I thought my kraut was ruined after a trip to the coast | Fermentation Station

Keith Morgan · 2026-03-26T21:15:06.580619+00:00

I left a batch of red cabbage kraut on my counter in Portland for 10 days while I was gone. When I got back, the brine was super cloudy and it smelled way more sour than usual. I was sure I had to toss it. But my friend, who runs a small farm up near Hood River, told me to taste it first. I did, and it was actually really good, just way more fermented than I'm used to. The trip just let it go longer in a warm kitchen. Now I'm not so quick to judge by looks alone. How do you guys tell when something's actually gone bad versus just being extra funky?

valw696mo ago

My last batch looked like a science experiment gone wrong.

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kelly_miller804mo ago

Funny how life does that, right? Just like when I panic about a bruise on a banana and it's actually the sweetest one. Sometimes the stuff we think is ruined is just the best part.

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norag386mo ago

So your kraut went on a little vacation without you and came back all grown up? Cloudy brine is basically the kraut's way of saying it worked overtime. I've thrown out so many jars because they looked weird, only to realize later that funky is just the flavor of success. When in doubt, a tiny taste test is way less sad than pouring a whole batch down the drain.

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