Evidently it's disgusting before it's delicious - be patient. I have some kimchi in process that is similarly odiferous. The only thing I am not sure of is whether kept it under the brine well enough. I want to get some weights for next time.

I pack sauerkraut by the crockfull and all it is is cabbage and salt. 3 tablespoons of salt per each 5 pounds of shredded cabbage, pack it until it gives up liquid, weight it down with a plate or brine filled bags and let it ferment. Too cold and it won't ferment, too hot and it'll spoil. If you left it on the counter and it's 70F, it's too hot and it spoiled.

Some years the kraut smells just awful and other years I don't smell a thing. Some years I need to skim the mold and some years there never is any. Each year is different.

Annie

I think I messed up because I used peeled "baby" carrots instead of a regular one and I used iodized sea salt instead of regular sea salt. I used a large jar, about one cabbage, a handful of "baby" carrots and approx 1 1/2 tbsp salt. I added a bit of filtered water. I did smash the cabbage for about 10 minutes before putting it in the jar. I also used a tight sealing lid. I put it in the cupboard at about 65 degrees or so. It was only three days later when I opened it and the smell was indescribable. I didn't weight it down. Maybe that was my problem?

I agree.... patience as well as temperature. Check your local library for the book "Wild Fermentation" by Sandor Ellix Katz for more information, or on his web site.

Did you happen to use regular iodized table salt? If so, that could contribute to a fermentation problem. Iodine in table salt is antimicrobial and can inhibit fermentation. I use sea salt, or Himalayan Sea Salt (neither contain an anti-caking agent).

I also use a lacto-fermentation method (adding a little whey along with the salt) and make it by-the-quart - similar to the instructions at the link below. If I can't use it quickly, I'll freeze it rather than canning it. When you add that heat processing, you destroy all the "good" stuff in your sauerkraut.

-Grainlady

Here is a link that might be useful: Making Sauerkraut! Live Earth Farm

You used whole baby carrots in sauerkraut? You need to also shred or grate the carrots, they should be approximately the same size and thickness as the cabbage. Dad used to say "the thickness of a dime".

Annie

I shredded the carrots. The sea salt was iodized, which I didn't notice on the label when I bought it, only after I put everything together. My husband felt sorry for me and bought me some sauerkraut which contains just cabbage, carrots and salt. I am pretty sure it is pasteurized though which isn't what I want. He tried. Thanks for your input. I will try again. Can I have it sealed tightly so no smells comes out?

I have made it using Annie's proportions of salt to cabbage in a large plastic jar left on my kitchen counter. I'm sure the temperature was often above 70, probably between 70 - 74 during the day. It was great, best sauerkraut we've had. I used a gallon bag filled with brine (you use brine instead of plain water in case the bag leaks into the jar). I did use filtered water in the brine. It bubbled out a little onto the dinner plate the jar was on but there was never an offensive smell.

I think it took about ten days to ferment. I packed it into quart ziploc bags and left one in the fridge to use right away and froze the rest. Even after a year the frozen kraut was crisp and wonderful when we thawed and ate it.

I hope you try again - I need to make some more too.

Lee

In my experience iodized salt works fine. Over the years I used many different kinds of salt available in US and before that in Europe. Currently I use sea salt and iodized salt interchangably. I think it is one of this old tales that iodine in table salt can inhibit culture. You probably need much more iodine to do this.
You definitely have to shred carrots and I would never use "baby" carrots. I believe they are treated with bleach to prolong storage time. Regular carrots, peeled and shreded work great.
You can use or not use whey. I personally don't like the taste whey gives to vegetable ferments and don't see any benefit in using it. Cabbage has enough lacto bacillus on the surface. It is always lacto fermentation of cabbage with whey or w/o it.