Hi, agmss. Just wanted to welcome another ferment addict.
I ferment for 40+ years. Cabbage, kimchi, turnips, cucumbers, tomatos, rutabaga, beets, peppers, kvass, tvorog/quark, etc. Observed my parents doing it when I was a kid and can't imagine my life w/o it. Always have saurkraut, pickles, tvorog and 2-3 other ferments in my fridge.
Olga

Check your library for the book "Wild Fermentation" by Sandor Ellix Katz (he also has a good web site - http://www.wildfermentation.com and YouTube videos). Lots of great information and recipes in his book.

You can make low-salt and even salt-free sauerkraut. It's better to use less salt than to over-salt and then rinse your kraut. Rinsing removes all the "good" stuff. And yes, temperature is important like you thought.

Low-salt kraut would include 1-2 teaspoons per quart of kraut. A quart of kraut takes about 1-1/4 pounds of cabbage (about 1 medium-sized cabbage). I make kraut in a quart jar for convenience, and never heat process it, just refrigerate it and use it fresh. If I need to preserve it, I'll freeze it. FYI - fermentation goes faster without salt. Some salt-free options are wine, savory seeds and seaweed and it's all detailed in "Wild Fermentation".

Another good book for lacto-fermentation information and recipes on a variety of foods is "Nourishing Traditions" by Sally Fallon.

-Grainlady

I also do some fermentation--sauerkraut, fermented turnips, kim chee. I like the book the Joy of Pickling. My little grandson was born with intestinal problems, so I'm teaching my daughter-in-law how to do simple fermentations.

BTW, my kraut recipe calls for 3 weeks in a cool, not cold, place. And since I often make kraut in late June, cool is only relative.

Fermentation occurs within a specific temperature range. 70-75 degrees is optimal, though fermentation will still occur at a slower pace as low as 55 degrees. At 80 degrees you get softening and spoilage.

Nothing much is going to happen in the refrigerator.

Carol

I've packed sauerkraut for as long as I can remember, my Dad taught me, his Dad taught him.

As Carol/Readinglady mentioned, fermentation has to take place at certain temperatures, between 65F and 72F are optimal. At 65F it takes approximately 20 days for proper fermentation to occur. It certainly will not happen quickly in the refrigerator, although some sources I've read say 45F will produce fermentation but it takes 6 months or more. Too hot and the produce spoils, too cold and it doesn't ferment or ferments far more slowly.

Most recipes I've seen for sauerkraut call for 3 tablespoons of salt for each 5 pounds of shredded cabbage. I've never attempted any low salt versions.

Annie

Thank you for all your suggestions... I can see why lactofermentation can become an obsession. I will check out those books. I did get the saurkraut recipe from Sandor's website. I think I was too quick to refrigerate everything - I have a coolish woodheated house in Maine. My instinctive fear of things going bad and inexperience. Some of the varieties of kimchi seemed to be eaten very fresh and so still worked with my impatience. I'm going to pull the saurkraut out of the fridge and see what happens. I do need to work on salt ratios. I made a carrot/ginger/radish fermentation - way way too salty.

Here's a great free pamphlet in PDF form on sauerkraut from Wisconsin Extension. Anyone interested in fermentation can learn from it. Especially check the troubleshooting section and you'll how to identify any problems.

Carol

Here is a link that might be useful: Make Your Own Sauerkraut