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My sauerkraut turned pink and fizzed over last weekend
I was making a big batch of sauerkraut, my usual mix of cabbage and caraway seeds in a ceramic crock. I checked it after about 5 days and the whole top layer had turned this weird pink color and was bubbling like crazy. It smelled a bit off, not sour but kind of yeasty. I panicked and looked it up, and apparently it's a sign of wild yeast taking over, maybe because my salt ratio was a little low this time. I had to scoop off the whole pink layer, about two inches deep, and hope the stuff underneath was still good. It was a real bummer because I was counting on that batch. Has anyone else had a kraut go pink, and did you save it or just toss the whole thing?
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theawest1mo ago
Remember my uncle's pickled beets that one summer. He used an old stoneware jar and the brine went this weird, milky pink and got all foamy on top. He swore it was fine, called it "happy ferment," but the smell was like old bread dough. We tried a beet and it tasted flat, no vinegar tang at all. He ended up pouring the whole jar out on his compost heap, which turned the pile pink for weeks.
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claire_ramirez222mo ago
Yeah, the "yeasty" smell you mentioned is the big clue. I read that pink kraut happens when certain wild yeasts or bacteria get a foothold, often from not enough salt. Scooping it off was the right move. The stuff underneath is usually fine if it smells normal and sour. I've had it happen once and the batch was okay after removing the top layer.
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