TIL most commercial sauerkraut isn't truly fermented

I was reading a food science article from the University of Wisconsin and found out a lot of store-bought sauerkraut is just cabbage with vinegar added for sourness, not actually lacto-fermented. They said one major brand's process takes only 3 days, which is far too short for proper fermentation. I always assumed the jarred stuff was the real deal. Has anyone else discovered a favorite brand that actually uses the traditional method?

2 comments

2 Comments

rileyl677d ago

Bubbies brand uses the old school brine method and takes weeks to ferment. You can tell by the live cultures listed on the label and the cloudy juice in the jar. It's way more sour and funky than the fake vinegar stuff.

stone.troy7d ago

Totally, that cloudy juice is the real sign. I tried the fake vinegar kind once and it was just sad, like a weird sweet pickle juice. The Bubbies stuff has that deep sour taste that actually builds the more you eat. I mean, it makes a basic sandwich feel like a meal. Once you go back to the real fermented kind, there's just no comparison.