Thought I didn't need a fermentation crock until I ruined 3 batches of sauerkraut in mason jars

2 comments

2 Comments

Oh man, that stings. I feel your pain. I went through three jars of bubbly, moldy cabbage water before I caved and got a proper crock. The worst was when I thought I'd outsmarted it by burping the jars daily - still ended up with a slimy mess that smelled like old gym socks.

hall.charles26d ago

You are making a good case for the crock, but I have to push back. Mason jars work fine if you do it right. The problem is not the jar, it's the technique. For three years I have been making sauerkraut in standard quart jars with no issues. I pack the cabbage tight, leave an inch of headspace, and weigh it down with a small glass jelly jar filled with water. The key is keeping everything under the brine. If you are getting mold or slime, the cabbage is not submerged. A crock won't fix that on its own. You still have to check the brine level and push the weight down.