This is a great beginner friendly project for anyone who wants to get started with fermentation but is still a little bit intimidated!
First things first, botulism is VERY unlikely during lacto-fermentation because the acidic environment created by lactic acid bacteria inhibits the growth of botulism. Once you’ve overcome the fear of poisoning yourself, let’s follow a few simple steps to ensure the success of our ferments:
– work with clean equipment & hands (usually soap, hot water + air-drying does a great job at keeping your tools clean) 🧼
– use a correct salt ratio: 2-2.5% of salt per weight of cabbage (1000g cabbage = 20g salt) 🥬
– use the correct ingredients: unrefined salts without additives (sea salt, kosher salt, Himalayan salt) + filtered water (chlorine can impact bacteria) 🧂
– use a weight to keep the cabbage submerged (if you don’t have enough brine from the cabbage itself, add extra)
– use an airlock, regular lid or sealed jar (if using closed jar you have to release pressure 1-2x a day): @kilneruk 🫙
– let sit at room temperature in a dark spot for 6-10 days (might even be longer in colder environments), then transfer to fridge to store
#fermentation #guthealth #sauerkraut #ferments #probiotics