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?

3 comments

3 Comments

alexk603d ago

Honestly, four tries in I would've just bought the canned stuff and called it a loss.

king.robin2d ago

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.

-1

jennifer_jenkins2d ago

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.