My sauerkraut went from okay to amazing after I started weighing the salt

For my last batch, I used a full tablespoon of salt per head of cabbage like I always did, and it was just fine, a bit soft. This time, I used my kitchen scale and measured 2% of the cabbage weight in salt, which was about 25 grams for my 5-pound batch from the farmer's market. The difference after 3 weeks is huge, it's way crunchier and the flavor is more balanced, not just salty. Has anyone else had a simple switch like using a scale make that big of a difference?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_tyler18d agoMost Upvoted

Wait, so you're saying the tablespoon method was giving you inconsistent results because cabbage heads can weigh totally different amounts? I mean, that makes so much sense now that I hear it, but I never would have thought of it. Did you find that 2% was the perfect spot, or have you tried tweaking it a little higher or lower for different textures? I'm just wondering if that's the one magic number or if it changes based on what you're going for.

nelson.jake18d ago

Honestly, the tablespoon method works fine if you just eyeball it. Weighing everything out seems like overkill for something as simple as sauerkraut.