How long do you leave kraut to ferment?

[jencecelia]

Hi fellow fermenters, I have my first batch of cabbage fermenting nicely in my crock. My Q is how long does it stay there? as I will want to make something else, do you put it in jars in the fridge?...cheers

[Christopher Weeks]

3-100+ weeks.

When it tastes the way you want, jar and refrigeration is a very normal step.

[jencecelia]

Lovely, thanks Christopher, looks like I should ferment for a shortish period of time so I can make different flavours & get used to it, then probably buy another crock to add to the collection. Cabbage is a bit out of season, it is steaming hot here in Northern NSW (sub tropical) but I can still get them from some cooler areas so still able to ferment.

[Tibor]

I suggest you get Sandor Katz's book Wild Fermentations. He will walk you thru all kinds of processes and inspire you to make all kinds of stuff in a very simple and basic way. It did that for me years ago.
I usually ferment kraut for 2 to 3 weeks. You can get the book on line used if you want. I don't believe there is a better way to maintain good basic gut flora than fermented foods as a side dish to whatever you eat or as a treat all by itself. It's easy, delicious, it's fun, and it's good for you. Welcome aboard !!

[JohnDulleck]

Christopher,

Your guidance of 3-100 weeks and whatever tastes good to you reminds me of a story told by Sandor Katz. He was doing a lecture tour with a crock of 2 month old sauerkraut in the back of his pickup truck.

He gave some to an old Hungarian woman who commented, "Not bad for cole slaw". Haha! To this woman with her old world palate, his 2 month old kraut had not really started to develop its distinctive sauerkraut flavor yet.

[Christopher Weeks]

Neat! I haven't heard that story. But yeah, I feel like at six weeks, it's really just starting to get where it's going. Sometimes I eat it before that, but often much later.

[AnnieBoo]

I start to like the flavor best starting at about the 6 week mark as well, that's when I'll move the first jar into the 'fridge. The rest of the batch follows as it's eaten, but we eat it so fast none of it really has time to age much beyond that!

I really just need to start making larger batches - I might really like much older 'kraut, but none of it lasts long enough for me to find out!

[fermentastic]

Wow, interesting. I've been going 4 weeks, but then I've usually only got two half gallon batches going at a time. I tried opening the latest batches at 3 weeks and it was good, but we both prefer the usual 4 week ferments. I guess I'm back to at least 4 weeks. I may try longer. I have no reason to think that much longer would be a problem. When Koreans make Kimchi, I think they bury the jars in the ground for months.

Years ago, I was poking around the 'Net wondering about making my own sauerkraut (I grew up eating store bought, but was curious about homemade). I read a story about a family in Ohio. In the fall, the mother would call the kids in. She would chop the cabbage, throw it into a barrel and spread a layer of salt. Then whichever kid had the cleanest feet would be put into the barrel to stomp the cabbage, then another layer and more salt and more stomping, repeating until the cabbage was gone. Then I think they covered with a damp cloth and a wooden lid. They kept the cloth damp and kept the barrel in the basement over the winter. I have no doubt that kraut was down in the cellar for many months. I also assume that the temp was probably a bit lower than my place which slowed the fermentation.

I guess I'll have to experiment with some smaller jars of kraut for longer times to see if I prefer longer than 4 weeks.

We've also been using a culture pack (wanted to start slow), but am now going au naturel with just a brine and maybe a little juice from the previous batch. I've been wondering how much difference that may make. Also, I got a couple of heads that weren't very dense or juicy, and am wondering what sort of difference that will make to the end result.