leor37•2mo agoProlific Poster

My kimchi jar bubbled over at 3 AM and I learned something wild about sauerkraut

So I was up late, you know how it is, and I heard this weird gurgle from the kitchen. My big jar of kimchi was doing its thing, but it had pushed the lid up and a little brine river was heading for the counter. While I was cleaning up, I fell down a rabbit hole on my phone. I found out that a single gram of raw sauerkraut can have more live bacteria cells than there are people on Earth. I read that on a university food science page. A gram! That's like a tiny forkful. It just blew my mind that something so small is that packed with life. I always knew it was good for you, but the scale of it is crazy. Makes you think about what's really going on in those jars. Has anyone else stumbled on a fermentation fact that made you stop and stare at your counter?

3 comments

3 Comments

mason4172mo ago

Ever had a batch of sauerkraut turn out way too salty? I learned the hard way that you can actually rinse it in a colander with cold water if it's too strong, then just pat it dry. It saves the whole jar. That bacteria fact is wild, it really shows how active that stuff is. I always use a bigger jar than I think I need now, or put a plate under it, to catch any overflow.

charles_green23d ago

Rinsing works but you lose some of the tangy bacteria. Better to just cut the salt next time and let it ferment a day or two longer. The overflow trick is solid advice though, I've cleaned kraut juice off my counter more times than I care to count.

paul_stone412mo ago

Rinsing it just kills all the good bacteria you worked for. Better to use less salt next time.