Sauerkraut: What Makes it Sour? (Page 2 of 2) Shredded cabbage
is layered with salt in a crock or other nonreactive container
(like a food-grade plastic bucket), and then carefully packed to
aid in pulling the liquid out and to remove as much air as
possible. Once enough liquid is present to cover the cabbage, a
weighted plate that just fits inside the crock, or even a
plastic bag filled with water, is added to keep the cabbage from
floating to the surface. The goal is to create an oxygen-free
environment that is relatively inhospitable to the bad bacteria,
so that we can encourage the bacteria that will convert the
sugars and starches in cabbage to lactic acid. The temperature
for this reaction is critical. If it’s too warm, other forms of
bacteria and yeast are able to grow. The best kraut is made at
cooler temperatures (65 degrees or lower), which is why we so
often associate it with fall (and Oktoberfest). Sauerkraut is
all about the lactic acid. The acidic environment it creates
preserves the cabbage by