slimy kraut juice

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slimy kraut juice

Postby usha on Sat Jul 26, 2008 9:55 am

I just checked on kraut that I started 1 week ago and found that the liquid is viscous. Even though the cabbage is still crunchy and not ready, the juice is totally syrupy, quite thick. Anybody ever seen this before? Not sure if it's safe to consume, if I should pour out liquid and cover with brine, if I should toss it. Would appreciate any feedback. Thanks.
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Re: slimy kraut juice

Postby Steve_in_Denver on Wed Aug 06, 2008 1:41 pm

For a few years now I've been making small batches of sauerkraut in the ceramic liner of an old crock-pot -- it holds about two heads of chopped cabbage. Rather than submerging it under brine with a weighted plate, I cover the cabbage with a couple of food-safe plastic bags filled with water, weighted down with the crock-pot lid. They seal out the air beautifully, and I don't have to hassle with skimming the brine or rinsing out cloths.

I had the same thing happen to a batch I made last month, and thought maybe the unusual viscosity was because the cabbage wasn't very "juicy" and there wasn't as much brine as usual.

Regardless of why it happened, everything tasted and smelled okay, I ate the whole batch without any problems. The next batch I made turned out as usual. I hope this helps!
Last edited by Steve_in_Denver on Fri Dec 19, 2008 2:44 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: slimy kraut juice

Postby coblerd on Mon Aug 11, 2008 8:27 pm

I agree with steve. I think the human nose may be the most under rated danger sensor. If it doesn't smell rotten- and that should be pretty obvious- then I say keep going with it. I think you are just dealing with an evaporation issue. I would add a little more brine and also consider your environment. Did you cover your container with a cloth, is there lots of air movement near your container, how warm is it in the room, etc. ? If you think about those things I think you will find the reason for your disapearing brine.
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