Had a sauerkraut batch go rogue on me last Tuesday and it turned out amazing

I've been doing fermentation for about three years now, mostly kraut and pickles. Last Tuesday I opened up a jar I'd forgotten in the back of my pantry for six weeks. The smell hit me first, kind of funky but not bad. I was sure it was a goner since I usually let kraut go four weeks max. Took a tiny bite and it was the crispiest, tangiest batch I've ever made. The cabbage still had a crunch to it, not mushy at all. I think the cooler temp in that corner of the kitchen slowed things down just right. Has anyone else accidentally left a ferment way longer than planned and gotten better results?

2 comments

2 Comments

dylan_thompson7d ago

I read somewhere that cooler temperatures basically put the fermentation into Slow Motion and that's why it stayed crunchy. Sounds like you accidentally hit the sweet spot with that corner of your pantry.

the_sandra7d ago

Six weeks in the pantry and it was still crisp? That's wild, I usually get nervous past three weeks.