I've got a five gallon stone jar of saurekraut making. The cabbage has been in it for about two weeks. This morning I tasted a small piece and it didn't taste right I spit it out and rinsed my mouth. Well now I've had a wierd sickie feeling headache this afternoon, I called an emergency room doctor friend and ask him about botulism and he said that he thought it would only be in canned food , in an oxygen free enviroment. What do yal think?

-- sherry (chickadee259@yahoo.com), November 27, 2001

Answers

didnt think 2 weeks was long enough for crock pot kraut. Sure its done? Pickleing is a preserving agent,,so shouldnt has botulism

-- stan (sopal@net-port.com), November 27, 2001.

botulism is anarobic, meaning it grows in environment with NO oxygen.

-- diane (gardiacaprines@yahoo.com), November 27, 2001.

The first question I would ask is how much Pickling Salt did you use in your kraut. I use two tablespoons to eight pounds of shreeded cabbage. I've used red and green and NEVER had a problem. I always leave my to work for 15 days and then hotwater can it. If you like it sourer use more salt or leave it work longer. I wouldn't worry about botulizim.

-- Herb Miller (hwmil@aol.com), November 27, 2001.

Whew, it's good to know that, I may have panicked a little when I got to feeling bad this afternoon. Thanks for the help.

-- sherry (chickadee259@yahoo.com), November 27, 2001.

Botulism, only exists in todays scared society. Fer Gods sake, I once ate dirt, I once had sore eyes, and survived. I also ate food, in the refrigertor, which went beyond the date imprinted. Wake Up! I am 55, had a Grandfather, who at 85 was doing volunteer work, at the Seniors place. Botulism?, Not in this, life time

-- My Story (andIam@sticking.com), November 27, 2001.

Botulism has probably killed more people than known. Before modern medicine you simply got sick and died.

When I was in Croatia I noticed they do their sauerkraut differently. They pickle the entire head, then cut off what they want. I wasn't able to ask why they use this method.

-- Ken S. in WC TN (scharabo@aol.com), November 28, 2001.