Showerthought: Why does my whole block hate the smell of my sauerkraut?

I got a notice from the HOA saying my sauerkraut smells too strong. Now I have to ferment in my basement instead of the kitchen. It just takes the joy out of making my own food.

4 comments

4 Comments

lee181mo ago

Hearing that it takes the joy out of making your own food is a shame. Sauerkraut has a strong smell, but it's part of the fun of fermenting. HOAs can be too strict about things like that, forcing you to use the basement. I hope you still get some satisfaction from making it down there.

derek_gibson1mo ago

Oh wow, my buddy ran into this with his HOA last year... he was fermenting kimchi in his kitchen and the smell leaked into the hall. Someone reported it as a "biohazard" which is just crazy to me. They sent him a warning letter and he had to shift everything to a storage locker. He told me it killed the whole vibe of making it... like it was some secret crime instead of just making food. Still ticks me off how uptight some places can be about normal stuff.

karenbailey1mo ago

Wonder what world we live in where kimchi is a biohazard. It's fermented food, not a toxic spill.

tessap731mo ago

Man, that really stinks, no pun intended. Derek_gibson's story about his friend's kimchi is just like this, it's wild how people react. Having to hide your fermenting in the basement totally kills the fun of having it right there in your kitchen where you can check on it.