My kraut was always too soft until I watched my friend's kid pack a jar

I've been making sauerkraut for about a year, and it always came out kind of mushy, not that nice crunch. I figured it was just my cabbage or maybe the salt. Then last weekend, my buddy's eight-year-old was helping me pack a fresh batch into the jar. She just went for it, shoving handfuls down with all her little-kid strength, way harder than I ever did. I realized I'd been way too gentle, worried about bruising the leaves. That extra pressure got so much more brine out right away and packed everything tight. My first jar using her 'smash it' method is bubbling away now, and the test piece I tried already had way better texture. Has anyone else had a total lightbulb moment from watching how someone else does a simple step?

3 comments

3 Comments

bennett.jana18d ago

Wait, doesn't packing it too hard risk making it bitter? I always heard you want it tight but not smashed to bits.

logan_ellis18d ago

Forget about making it bitter, packing it too hard can actually choke the machine. You'll get a slow, uneven pull that tastes way worse than just some bitterness. Who told you to smash it to bits anyway?

mila_campbell2518d ago

Yeah, it's all about the right pressure. Too hard and the water can't get through right. You want it firm but still even.