Just realized my sauerkraut brine was too salty because of a tip from a neighbor

I was over at my neighbor Dave's house last week helping him move a fermenter, and he noticed I was eyeballing my salt ratio. He straight up told me I was adding way too much, like 3% instead of 2% for cabbage. I thought more salt meant safer ferment, but he explained it just kills the good bacteria and makes everything taste like a salt lick. So I tried a batch with 2% salt using his kitchen scale, and man, the crunch and flavor are so much better now. Have you guys ever messed up your salt ratios and ruined a batch before?

2 comments

2 Comments

olivia_anderson6d ago

Dave's 2% tip really turned things around for you, huh? I'm curious, did the too salty batch still ferment safely or did it just taste off?

rileyl675d ago

Oh man, I gotta respectfully disagree a bit here. A 2% tip can definitely make a difference but it's not a magic fix, especially if the starting salt ratio was way off. In my experience, too salty batches still ferment fine as long as you rinse or soak the veg first, but the texture can get a little funky and the flavor might be more harsh than off.