I should also mention I did use 1 head of red cabbage and 4 green.
The cabbage near the bottom is a purple, and the brine through out is a reddish purple. Could this not be dye but just the red cabbage color?
Tasting it, its still got a pretty good crunch, but not as much of a tang.

I suspect the color is coming from the cabbage. Hopefully, you used plates that were glazed and were for eating purposes. Some clay pottery - such as found in Mexico tourist shopping markets, are painted but not glazed. These are not safe for food.

However, in the case of the crock radius being "out of round" it might be preferable in that case to use a brine bag on top, to keep the cabbage covered to exclude air.

The problem here is to keep out the air to foster fermentation. I would just make sure that the bag is leak proof.

Just my 2 c's.

Bejay

The crock I bought came from a antique shop, IÂll take a closer look to make sure the color isnÂt coming from that and the plates, they were used for eating. Ones my son used as an infant incase they went sailing off the tableÂno pictures or patterns or anything, just solid color.

Could read cabbage cause the color change in the brine? This is my first shot at this obviously.

Thanks for the help!

I make my kraut using red cabbage and the brine is indeed reddish color.

jt

Old crocks used leaded glazes and were quite toxic. Be sure yours is not a leaded glaze. Hard to tell, unless you know its origin and manufacturer as well as date.

Lead test kits are available at grocery stores, hardware stores and on-line.

Not all lead glazes are toxic. It depends on how the glaze was formulated. I know this from having taken a college level course in clay and glazes when I was studying pottery making. It's becoming moot though because, even though it is possible to formulate safe lead glazes, potters in this country have pretty much stopped using them due to customers fears. So I guess I just present this as a trivia item.

Lead is definitely something to be concerned about with older pottery and pottery from Mexico, Italy or other places abroad. This is especially true when the container is used for long term storage of an acidic food like sauerkraut.

Jim

Here is a link that might be useful: Lead Test Kit

To answer your question more directly:

I am sure the color in the brine is not due to leaching out a dye from the plastic plate. I've never seen a plastic that would do that.

Also, a great many old crocks were glazed inside with Albany slip, a clay which melted to a dark brown coating when fired and which contained no lead. The outside of these crocks were often salt glazed, which produced a light gray color with a slight orange peel texture. They were marked or decorated with cobalt blue. If your old crock is one of these, there is nothing to fear.

Jim

Everyone,
I appreciate the information.
Just to be safe I think IÂll get a lead test kit and double check.
If I have any doubts then IÂll have to use my Home Depot 5 gallon bucket and throw together another batch. I rather be safe then sorry.

Its kind of ironic how the brine is the same color as my picnic table..lol

jimmy ... I do not think my Home Depot (acutaully it's Lowe's) bucket is food safe.

Jimmy,

Maybe a glass jar? The 4 gal just might serve your needs. I've ordered the 1 and 2 gal from this outfit and they were quite prompt.

jt

Here is a link that might be useful: Ball Ideal glass jars

But with such a narrow neck, what can be used for covering and weight?

Food grade plastic bag filled with water which I would think would be more air-tight than a plate anyways.

I've used nylon tulle bags filled with glass marbles that can be purchased at a hobby store for about $2 a lb. Or get really crazy and use nothing at all for weight.

Sorry, no, those 5 gallon buckets at Home Depot are not food safe, as far as I know. A suggestion may be to ask if the local Dunkin Donuts store has any big buckets. They use them for the fillings. There are also web site that sell these, espcially places like wine making supply stores. A quart canning jar filed with water is a great weight, then place it in a big plate and you have a decent weight.

Ken writes > Sorry, no, those 5 gallon buckets at Home Depot are not food safe...

I didn't think they would be. Oddly enough I was looking at "Homer Buckets" at HD only yesterday. About $7 w/lid. I know that Mex restaurants get pickled jalapeño peppers in white 5 gal buckets. Presumably food grade. I'll bet other condiments come in those white buckets. Maybe ask the next time you order a Big Mac? Or ask at Taco Bell?

I did the ziploc bag filled with salt water in my oval crock and it worked great.

Susan

Aunt LulaBelle always uses the ziplock bag weight and it works great for her.

Jimmy, I also have an old crock that I use, but I got some food grade buckets with lids at the local yogurt factory. I know some others got theirs at Walmart from the deli, they just throw them away. I guess frosting comes in them.

As for the reddish brine, I also believe the tint came from the red cabbage.

Annie