Showerthought: My sauerkraut just hit 4 weeks in the crock and the tang is perfect.

I was aiming for the usual 3 weeks but the cooler basement temps slowed it down, and that extra week gave it a deeper, more complex sourness I didn't expect. Anyone else find their best results come from ignoring the calendar and just tasting?

3 comments

3 Comments

caseywest1mo ago

Read a fermentation book that said time and temperature are just guides, not rules. Your experience with the basement temps proves that point perfectly. Tasting really is the only reliable way to know when it's done.

the_barbara20d ago

That fermentation book is telling the truth. I've had batches that were supposed to be done in a week that took three and they turned out amazing. Your basement temps probably gave them a slow ride to flavor town lol. Tasting is the only real boss in this whole game.

leo6031mo ago

Oh man, "time and temperature are just guides" is the understatement of the year! My last batch of pickles sat for so long past the recipe time they probably developed their own opinions. I guess my kitchen calendar is officially fired as my fermentation coach. Tasting is the only boss that doesn't care what the clock says.