Yes, the critical period for your ferment to remain below the brine is during the first 7 days by which time enough lactic acid has been created and the pH of your ferment is low enough to term it safely fermented. My pie-in-the-sky dream is for each and every one of your to “graduate” to fermenting in a 5-liter – or larger – water-sealed fermentation crock. But, I did find it harder than usual to create a nice amount of brine with the Summer cabbage I used in this fermentation weight challenge. Acid can break down the plastic, causing it to leach sketchy chemicals into your otherwise healthful food.

The best way to take the pickle pebbles out of the jars is to tip the pebble so the sides are facing to the top and the bottom.Individually made from soda glass and inspected by hand to ensure they meet the highest quality standards, they are heavier than most other glass or ceramic fermentation weights on the market – so one pickle pebble per jar is always enough – and being transparent, once inside the jar, they can hardly be seen. My in-depth review of the The Fermentation Lid can be found Kraut Source Fermentation Lid REVIEW [Solid Design].

Once ready, screw on the one piece lid and transfer to the refrigerator to slow down the fermentation process. Is there a minimum or specific heaviness of weight I would need to keep shredded cabbage down (even with a small leaf on top! Monitor your ferment daily and when you see it bulging above the brine, open the lid and press the contents down with a fork.After that first week, the brine moves back into the cabbage cells, making it a challenge to have enough brine to keep your ferment covered. Water or brine can be used, brine is good if you think the bag may leak as it won’t dilute the brine in the ferment. The perfect size and shape to sit on top of your fruit or veg inside a Ball Mason jar, these clear glass Pickle Pebbles are the perfect weight and thickness to keep food completely submerged but visible during the fermenting process. Soda Fired 3 Quart Ceramic Fermentation Crock- DIY ferment in this rustic handmade pottery crock; weight included, green interior.

This is what I used to keep my ferments below the brine for many years with its drawback being that the surface of the brine is exposed to air. During the fermentation process, these natural bacteria convert the carbohydrates and sugars in food to an acid which creates an ideal environment for preserving. to your ferment, they will help compensate for a dry cabbage and you may end up with your ferment below the brine for a much longer time period than I did in this challenge using rather dry cabbage and no additional vegetables. The 2 lids sup­plied con­tain inte­grat­ed one-way valves that pre­vent air get­ting in while let­ting CO 2 escape from the jars dur­ing fer­men­ta­tion. I bought 3 of these to use with the 3x 1 litre jars which I also purchased including airlock seals and additional screw lids.with gripping teeth on its bottom and a slit on its side for brine seepage – that acts as a fermentation gate. They can leach into the ferment and, in addition, can themselves be destroyed by the acid and salt from the fermentation process. Mason jars are the perfect vessel to ferment in: they're easy to find, fit perfectly in kitchen cupboards, are dishwasher safe, and versatile.