my cabbage didn't make much juice so i added water to make my saurkraut is this ok?

[bluebell]

my cabbages never seem to make much juice when i pound them down and that is with salt about 30mins of pounding, so i got fed up and added some filtered water to cover the cabbage. is this going to work? will it still produce a good saurkraut? what do you think?

i used a white cabbage perhaps i should try to use another type?

[deditus]

I think technically it should have been brine, but if it's salty enough it will be okay. If you added a lot of water, maybe dissolve some salt in a small amount of water and add that in.

[tanyalynn]

I haven't ever had enough liquid from something like kimchi or carrots to cover the veggies completely. : I use a brine, I always need to look up the ratio of salt to water, but they've turned out so far.

[newcastlemama]

Originally Posted by TanyaLopez

I haven't ever had enough liquid from something like kimchi or carrots to cover the veggies completely. : I use a brine, I always need to look up the ratio of salt to water, but they've turned out so far.

This is what I do too. Sally Fallon must have some really juicy cabbage or pound it realllllly hard. I can never get enough liquid out.

[Jojo F.]

have you tried NOT pounding it and just letting the cabbage sit with the salt for about 10 or more minutes before packing your jar/crock?

[Leilalu]

i always add salt, pound it a bunch, then add a bit of water.

[ramlita]

I've never pounded at all, and always have plenty of juice.

I make a few slices, sprinkle with salt, and toss in the jar a few times.
Then pack it down tightly, then throw in several more handfulls and pack it again.
By the time the jar is half-full, the juice rises up above the level of the cabbage.
The salt does the work- it doesn't take that much liquid when the veggies are packed down tightly.

[spughy]

Wow I have never had a problem getting enough juice from cabbage. In fact I have kimchi overflowing on my counter right now.

How old are the cabbages you are using? I get mine from a farm where they're picked the morning I get them - maybe if you get them from a store they're just a bit dehydrated? In any case, I think adding a bit of water is just fine, don't worry about it. If you've salted the cabbage adequately adding a small amt of water shouldn't be a problem at all.

[bluebell]

thanks everyone for the tips. yeah i got the cabbages from the supermarket as i can only get organic ones from there at the moment. so i guess they are drier. i'm glad i'm not the only one who has this problem! wish i had juicy cabbages like the ones mentioned.