My sauerkraut experiment turned into a science fair volcano

I tried a 3% brine for a red cabbage batch last week, but I guess I packed it too tight. Came home to find the airlock clogged and a purple geyser all over my kitchen ceiling. Learned the hard way to leave more headspace. Anyone have a good trick for keeping kraut from getting too active?

3 comments

3 Comments

bennett.harper12d ago

A friend of mine had a similar disaster with beet kraut. She used a fancy fermentation weight and still came home to a pink-stained wall. @foster.jordan is right about checking it often. She started using a wide-mouth jar and leaves a full three inches of space now. The cabbage leaf trick helps, but she also keeps her jar in a big bowl for the first week to catch any overflow.

nancyjones12d ago

Ugh, beet stains are the worst. That bowl trick is a total lifesaver.

foster.jordan12d ago

Yeah, I read somewhere that red cabbage ferments way harder than green. Something about more natural sugars in it. The trick is to check it twice a day for the first few days and burp it, even with an airlock. I also use a cabbage leaf as a cap under the weight, which seems to catch some of the fizz before it hits the lid.