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Just found out my sauerkraut jar doesn't need to be totally airtight
I always sealed it tight, but a book from the library said the gas needs to escape. My last batch got fizzy and weird because I locked it down. Anyone else run into this with their ferments?
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murphy.aaron2mo ago
Yeah the fizzy and weird thing happened to me too. I used to clamp the lids down super tight thinking that was the right way. Letting the gas escape made my next batch way better, no more weird pressure.
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the_lee2mo ago
So you're saying you just leave the lid loose on the jar, @murphy.aaron? I found that burping it once a day works way better for me, lets you check on it without letting in too much outside air. Some ferments really go nuts and can push stuff up into the lid if it's just sitting loose. It's a messy balance between no pressure and no explosions.
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cora51824d ago
Wait did you actually have a ginger beer bomb go off in your kitchen? That is both hilarious and terrifying lmao. I've had some close calls with hot sauce ferments where the brine got all cloudy and the lid was bulging like it was about to launch. It honestly feels like youre running a tiny science experiment on your countertop except the stakes are just a sticky mess instead of a lab accident. The loose lid thing is a total lifesaver though, I just screw it on finger tight and then give it a quarter turn back. Saves me from having to burp it every single time like some kind of ferment babysitter. Plus the jars look way less scary when theyre not trying to pop their top off like a shaken soda.
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ellis.faith2mo ago
Oh man, that fizzy batch sounds familiar. I once tried making ginger beer in a sealed bottle because I thought it needed to be locked up tight. It ended up exploding all over my kitchen ceiling, what a sticky mess. That was the day I learned fermented things really do need to breathe a little. Do you think all ferments have that same rule?
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