a couple heads of organic cabbage on "clearance" today and i'd love to have the extra good probiotics from the kraut, but....like i say ever other kind ive tried and every time ive tried to make it before except the once, have been YUCK to me, even though i followed instructions properly, made sure the kraut was submerged, etc.

thanks

kaybee

muppet
11-23-2009, 10:56 PM
i use the probiotics myself because it speeds things up and i am impatient. i just make sure it is dairy free probiotics. good luck! also think of mixing the purple and white cabbage for a beautiful fuschia kraut!

anniez
11-24-2009, 08:21 AM
I've only made kraut once, but it was a screaming success! I used a kraut jar that I got from Mike Snyder's site (sorry, don't remember the web addy) and used probiotics. I used only red cabbage and it's a gorgeous color. I made a gallon and used about 9 pounds of cabbage. I'm glad it keeps forever, because I'm not a real lover of it! I eat some daily because I know it's good for me! Even with the cost of the jar (about $30) my first batch more than paid for the jar!

Annie

kaybee
11-24-2009, 03:27 PM
yeah ive read some old posts that people talked about that kraut jar. it sounds like a good idea... but im in ireland and shipping woudl be astronomical...if it costs 20 dollars to send a single paperback book to here can you imagine what a kraut jar would cost, lol?

the one time i made it that it came out good i used red cabbage as well. i much prefer red cabbage in general but the ones on half price at the HFS yesterday were green,... so its gonna be green. maybe i can get a small red one from their new delivery tomorrow and mix it.

i guess i will try it with the probiotics i have and see. i hate throwing out batches of it and chucked so many in the past because of that underlying "dead'/rotten taste. it was just subtle but it was icky. the packaged raw one i used to get was nice, tangy, sour, without that underlying yuck..

Stina
12-26-2009, 05:44 PM
Despite carefully following the directions, I had several batches of sauerkraut go bad on me. I researched what was going on and finally figured out that my house is simply too cold this time of year for it to ferment, so it just rotted instead. There are a few solutions. I can put the crock in the dehydrator set on low. Put it on a heating pad, maybe with some coins in between to disperse the heat. I heard of somebody putting it in there oven with the light left on. Apparently, it needs to be at at least 68 degrees for proper fermentation. Traditionally, people would make sauerkraut in the fall when temps were still mild and once it was teeming with life it could last all winter in colder temps.
Other things could go wrong, but I wanted to share this one scenario with you in case it helps. Don't give up! It's so worth the learning curve.

TaupeRawMan
12-26-2009, 10:56 PM
yeah ive read some old posts that people talked about that kraut jar. it sounds like a good idea... but im in ireland and shipping woudl be astronomical...if it costs 20 dollars to send a single paperback book to here can you imagine what a kraut jar would cost, lol?

the one time i made it that it came out good i used red cabbage as well. i much prefer red cabbage in general but the ones on half price at the HFS yesterday were green,... so its gonna be green. maybe i can get a small red one from their new delivery tomorrow and mix it.

i guess i will try it with the probiotics i have and see. i hate throwing out batches of it and chucked so many in the past because of that underlying "dead'/rotten taste. it was just subtle but it was icky. the packaged raw one i used to get was nice, tangy, sour, without that underlying yuck..

The jar is easy to make. If you are interested in instructions, feel free to e-mail me.