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Overheard someone at the farmers market say salt kills all the good bacteria in kraut
I was picking up some peppers for a hot sauce batch last Saturday when this guy in front of me told the vendor he never adds salt to his sauerkraut because it 'kills the culture.' I almost choked on my coffee. In my experience, salt is what keeps the bad bacteria at bay while the good lactobacillus does its thing. I've been making kraut for about 4 years now, and without that 2% salt ratio, I ended up with a slimy mess that smelled like old gym socks. The vendor just nodded politely, but I couldn't help but pipe up and explain how salt actually encourages the right fermentation by creating an environment where only the tough lactic acid bacteria survive. Has anyone else run into folks who think salt is somehow the enemy of fermentation?
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jamieh763mo ago
Man, that's frustrating when someone spreads misinformation so confidently. The vendor probably hears that kind of stuff all the time and just nods to keep the peace. Good on you for speaking up, salt really is the MVP of kraut making.
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