Honestly, my whole kraut game changed after a trip to my aunt's farm in Iowa.

I was helping her with the fall cabbage harvest and she just used her hands to pack it into a crock, no fancy tools. She said the warmth from your hands helps start the ferment better than any pounder. I tried it back home with a 5 pound head of cabbage and it bubbled way faster than my old method. Has anyone else tried hand packing instead of using a tamper?

3 comments

3 Comments

logan70519d ago

I mean... it's just cabbage in a jar, right? Getting all worked up over hand warmth versus a pounder feels like overthinking it. The bacteria are gonna do their thing either way. My grandma used a wooden mallet and her kraut turned out fine every time. Maybe your batch bubbled faster because your kitchen was warmer that week or something.

hayden70915d ago

Seriously, it's fermented cabbage, not rocket science. People act like you need lab gear, but my uncle just uses a clean rock from his yard to weigh it down. As long as it's salty and submerged, it'll probably be fine.

harper_thompson1319d ago

Wait, you got a five pound cabbage head? That's the real story here. Mine are always the size of softballs. Where are you shopping, a giant's farmers market?