Finally got my sauerkraut to stop turning moldy after 4 tries
Finally got my sauerkraut to stop turning moldy after 4 tries. I kept having it grow fuzzy mold on top after about 5 days of fermenting. Tried washing everything with hot soapy water, still got mold. Tried using filtered water instead of tap, same problem. Then I saw a tip from an old forum post about weighing down the cabbage with a ziplock bag filled with brine instead of just a plate. I poured a 3% saltwater bag on top to keep every bit of cabbage submerged and let it sit for 2 weeks in my pantry. Not a speck of mold this time and the kraut tastes super tangy and clean. Has anyone else tried the brine bag method or do you use something different?
Ah man, I've been there and it's frustrating. What finally worked for me was letting the cream cheese sit out for a solid hour before I even touched it. Room temp makes a huge difference. Also, I started using a hand mixer instead of a spatula or fork - takes like 30 seconds of mixing and it's dead smooth every time. But yeah, if you're on attempt four I don't blame you for throwing in the towel on homemade.
Wait, you tried it FOUR times? That's honestly kind of impressive in a weird way. I mean, I get frustrated after one failed batch of cream cheese frosting, let alone four. Most people would have given up after the second sad lumpy mess, you know? I gotta hand it to you for sticking with it that long though. But yeah, at that point I think the universe is telling you to just buy the store-bought stuff. No shame in that game.