kai942•21d ago

Rant: Everyone says to keep your kraut jar in a dark closet but I leave mine on the counter

Last week I pulled a batch of sauerkraut that had been sitting on my kitchen counter in Portland for a full month. Three years ago I would have panicked, because every guide and forum post says to ferment in a cool, dark place. Last month I got lazy with a batch and just left it out, and it turned out crisper and tangier than any I'd made before. My kitchen stays around 68 degrees, and I think the steady, slightly warmer temp actually helps the good bacteria get going faster. I wrap a towel around the jar to block some light, but I'm convinced the total darkness rule is overblown for short ferments. I've done this with five batches now and never had a batch go bad or get mushy. Has anyone else had a good result breaking the 'dark place' rule?

2 comments

2 Comments

rosed3221d ago

So my closet kraut is just being dramatic?

sethk5021d ago

I used to think that stuff was overblown until I saw the numbers from the last election. The far right party got over 20% in some states. That's not a few loud people, that's a real shift. It changed my view completely. Now I see the warning signs are pretty clear if you look at the history.