Q&A

DIANE

Recently I had to throw out a batch of sauerkraut due to smelly mold and have repeatably followed your instructions using vinegar but there’s still a faint smell I can’t seem to get rid of. Should the vinegar wash completely remove the smell and if not, is it safe to reuse them or should I toss them and reorder?

 

HUMBLE HOUSE

Some fermented batches are particularly stinky and stubborn odors still linger on the fermentation weights after being boiled and scrubbed in a vinegar water solution – and sometimes even after being baked. We had this happen as well after a fermented batch of carrots went south and even sometimes when making especially strong Kimchi batches.

 

The smell should not give you any pause about continuing to use the weights any as contaminants will surely have been killed off by your cleaning efforts thus far. As for getting rid of it if it is bothersome, you can soak them in a baking soda and water solution (1 tablespoon per cup of water) and should notice a considerable difference.

 

To do this, place the weights in a shallow pan and fill the pan with your mixture until the weights are completely covered. They can remain in this mixture for as long as you feel necessary, but an hour or so should be fine, followed by another thorough scrubbing. We would recommend rinsing in a water and vinegar solution afterwards and scrubbing off any remaining baking soda particles.