This weekend I made a gallon batch of sauerkraut following a recipe I saw on YouTube. The recipe called for 2 teaspoons of mustard seed, 2 tsp of caraway seeds, and 2 cloves of crushed garlic to be mixed into the shredded cabbage before fermenting. I didn’t have my reading glasses with me and when adding the caraway seed found I grabbed the wrong spice container and accidently added a teaspoon of chives instead. I realized my mistake as soon as I dumped the first teaspoon in, but thought what the heck, I’d just go all in and add the second teaspoon of chives. I then proceeded to add the mustard seed, and (actual) caraway seed, but skipped the garlic because I figured the chives might impart a similar oniony taste. When I told Mrs. Cardigan about the spice mishap she was disappointed, thought I ‘ruined’ the batch and suggested maybe I could try to spoon out the chives after the fact. I rejected that idea and decided to double down on the notion that chives are ideal for sauerkraut.
I may have expressed a good deal of self assurance to her, but now I’m having doubts about it.
Do you think I created something that will probably result in an unpalatable batch? Or might this be in the words of painting guru Bob Ross, a “happy accident”?
Best guess is that this is somewhere between “Happy Accident” and completely meaningless. I doubt the chives will have any but the most subtle of effects on the final product.
I’m guessing that it’s not going to make too much of a difference- I’d think that 2 cloves of garlic is a LOT more onion/garlic flavor than 2 tsp of dried chives, so at worst, your flavor will be more mustard/caraway centric than otherwise.
I was driving yesterday afternoon and flipping around on XM radio I stumbled upon an interview with René Redzepi, chef and author of “The Noma Guide to Fermentation”. At one point he was taking about how he fermented grasshoppers*, so I doubt your modification isn’t the end of the world.
2 teaspoons of dried chopped chives is going to impart a very slight oniony taste. I doubt you’d notice it in a gallon of kraut. Next time try using some fresh chives or even scallion, maybe 2 tablespoons instead of teaspoons.
This. Chives are pretty mild compared to the garlic. Cardigan, assuming you are naturally fermenting, it’s not a huge deal to add some garlic to the fermenting mix now. I’d go ahead and add at least a clove. I really like onions and garlic so I probably would add both cloves called for in the recipe. Your mileage and tastes may vary.
Which reminds me .I have a quart jar of fermenting cabbage to “burp” today. It’s just an old fashioned quart mason jar with the top screwed on so the C02 builds up. I’ll resist the urge to add garlic. The goal was to build up some some fermentation starter for some other veggies that don’t ferment as easily as cabbage. I didn’t add any spices to carry over to other recipes…must resist adding garlic.
The grocery store we shop at has a boutique line of sauerkraut that is fantastic. It’s sold in packaging that allows gas release (it is award winning packaging).
Check out some of the varieties they produce. I don’t think a chive variety is too much, compared to Ginger Beet, Garlic Dill Pickle, Sriracha Ginger, and Golden Turmeric!
Postscript: a month later and we’re eating the kraut now. You really have to search to even detect the chive taste, but what little exists is not at all unpleasant. I will add a couple of tablespoons for my next batch.
I’ve made a couple of batches of sauerkraut recently and both batches ended up getting mold on the top. The last time it looked bad enough I decided to throw it out. Any ideas what might be causing it and how to prevent it? I used my usual one gallon glass jar with plastic lid that has an airlock affixed.
There is a very common kahm yeast that forms whitish stuff floating on top of fermented vegetables. It is fairly easy to remove most of it and it is safe to eat if you can’t quite get it all.
Mold is going to be colored, bluish or greenish or pinkish or something other than white – and the whole batch should be thrown out.
Mold will grow in circular spots. Kahm yeast will likely try to cover the whole top of the container with a thin film, growing thicker if left alone.
So white stuff is fine but colored circles are bad.
If you’re using an airlock I suggest checking your salt measurement carefully for the next batch with a good scale instead of a measuring spoon – and be sure the temperature isn’t going above about 74F during fermenting; there’s a reason sauerkraut was traditionally made in October.
If you are able to keep everything submerged in the brine you will cut down on funky stuff growing in your kraut. I do bigger batches, I think my jar is 6 quarts. But I keep a couple of the outer cabbage leaves whole and use these to cover and press down my kraut. Then I put a jelly jar filled with water on top of the leaves to hold them down.
3T of salt for 5lbs of cabbage.
Top it off with 1t per cup of water.
I’ve never had the original salting of the cabbage release enough water. I always top it off with extra brine.
This thread is making me want to try making my own sauerkraut again. I love sauerkraut and I tried making it once, after a guy I used to work with said he did it all the time and it turned out great.
I let my shredded cabbage sit for a full month, carefully submerged in the brine, but after the month had gone by it had hardly changed at all-- it was still mostly ‘cabbagey’.
What is a too low temp? That may have been my problem-- I kept my kraut in the garage and I don’t remember the exact season-- it was a few years ago; but if it was winter, the garage is attached and is only nominally heated; in the dead of winter it can drop to 45-50 F.
Yeah, sounds like too cold. Ideal temperature for fermenting sauerkraut is 65 to 72 degrees. Warmer than that it can go bad, cooler than that it will ferment very slowly if at all.
So … keep it at normal room temperature while it ferments for about two to four weeks depending on the temperature (cooler takes longer) and the level of sourness you like. You should see some bubbling by the third day; when the bubbles stop keep it cool, fridge, cellar, etc. and it will last for several months. Don’t hesitate to take a taste once or twice a week to decide when you think it’s ready – be sure to taste with a clean fork to prevent contamination.
The goal was to build up some some fermentation starter for some other veggies that don’t ferment as easily as cabbage. I didn’t add any spices to carry over to other recipes…must resist adding garlic.