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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?
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logan7056mo 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.
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hayden7096mo 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.
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harper_thompson136mo 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?
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