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My sauerkraut batch hit 3.5% salinity by accident and it's actually perfect

I was aiming for the usual 2% but my scale glitched and I oversalted the cabbage by a lot. After a month in the crock, it fermented slower but the texture is super crisp, way better than my past tries. Has anyone else had a batch turn out better after a measuring mistake like this?
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3 Comments
tessaperry
tessaperry27d ago
That's actually 3.5% salt by weight, not salinity. The crisp texture is from the slower fermentation at that higher salt level.
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kevin331
kevin33127d ago
Yeah, the "salt by weight" thing is key. I messed that up for years, just dumping in tablespoons without weighing. My ferments were always way too soft until I got a cheap kitchen scale. Now hitting that 3.5% by weighing the veggies and water total makes all the difference. It's not just about taste, it really does give that perfect snap.
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smith.elliot
Salinity is literally the salt content in water. So 3.5% salt by weight is a 3.5% salinity. They mean the same thing here. The crispness does come from that percentage slowing the fermentation. But you are describing salinity when you give that number.
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