I pushed back on adding sugar to my kraut last month and it turned out fine

My fermentation group kept saying you gotta add sugar to kickstart lacto fermentation or it'll be bland. Last month I made a batch of cabbage with just salt and caraway seeds, no sugar at all. It sat for 3 weeks in my basement at 68 degrees and came out crisp and tangy exactly how I like it. I think people overcomplicate things because they watched too many YouTube videos from influencers who want flashy results. My grandma never added sugar to her kraut back in the 80s and hers was always better than store bought. Anyone else skip the sugar and still get good results? What's your go to ratio for just salt and veg?

2 comments

2 Comments

wrenh7919d ago

My buddy tried the no sugar method last fall after his first batch came out too sweet. He just followed a simple 2% salt to cabbage ratio and let it sit for an extra week to be safe. Came out perfectly sour and crunchy, now he swears by keeping it simple.

kai_stone9919d ago

Never thought I'd say it, but your way makes more sense after trying a salt only batch myself.