2. Correctly judge the ratio between salt and cabbage

About 2-3% coarse sea salt by weight of cabbage is usually used. The amount of salt is important because it limits the growth of harmful bacteria. Accordingly, if you overdo it, however, the cabbage will become too salty. So be precise with the salting.

3. Prepare suitable containers

After mixing the cabbage with the salt, pack it tightly into the fermentation vessel. These are most often cans, if it is in a larger quantity, or jars – if the cabbage is cut. This prevents the formation of mold. It is also important to place a weight on the cabbage to keep it submerged in the juice that forms during fermentation. This will push out the air and create the anaerobic environment necessary for beneficial bacteria to thrive.

4. Leave the cabbage to ferment in suitable conditions

Cabbage fermentation lasts about 3 weeks. It is good to place it at room temperature – around 18-24 degrees, away from direct sunlight. When it is ready and you start using it, you can put it in the refrigerator.

5. Enjoy your homemade sauerkraut

You can serve sauerkraut as a side dish, on a salad, like the famous sauerkraut with meat, or as another favorite dish. Do not throw away the cabbage juice. It also has a number of benefits such as boosting immunity, fighting allergies and respiratory problems, hangovers and more.

This is a question that our customers ask us very often. The short answer unfortunately is – “you can’t”.

Unfortunately, once the watermelon is picked it is much more difficult to judge whether it is unripe, ripe or overripe. There are many false claims floating around online about techniques for selecting the “perfect watermelon”. The truth is that we also cannot guarantee that each of our fruits will be of good quality. This is our most important goal – that the maximum percentage of them taste great.

In this article, we will look at the different methods of evaluating watermelon, as well as their effectiveness.

Visual signs

First of all, we should note that different varieties of watermelons not only have a different appearance, but also change their appearance in the process of ripening. That is, it all depends on the variety. Within a variety, watermelon pickers can visually distinguish watermelons that are very unripe or very overripe, but it would be very difficult for buyers to do so.

Instead, we recommend that you inspect the watermelon for mechanical damage, such as pinched areas and cracks in the rind. These mechanical damages are not a problem in the first days after picking the watermelon, but can cause premature spoilage of the fruit during longer storage.

There are no visible signs that reliably indicate a watermelon’s sweetness, crispness or juiciness. We have heard all kinds of myths about this.

Tapping and acoustic clues

Tapping a watermelon can reveal information about its interior, but few people know how to interpret the sound. Once again, the variety is the most important factor. Size, shape, rind thickness and internal structure all affect the sound a watermelon makes.

Hold your ear close to the watermelon as you tap it to hear its tone. Knowing the variety helps you recognise the sound of a ripe fruit rather than an overripe one.

In general:

• A higher-pitched sound that lasts longer indicates a uniform internal density, which can mean the watermelon is either unripe or ripe.
• If the watermelon sounds “hollow”, with a lower tone that is short, then the density in the core is lower, which can mean that it is overripe or sometimes that it just has a hollow in the middle.