I used to think my sauerkraut was fine if it bubbled a little, but my batch in a San Francisco kitchen proved me wrong.

I kept seeing people say any bubbling means it's active, but my last jar had a tiny bit of fizz and still tasted flat and weird. I finally checked the temperature and realized my kitchen was a steady 58 degrees, way too cold for a good ferment. Has anyone else had a batch fail because it was just a few degrees off?

3 comments

3 Comments

averyc944d ago

Was I wrong to ignore temperature for so long? Reading about @miaprice's basement ferment and seeing my own flat batch proves even a small drop matters. I guess the microbes really do need their comfort zone.

miaprice4d ago

My ferment in a chilly Seattle basement stalled completely at 60 degrees.

the_laura4d ago

Honestly, that's such a classic Seattle problem. I see it with my sourdough starter too, it just goes totally lazy when the house temp dips. It's like everything biological here just slows down for half the year.