A neighbor swore I needed an airlock on my first kraut batch

I skipped it and used a regular mason jar with the lid barely cracked for 3 weeks, and the cabbage turned out fine with no mold, so has anyone else had luck just going lidless for simple ferments?

3 comments

3 Comments

wyatt_green312mo ago

@joelwells nailed it but even simpler, just keep the cabbage submerged and you barely need a lid at all.

skyler431mo ago

One buddy left his kraut jar cracked for a month, turned out perfect.

joelwells2mo ago

Pull the lid off and see what happens. Most of the fear around airlocks comes from people who overthink it. A cracked lid is enough for gas to escape and keeps bugs out, so you're fine. If you keep the cabbage submerged and salt level right, mold barely stands a chance. People act like fermenting is brain surgery and it's not.