My sauerkraut went from mushy to crisp after I stopped using tap water

I made two batches of kraut in my station about a month apart. The first one, using filtered tap water for the brine, came out soft after a week. The second batch, I used spring water from the grocery store (the cheap gallon kind). The difference was huge, the spring water batch was super crisp and held its crunch for over three weeks. I think the chlorine in my city's water was killing the good bacteria needed for a firm ferment. Has anyone else had this happen with their local water supply?

3 comments

3 Comments

paul11724d ago

Honestly that makes a ton of sense, chlorine is meant to kill microbes. Did you try just leaving your tap water out overnight to let the chlorine gas off before using it? I'm curious if that cheaper fix works as well as buying the spring water.

gibson.oliver8d ago

My peace lily started getting brown tips after I moved to a city with stronger water treatment. Letting the water sit out for 24 hours completely fixed it, no spring water needed. The chlorine does evaporate if you give it time. I just keep a big jug by the sink and fill it after I water. It costs nothing and it’s way less hassle than hauling bottles from the store. For most common houseplants, that’s all you really need to do.

rose_young24d ago

Wait, is it really that big of a deal? I mean, I get what paul117 is saying about letting chlorine evaporate, but my plants have been fine with straight tap water for years. It feels like one of those things people overthink online. Unless you've got some super sensitive exotic fern, your average pothos or snake plant isn't going to care.