Salt percentage fight - 2% vs 3% for sauerkraut

Been making sauerkraut for about 4 years now. Every recipe I see online says 2% salt by weight. But my grandma always did 3%. I followed the internet recipe once and got this weird soft kraut after 3 weeks. Mold on top too. Went back to 3% and it's crisp every time, lasts months in the fridge. I think the extra salt gives the good bacteria a better chance against the bad stuff. But everyone in this group swears by 2% and says 3% is too salty to eat. Has anyone else tested both percentages side by side and noticed a difference in texture?

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3 Comments

masonm704mo ago

Think about how much salt you lose when you rinse the brine off.

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thomas_martinez4mo ago

I've heard this argument before and I actually read a study about it. They tested how much salt comes off when you rinse olives and it was way less than you would think. The brine is mostly water weight and the salt is absorbed into the olive itself after sitting in there for a while. So you might lose a little on the surface but it's not going to make a big difference in how salty they taste. I still rinse mine every time and they come out plenty salty enough for me.

2

derek9943mo ago

A study? People actually paid money to test that?

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