I’m happy to introduce to you…the jars!

These jars will be tested in various frequencies, depending on access, over the next several weeks (months?). The purpose is to see which jars provide a good environment for sauerkraut.

As explained in The Science Behind Sauerkraut Fermentation, there are several factors that affect a ferment - one of them being oxygen. After I pressure and vacuum tested the jars yesterday, it gave me a good idea of what to expect.

All jars will be packed with cabbage to the 3 cup mark. Brine should rise to the 3 1/2 cup mark, or more. The bottom of the glass testing tube (cut to three inches with this glass tube cutter) will fall between these two marks, within the brine. I will use a pipette to access the brine in the tube. Some glass tubes will be capped with these vacuum caps, depending if the set-up is a closed ferment or not.

I will be using screen that I cut out of these dehydrator liners pressed on top of the cabbage to keep the small cabbage pieces from floating in the brine. These actually work so well there is no need for a weight, but since I have them, I will also use these flat glass weights.

Many supplies were purchased due to the generous donations of Loving Our Guts, Pickle Me Too, Easy Natural Food, and Common Sense Homesteading. If you would like to donate to help reimburse the money I have personally invested in this experiment, please gift PayPal funds to [email protected] and I will list you as a donor. If you have a blog, add it in the comments box when you send funds and I will add a link to your blog.

So here are the jars…

Jar 1 - Mason Jar with Cheesecloth

Many people simply cover their ferments with cheesecloth to provide oxygen without allowing flies to land on the ferment. I added the ring to keep the cheesecloth on well. Glass tube was taped to the side so I can access the brine without disturbing the brine’s surface. The glass tube is placed so the bottom is below the surface of the brine, and is left uncapped since this is an open ferment. I will be taking samples from this jar just after packing and before covering (first day), days 2-7, and weekly until the ferment is complete.

Jar 2 - Mason Jar with Olive Oil

I will put a 1/2″ layer of olive oil on top of the brine. This should prevent the oxygen from touching the brine, yet let CO2 escape. We’ll see how this works. The closeup shows that I taped a glass tube on the side to access the brine beneath the olive oil. I capped the tube to mimic the oil preventing the oxygen from touching the surface. I will be taking samples from this jar just after packing and before covering (first day), days 2-7, and weekly until the ferment is complete.

Jar 3 - Mason Jar with Water Baggy

Many people like to use a water-filled baggy and place it on their brine to both weigh it down and keep the oxygen out. I just realized as I see this photo I will be using a 1/2 gallon mason jar - the baggy weighs down and pushes the brine pretty far up. To give it more room, I’ll be using a 1/2 gallon jar. A glass testing tube won’t work for this set-up as it will create air space. I will access the brine directly on the side of the jar with a pipette slid down the side. I will be taking samples from this jar just after packing and before covering (first day), days 2-7, and weekly until the ferment is complete.

Jar 4 - Mason Jar with Cabbage Leaf and Smaller Water-Filled Jar on top

I’ve seen several references to this method - place a cabbage leaf over your shredded cabbage, placing the water-filled glass on top of the cabbage leaf. This acts as a weight and keeps the brine over the cabbage. Although this method does let in oxygen, I am closing the tube. I will be taking samples from this jar just after packing and before covering (first day), days 2-7, and weekly until the ferment is complete.

Jar 5 - Mason Jar with Cabbage Leaf, “Shot Glass” and White Lid

This is a method Food Renegade uses. She uses a shot glass, and this stainless steel mini bowl simulates the glass. The glass testing tube fits right beside the bowl with the bowl moved to the side. The bowl will sit right on the cabbage, pressing down and keeping the brine above the shredded cabbage. I will be taking samples from this jar just after packing and before covering (first day), days 2-7, and weekly until the ferment is complete.

Jar 6 - Mason Jar with White Lid

This is one of the most popular methods - using a white lid on a mason jar. Although it holds pressure well, it doesn’t hold a vacuum which means it’s not airtight (see my pressure and vacuum testing here). I’ll use the screen (described in the beginning of the post) and glass weight to keep the cabbage down. I can’t wait to see what the testing will show for this set-up. I will be taking samples from this jar just after packing and before covering (first day), days 2-7, and weekly until the ferment is complete.

Jar 7 - Mason Jar with White Lid and Baggy

The baggy could provide extra “oomph” in the threads to provide a better seal than just a plain white lid. I’ll use the screen (described in the beginning of the post) and glass weight to keep the cabbage down. I am putting the black rubber cap on gently in case CO2 needs to release and there isn’t enough room out the lid. I’d rather the cap pop off than the lid blow off. I will be taking samples from this jar just after packing and before covering (first day), days 2-7, and weekly until the ferment is complete.

Jar 8 - Mason Jar with White Lid and Airlock

Let’s see how a white lid with airlock will do. I’ll use the screen (described in the beginning of the post) and glass weight to keep the cabbage down. I will be taking samples from this jar just after packing and before covering (first day), days 2-7, and weekly until the ferment is complete.

Jar 9 - Mason Jar with Metal Lid and Ring

I am not sure how many of you really use this method, but I am definitely putting the black rubber cap on gently in case CO2 needs to release and there isn’t enough room out the lid. I’d rather the cap pop off than the lid blow off - this is a pretty tight set-up! See my test results here. I’ll use the screen (described in the beginning of the post) and glass weight to keep the cabbage down. I will be taking samples from this jar just after packing and before covering (first day), days 2-7, and weekly until the ferment is complete.

Jar 10 - Mason Jar with Metal Lid and Ring with Airlock

I feel much better about putting an airlock on this - the black rubber cap will be snug. This set-up passed the pressure and vacuum tests (results here). I’ll use the screen (described in the beginning of the post) and glass weight to keep the cabbage down. I will be taking samples from this jar just after packing and before covering (first day), days 2-7, and weekly until the ferment is complete.

Jar 11 - Mason Jar with Cork and Airlock

The edge of the cork does have small cracks, so I know this isn’t airtight. I wish I included a jar with just the cork (maybe next time!). I’ll use the screen (described in the beginning of the post) and glass weight to keep the cabbage down. I will be taking samples from this jar just after packing and before covering (first day), days 2-7, and weekly until the ferment is complete.

Jar 12 - Mason Jar with Lacto-fermentation Air-Lock System from Cooking God’s Way generously donated by them for my test
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This set-up is similar to the white lid set-up (Jar #6) but with the addition of a rubber gasket. I want to explain the hole…Initially we drilled a hole and inserted a grommet so we could have a test port. This worked well. However, when we went to screw the lid on we discovered the gasket warped due to the gasket being pinched in the test port grommet. Oops! We corrected this by using a new white lid, drilling an airlock hole, and putting in a new grommet. It’s as good as new now, the only difference being the original grommet was black. The hole in the gasket doesn’t affect how this jar will perform - you can clearly see the indentation where the glass meets the gasket - it’s super tight which I proved here. Because I was unable to get a test hole in there, I will not be able to test frequently. I’ll use the screen (described in the beginning of the post) and glass weight to keep the cabbage down. I will take a sample of the brine after initially packing the cabbage before closing the lid, through the airlock on days 3 and 7, and then when the ferment is over.

Jar 13 - Mason Jar with Pickle Pro from Homesteader’s Supply generously donated by them for my test

This is another popular set-up. The closeup shows the details - hard plastic lid and stretchy gasket which sits on the lip of the glass. The metal ring screws on top for a snug jar. This set-up passed both the pressure test and the vacuum test that I posted here. I’ll use the screen (described in the beginning of the post) and glass weight to keep the cabbage down. I will be taking samples from this jar just after packing and before covering (first day), days 2-7, and weekly until the ferment is complete.

Jar 14 - Pickl-It purchased by the generous donation of GNOWFGLINS. The Pickl-It is the new kid on the block, although certainly getting a lot of attention in recent months. Based on a classic jar from Italy, the Fido, the Pickl-It has an airlock installed. This jar failed the pressure test I wrote about here and passed the vacuum test proving that it will allow CO2 to escape through the gasket (the Fido’s built-in airlock) yet at the same time prevent oxygen from penetrating. I do not have a test port for this jar so I can’t do frequent testing. That said, Pickl-It allows for opening of the lid during the first week of ferment. I will be more conservative, however, and simply access the brine though the airlock on days 3 and 7. I can twist the airlock out and get in and out with the pipette in about two seconds. I’ll use the screen (described in the beginning of the post) and glass weight to keep the cabbage down. My first sample will be directly following packing the cabbage and before closing the lid. I will take the final sample when the ferment is complete.

Jar 15 - Harsch Crock purchased by the generous donations largely from Homesteader’s Supply along with with GAPS Diet Journey, Hybrid Rasta Mama, and Dishrag Diaries Who can do ferment testing without including the Harsch? Huge thanks to my friends at Homesteader’s Supply along with with GAPS Diet Journey, Hybrid Rasta Mama, and Dishrag Diaries for contributing towards this purchase. The 5 liter was the smallest size they have, which is five times the size of the mason jars. I will be unable to access the brine during fermentation, but I will take a sample after packing and before closing the lid. I will take the final sample when the ferment is complete.

Jar 16 - Bucket with Plate and Weight covered with Cheesecloth If you’ve ever ready Sandor Katz’ book Wild Fermentation, you’ve probably used this method yourself. I am using a Tropical Traditions 1-gallon coconut oil bucket (run through the dishwasher) for this set-up. The closeup shows the plate that will push down on top of the cabbage, and the brine will come up over the plate. I notice here that I haven’t pictured a weight - I will come up with something to keep it weighed down. I’ll drape a large piece of cheesecloth over the bucket once packed. Since the brine will be exposed, I can easily use a pipette to extract my three drops for the pH and glucose tests (more on those tests tomorrow). I will be taking samples from this set-up just after packing and before covering (first day), days 2-7, and weekly until the ferment is complete.

Jar 17 - Fido Jar I almost didn’t include a Fido jar in the line-up due to explosion fears. Once I researched and discovered explosions were only mentioned from one source with an agenda, I shed my fear. The pressure and vacuum tests proved that this jar to be safe. Although you can manually burp the jar, CO2 build-up will release on its own through the gasket. The gasket itself is a built-in airlock system that allows gasses to escape without allowing oxygen to penetrate. I’ll use the screen (described in the beginning of the post) and glass weight to keep the cabbage down. I will be unable to access the brine during fermentation, but I will take a sample after packing and before closing the lid. I will take the final sample when the ferment is complete.

Jar 18 - Salsa Jar I added this one because I thought it was the kind of thing that the frugal-minded might use - an old salsa jar. I was surprised to see how well it did in the pressure and vacuum tests here. I am definitely putting the black rubber cap on gently in case CO2 needs to release and there isn’t enough room out the lid. I’ll use the screen (described in the beginning of the post) and glass weight to keep the cabbage down. I will be taking samples from this jar just after packing and before covering (first day), days 2-7, and weekly until the ferment is complete.

There you have it! You can vote for your favorites by cliking “like” on the jars you think will do well (posted in the line-up below).

 

Similar Posts:

Sauerkraut Survivor, Day 2: 24 hours later
Sauerkraut Survivor, Day 1: Packing the Jars and Baseline Samples
Sauerkraut Survivor, Day 23: Transfer to Fridge (Part 1)

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Lea Harris founded Nourishing Treasures in 2006. A mom passionate about her family's health and well-being, Lea believes education is power. Encouraging others to take baby steps in the right direction of health for their families, Lea's goal is to raise awareness of what goes into our mouths and on our bodies, providing natural alternative information that promotes health and prevents disease by using traditional foods and nature's medicine. Lea is a Certified Health Coach graduate from Beyond Organic University, and a Certified Aromatherapist graduate from Aromahead Institute. "Like" Nourishing Treasures on Facebook, join the Nourishing Treasures Group on Facebook, follow @NourishTreasure on Twitter, and subscribe to our newsletter. You can also find me on Learning About Essential Oils forum, and Fido Fermentation Facebook group. Disclaimer: I use affiliate links wherever possible. So if you click on a link, and make a purchase, I might make a small commission, but it doesn't cost you any more.