Sauerkraut results, batch 1: 2009

Well, you can’t win ‘em all. Anyone who’s ever gardened, or cooked, or canned their own food – hell, anyone who’s ever tried anything at all – knows this is true.

Thus it is in sauerkraut-making.

Last Friday I opened up the bucket of sauerkraut that’s been percolating for two weeks. I debated opening it earlier, actually, because something smelled “off” about the whole thing. But I resisted, thinking that maybe I had simply forgotten what sauerkraut is supposed to smell like while brining. After all, it HAS been over a year since I made the last batch.

Next time, I’ll trust myself more.

As soon as Bunker Hubby cracked open the lid, I knew it had all gone to hell. Sure enough, it had rotted through the top inch or so. I picked through it, hoping I could save the bottom portion, but the… goop… had seeped through and contaminated all the rest of it. So instead of bagging it in ziplocks and sticking it in the deep freeze, I dumped it in the garbage can and hoped to god it didn’t start stinking while we were out camping.

Farewell, sauerkraut. You never even had a chance.