Tried a $15 heating mat from Amazon for my kraut and thought it was snake oil

Been making sauerkraut for 3 years in my cold basement and it always took 6 weeks to get tangy. Grabbed a cheap seedling mat last month and hit that same sour level in 11 days flat. Anyone else have a fermentation tool they ignored for way too long?

2 comments

2 Comments

lisaf3824d ago

Actually same here, I thought heating mats were a gimmick till I tried one on my hot sauce ferment and it cut the time in half lol.

kelly_west7424d ago

I'm actually going to push back on this a little. I've been making kraut for over a decade and I think rushing it with heat is missing the whole point. The slow cold ferment gives you way more complex flavors and better texture, you can't get that in 11 days no matter what mat you use. Plus I've read that keeping it too warm can mess with the good bacteria balance and let some sketchy stuff grow faster too. I'd rather wait 6 weeks and know I'm getting something that tastes like real sauerkraut instead of a quick sour shortcut.