Just realized my kraut was too salty because I never weighed my cabbage

For years I just eyeballed the salt for my sauerkraut, adding a few big pinches until it felt right. Last month, a guy at the local farmers market tried my kraut and said, 'This is good, but it's a bit salty, you know? You should weigh your cabbage.' I felt kind of dumb, but I got a cheap kitchen scale that weekend. My last batch used 800 grams of cabbage and 16 grams of salt, and it came out perfect, way less harsh and more tangy. I can't believe I was just guessing for so long. It's such a simple fix that makes a huge difference. Has anyone else switched from eyeballing to weighing and noticed a big change?

2 comments

2 Comments

margaret3048d ago

Tell me about it. My first few batches of kraut were basically salt licks with cabbage bits. I was so proud of them too, handing out jars to friends like I'd cured the common cold. My brother finally said it tasted like he was licking a pretzel, and not in a good way. Getting a scale felt like admitting defeat, but now my kraut actually ferments right instead of just sitting there in a salty puddle.

the_simon8d agoMost Upvoted

Oh man, the "handing out jars like I'd cured the common cold" part is so real. My buddy Dave did the exact same thing with his first hot sauce ferment. He was so excited, gave bottles to half the office. It was basically spicy salt water with pepper seeds floating in it. He didn't weigh anything, just poured salt from the box. We all tried to be nice but it was brutal. He had the same turning point, got a cheap scale, and now his stuff is actually good.