Fermented pickles and sauerkraut

After 1 day

After 2 days

After 3 days

 

Pickles jar burping 16 seconds

Sauerkraut jar burping, 16 seconds.



After 4 days, on the 5th day. From Friday to Tuesday.

Conclusion: 

It worked. But I don't like the taste of either. 

The pickles are not firm and crunchy, they're floppy. They're not salty but they're over-spiced, and weirdly so. I tasted on an empty stomach. The ginger is not prevalent nor is the garlic, the bay and spices are not pleasing together and intensified. The dill is not outstanding. I don't know how to correct flavor. I wish they were sweet. 

I'll probably add sugar water. I don't want strong-tasting weird pickles. 

The sauerkraut is crunchy, it squeaks when it's chewed. Surprisingly, with a single jalapeño for an entire green cabbage, it's hot as h-e-double fire sticks. It burns my mouth off, hotter than kimchi. 

I'll drain them and strain out the spice seeds and dill and ginger and garlic, reserve the fermented liquid, and add sugar-water to all of it and refrigerate and see if that improves the flavor to suit me.

I'm happy with this experiment. I'll eat the pickles and sauerkraut, and I learned how this weirdly affects spices unpredictably. And I think to an extent I can correct the flavor while retaining its probiotic benefits. 

I like sweet things.

I like sour things. 

I like sweet/sour things.

But I do not like weirdly confused overly-spiced things, or things that are too hot. 

Experiment success.

Flavor fail.