is this deadly mold? should I toss this batch?
June 7, 2017 4:31 PM Subscribe
Trying to make kraut, fuzzy white mold, throw it out??
I'm trying to make sauerkraut. I have been failing at the morton-pilion fermentation jar thing.
I followed the directions to the letter, especially with regard to cleaning the jar and keeping everything sterile. I am suppose to pull my sauerkraut out tomorrow, but today I see there is this fuzzy white mold. What do I do??
I'm trying to make sauerkraut. I have been failing at the morton-pilion fermentation jar thing.
I followed the directions to the letter, especially with regard to cleaning the jar and keeping everything sterile. I am suppose to pull my sauerkraut out tomorrow, but today I see there is this fuzzy white mold. What do I do??
Response by poster: calgirl you saint!
That is exactly what I was looking for. Thank you.
posted by Baby_Balrog at 5:13 PM on June 7, 2017
That is exactly what I was looking for. Thank you.
posted by Baby_Balrog at 5:13 PM on June 7, 2017
What did you decide to do?
FWIW, with something fuzzy and white like that I'd throw it out. That's not the normal wet yeast scum you get, it's an active mold culture. The links calgirl provided give conflicting advice on what to do in that situation.
posted by Nelson at 4:48 PM on June 8, 2017 [1 favorite]
FWIW, with something fuzzy and white like that I'd throw it out. That's not the normal wet yeast scum you get, it's an active mold culture. The links calgirl provided give conflicting advice on what to do in that situation.
posted by Nelson at 4:48 PM on June 8, 2017 [1 favorite]
That is definitely a mold rather than a yeast scum, and mold is not supposed to be there. You didn't introduce that mold and you didn't select for it, at least not on purpose, and so its a risky proposition to trust this uninvited guest to your fermentation. Whether or not it will hurt you will depend on exactly what kind of mold it is, and because none of us have fuck all of an idea, its a bad idea to eat it.
The great thing about Sauerkraut is that its cheap and easy to mess up, all you've invested into this specific fermentation is the cheap cabbage as well as the effort involved in cutting and stuffing it. All you need to do is clean your jar a little bit extra thoroughly and you're good to give it another shot. Common causes of this include adding too much salt or fermenting it to hot (above 75°F/23°C) in such a way as to allow the mold to outrace the lactic acid bacteria you want fermenting your kraut.
posted by Blasdelb at 5:48 AM on June 9, 2017
The great thing about Sauerkraut is that its cheap and easy to mess up, all you've invested into this specific fermentation is the cheap cabbage as well as the effort involved in cutting and stuffing it. All you need to do is clean your jar a little bit extra thoroughly and you're good to give it another shot. Common causes of this include adding too much salt or fermenting it to hot (above 75°F/23°C) in such a way as to allow the mold to outrace the lactic acid bacteria you want fermenting your kraut.
posted by Blasdelb at 5:48 AM on June 9, 2017
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Here's a nice-step-by-step answer...
Oh, and here's one from some food safety experts!
posted by calgirl at 4:42 PM on June 7, 2017 [2 favorites]