Update: My sauerkraut finally got sour after six long weeks

I made a big jar of sauerkraut with just cabbage and salt back in May. It sat on my counter looking the same for weeks. I almost tossed it out because I thought it was dead. But I left it alone and kept checking the lid for pressure. Yesterday, I opened it and got that nice sour smell I was waiting for. The cabbage had softened up and tasted tangy, not just salty. Patience paid off for once with this ferment.

4 comments

Log in to join the discussion

Log In

4 Comments

sean_butler7mo ago

Reminds me how most good stuff happens when you stop staring at it. We rush everything now, but fermenting is all about leaving things alone to do their thing. I see it with my compost pile out back, just sitting there turning trash into soil without any help. Your kraut finally souring after all that time shows how nature works on its own clock. Makes me wonder what else we mess up by not being patient enough. There's a quiet kind of magic in letting processes finish without poking them.

5

sarah2687mo ago

Yeah, exactly. It's like what the_ben said about his compost pile. We just need to get out of the way sometimes.

6

blair1867mo ago

Forget patience, it's about trust.

4

the_ben7mo ago

My compost pile is basically my only successful long-term relationship.

2