Sauerkraut/Vegetable Fermenting Jars
My sauerkraut and vegetable fermenting jars feature a water seal, to keep the jar airtight once it has started to ferment and a weighting saucer that fits the barrel of the jar. The lid has an easy-lift lid handle that enables the jar to have things placed on top of it temporarily – handy for small kitchens and busy countertops.
With the water seal, the fermenting mixture is able to ‘burp’ itself without exposing the fermenting vegetables to the room. The outer gallery rim is lower than the inner gallery, so overfilling the gallery won’t result in water getting inside. The weighting saucer keeps that vegetables submerged, and has a handy lip for lifting it out of the brine.
The jars are made from vitrified earthenware or porcelain, and have food safe glazes.
Sizes range from 1 to 3 Litres.
Prices $100 to $180.
Sauerkraut Recipe
(adapted from ‘Fermentation for Beginner’s’ Drakes Press, California)
1 medium cabbage green or red, cored and shredded
1/4 cup whey or an additional 1 teaspoon sea salt
1 Tablespoon caraway seeds
1 Tablespoon fine sea salt
- Mix cabbage, caraway, salt and (optional whey), in a large bowl.
- Pound the cabbage with a meat pounder or mallet – or just squeeze it with your hands for about 10 to 15 minutes until it releases some of its juices. Its fine to have a rest and let the cabbage sit in the slat for little while for the juices to some out.
- Press the softened cabbage down firmly into your jar and pour the brine over the top. Place the weighting saucer on the cabbage and push it down. The brine will rise up around the edge.
- Place the lid on the jar and carefully fill the gallery with water. Check it regularly and keep it topped up.
- Ferment at room temperature for 2 to 3 weeks and transfer brine and sauerkraut to tightly covered jars in the fridge.
freshly squeezed cabbage ready to start fermenting
the weighting saucer in place
filling th e gallery with water
Rosemary O'Hara - Raku and domestic pottery 