Help with sauerkraut

[kvallejo]

I don't know what I did wrong. I cut up a cabbage, massaged several tablespoons of salt into the cabbage and placed it in a pyrex bowl. I put a plate on top of the cabbage and a large rock on top of the plate.  I then covered it with the lid to the pyrex and placed it in a dark drawer in my kitchen.  The result after about 2 weeks was a brownish greenish color with a rancid/rotten smell - not at all similar to the sauerkraut that was made in my class.  Any suggestions???

[Ed Bauman]

Could have been a bad cabbage. Could have been an unclean bowl with bacteria. Could have set too long and rotted. Check more often next time.  Could have been too much salt (slows fermentation). I suggest you try again. ED

[jodi f.]

I make this kind of sauerkraut frequently. It takes about 3 days, sometimes longer, depending on temperatures. I always set it in a warm place, not a dark, cool place. In the summer, I just leave it outside (covered of course) in the shade. In the winter, I set it over a pilot light or put it outside in the sun. Comes out perfect every time. I do raw goat's milk kefir that same way.

Good luck.

[Lizette Marx]

Was your kraut completely submerged in the brine created from massaging the cabbage? If not, the cabbage will be exposed to air and rot. When weighing down the cabbage with a plate and a weight, it is important to weigh it down enough so the brine comes up over the plate - that way you know the cabbage is submerged. Over the next day or so, the brine will evaporate and you may need to replenish it by adding salt water. Refer to Sandoor Katz's book, Wild Fermentation, for more helpful suggestions. And, by all means keep trying -- the little bit of trial and error is worth it once you get that "perfect" batch of sauerkraut. Good luck!

[katyd]

Hello- I am planning on starting my first batch of sauerkraut this weekend.  I have watched the video on the dashboard- I do not own a glass crock that is round and deep like the one used, my alternatives:
-I have a crock pot that is fairly large and oval shaped (made of glass), my concern is with the covering, round plates wouldn't really cover the whole surface area.
-A large glass bowl.
-Wait and get a crock similar to the one used.
-I have a fairly well stocked kitchen if there are any other suggested containers.
Thanks!

[jodi f.]

This may go counter to the prescribed method of making sauerkraut, but I make mine in large glass jars and add liquid to it. Instead of weighting the top, I add some liquid whey to cover the massaged cabbage and then just put on the lid---loosely, because as gasses form you don't want too much pressure. Liquid whey is easily obtained by draining a quart of yogurt through some cheesecloth. The resulting clear liquid is the whey, and it doesn't seem to matter if there's a little of the milk solids left in it. You could also add some fresh lemon juice mixed with water, though this will flavor your cabbage more. A glass bowl or crock pot would work well, too. If you added some liquid to your oval crockpot, I'm sure that would work out quite well.