I used to think salt was just salt until my kraut went slimy 3 times in a row

For about two years I was dumping regular table salt into my ferments because I figured salt is salt, right? Then I fermented 3 batches of sauerkraut in a row that came out all slimy and gross around last November. A guy at my local farmers market who sells ferments asked what kind of salt I used, and when I told him iodine-free sea salt he just shook his head. Turns out the iodine and anti-caking agents in table salt can mess with the good bacteria and wreck your texture. Anyone else learn this the hard way or was I just the last to figure it out?

3 comments

3 Comments

claire8721mo ago

I used to grab whatever salt was cheapest at the grocery store for my ferments and never thought twice about it. After reading up on it I switched to a plain sea salt and it made a huge difference, no more slimy batches.

riverdavis1mo ago

Did you notice if the cheap salt had any anti-caking agents or iodine in it? I have heard those extra additives can mess with the fermenting bacteria pretty badly. Was that the main difference you saw after switching, or was it more about the salt grain size?

nancyjones1mo agoMost Upvoted

Did the cheap salt list ingredients on the back? I dealt with the same slimy batch problem last year and it drove me crazy. I switched to a basic kosher salt with no additives and everything cleared up. That alone convinced me the anti-caking stuff really does mess with the ferment. I think grain size matters less once you dissolve it, but the additives are a gamble. Feels like every cheap bag has different junk in it. Solidarity on the frustration, it's such a pain to lose a batch after waiting weeks.