We can’t tell you how many times we’ve had this question! We never tire of it though, because the sauerkraut in question is always different from the last. Due to the nature of sauerkraut and kimchi being “alive”, it often will take on a life of its own. The live bacteria in your kraut is what makes it so good for you, but it can make for some interesting results sometimes!
While we can’t answer all your concerns in a blog post, we can cover some likely scenarios to put your mind at rest.
Help! My sauerkraut is full of a cloudy liquid!
We get this one a lot, and we’re so excited to tell you that this is actually a GOOD thing! That cloudy liquid is basically probiotic juice, and it’s full of all the healthy goodness you can get in a jar of kraut. Don’t let it go to waste, why not pour it over your salad like a tasty vinaigrette? You’ve hit the jackpot!
Help! My jar exploded!
This question is often accompanied by a rather impressive image of a jar that looks like the kraut or kimchi is erupting out a bit like a volcano. While it can provide a rather big shock, it is thankfully nothing to worry about. It simply means that while refrigerated in the jar your batch continued to ferment and build up gas.
Help! My sauerkraut is soft instead of crunchy!
This one isn’t so great - you might have bought a dud. We’re really sorry if this has happened! Due to the delicate fermenting nature, every so often there is a jar or two that doesn’t meet the right standard. If you feel your jar is one of them, please get in touch with us via our Contact Us page and we will make every effort to sort this out for you.
Help! My jar didn’t pop open!
While jars of jam or chutney might “pop” when opened, our krauts and kimchi’s will not. That “pop” comes from the heat seal releasing, and is one of the reasons why unopened jams and preserves can stay unrefrigerated. Our krauts and kimchi’s are full of wonderful live bacteria that help with your digestion and immunity however, so applying heat would kill all that good stuff. Instead, you need to keep our jars refrigerated, and sadly that means there won’t be any satisfying POP when opened.
Do you have a different issue related to your jar? Let us know so we can help!