SARAH KERSTEN STUDIO 2-Quart Vegetable Fermentation Jar User Guide
- June 13, 2024
- SARAH KERSTEN STUDIO
Table of Contents
SARAH KERSTEN STUDIO 2-Quart Vegetable Fermentation Jar
DIAGRAM OF A FERMENTATION JAR
Product Information
The product is a fermentation jar used for fermenting vegetables. It comes with a lid, a water moat, a water sealventilation hole (to allow CO2 and oxygen to escape), and half moon stone weights. The jar is available in three sizes: small, medium, and large.
Sauerkraut Recipe
Ingredients:
- 1 Cabbage
- About 2 tbsp sea salt (or 1.5-2% the weight of the vegetables)
- Optional spices: Caraway, Mustard seed, Juniper berries, Coriander, Black peppercorns
Instructions
- Peel off two outer layers of cabbage leaves and save. Cut out and finely chop the core.
- Finely chop/shred cabbage leaves.
- Mix cabbage with sea salt in a large bowl. Gently massage the cabbage and salt together with your hands until it releases its juice, making a brine.
- Let it sit at room temperature for an hour to allow the salt to draw out more moisture.
- Add optional spices (if desired), then taste the cabbage to assess the salt level (it should be salty like the sea).
- Pack the cabbage and brine tightly into the crock, leaving at least one inch of headspace from the top.
- Lay the two reserved outer cabbage leaves on top of the packed cabbage and press down to completely submerge the cabbage in the brine.
- Place the ceramic weights on top. If there is not enough brine to cover the weights, make more brine by dissolving 1 teaspoon of sea salt in 1 cup of water.
- Once the kraut is fermented to your liking, transfer to glass jars and store in the refrigerator, submerged in brine. Best enjoyed within 6-12 months.
- Note: The cabbage leaves on top of the kraut provide an extra layer of protection against surface mold. Discard the outer leaves if mold appears.
Sauerkraut
Recipe by Elizabeth Vecchiarell
OPTIONAL:
- Caraway
- Mustard seed
- Juniper berries
- Coriander
- Black peppercorns
INSTRUCTIONS
-
Peel off two outer layers of cabbage leaves and save. Cut out and finely chop the core. Finely chop/shred cabbage leaves. Mix cabbage with sea salt in a large bowl. Gently massage the cabbage and salt together with your hands, until it releases its juice, making a brine. Let it sit at room temperature for an hour to allow the salt to draw out more moisture. Add spices (if using), then taste the cabbage to assess the salt level (it should be salty like the sea).
-
Pack the cabbage and brine tightly into your crock using your
fist or a wooden tamper. Fill your crock, leaving at least one inch of headspace from the top. Lay the two reserved outer cabbage leaves on top of the packed cabbage and press down to completely submerge the cabbage in the brine. Place the ceramic weights on top. If there is not enough brine to cover the weights, make more brine by dissolving 1 teaspoon of sea salt in 1 cup of water -
Fill the moat of your crock ¾ full with water and place the lid on top to create a seal. Ferment for a minimum of 5 days and up to 30 days (or longer) for a more complex and sour flavor.
-
Once the kraut is fermented to your liking, transfer to glass jars and store in the refrigerator, submerged in brine. Best enjoyed within 6-12 months.
NOTE : The cabbage leaves on top of the kraut provide an extra layer of protection against surface mold. Don’t stress about mold!Simply discard the outer leaves if mold appears.
Mixed Pickles
Recipe by Elizabeth Vecchiarelli
USE ANY MIX OF HARDY VEGETABLES SUCH AS
- Carrots
- Cauliflower
- Green beans
- Radishes
- Turnips
- Onions
- Fennel
OPTIONAL SPICES:
- Bay leaf
- Black peppercorns
- Mustard seed
- Coriander
- Chile flakes
- Turmeric
- Whole fresh garlic cloves
- Fresh minced ginger
INSTRUCTIONS
- Prepare the veggies by cutting them into similarly bite sized pieces. Peel root veggies if their skin is tough. If mixing vegetables, consider slicing denser veggies thinner and softer veggies larger so they will ferment at approximately the same rate (just like cooking). Combine salt and water, stirring to dissolve completely.
- Place the spices in the bottom of your crock. Tightly pack the veggies into your vessel, leaving an inch of headspace from the top. Pour in the salt-water brine to cover the veggies completely. Place the ceramic weights on top to keep everything submerged in brine. Inevitably, some spices or veggies will float to the top.
- Fill your crock’s moat ¾ full with water and place the lid on top to create a seal. Ferment for 1-2 weeks. Transfer to glass jars and store in the refrigerator. Best enjoyed within 6-12 months.
Kosher-Style Pickles
Recipe by Elizabeth Vecchiarelli
- Small (less than 6”)
- pickling cucumbers*
- Fresh dill
- Garlic cloves, peeled
SPICES:
- Dill seed
- Mustard seed
- Coriander
- Black peppercorn
- Chili flakeSPICES:
- Dill seed
- Mustard seed
- Coriander
- Black peppercorn
- Chili flake
Pickling cucumbers are a variety of thick skinned cucumbers
Note: This recipe has a higher salt ratio than our mixed pickles and includes fresh grape leaves which contain tannins. The salt and tannins, plus a couple extra steps in the recipe instructions, help ensure the cucumbers stay super crisp during fermentation for the best tasting pickle!
INSTRUCTIONS
To ensure the cucumbers stay firm, soak for 2-4 hours in ice water prior to
brining. Then, scrape off the blossom end of each cucumber, (opposite of the
stem end).
Combine sea salt and water, stirring to dissolve completely. Place dill, garlic and spices at the bottom of a one-gallon vessel. Pack cucumbers tightly into your crock, leaving an inch of headspace at the top. Add the grape leaves on top of cucumbers. Pour the salt-water brine over the cucumbers, covering them completely while leaving an inch of headspace at the top. Place the ceramic weights on top of grape leaves to keep everything submerged in brine.
Fill your crock’s moat with water ¾ full and place the lid on top to create a seal. Ferment for 7-14 days, then transfer into glass jars and move to the refrigerator. (If your ambient temperature is very warm, move to the fridge after 7 days, if cooler, up to 14 days.) Pickles should be ready after 2 weeks of additional cold storage. Best enjoyed within 6 months.
Other Notes
BOOKS WE RECOMMEND
Wild Fermentation
-
BY SANDOR KATZ
Our top pick for someone new to fermentation -
The Art of Fermentation
BY SANDOR KATZ
Fermentation Journeys -
BY SANDOR KATZ
The Noma Guide to Fermentation
- Fermented Vegetables
BY KIRSTEN SHOCKEY
BASIC BRINE RECIPE
Use 2 tablespoons of sea salt per quart of water. This brine is useful for
filling remaining space in the jar if the vegetables are not fully submerged.
Add more salt if pickling cucumbers.
SALT: We love fermenting with delicious sea salts, or kosher salt. Avoid iodized salts or salts with anti-caking agents.
THE WATER SEAL & THE PHENOMENON OF MOLD
If brine overflows into the water seal during fermentation, use a towel to sop
up the liquid, wipe the moat clean, and refill with fresh water. On the chance
that mold begins to grow in the water seal during fermentation, use the same
technique to reset it.
The water seal allows CO2 gas to bubble out, while preventing oxygen from flowing back in. A low oxygen environment in the jar will discourage mold + yeast growth on the surface of the brine water. If the jar remains closed, it is likely that the contents of the jar will be safe from mold or yeast growth. That being said, there is no reason to fear opening the jar, or little bits of mold or yeast.
When first learning to ferment, taste your ferments or sample the brine to assess the flavor (and texture) every 4-5 days as fermentation progresses. Different stages of fermentation taste different. While you are opening your crock and breaking the oxygen seal, carbon dioxide created from fermentation will force out whatever oxygen is let in, reducing the risk of mold growth.
Once you start opening the jar, make sure to open it every few days to monitor the surface of the brine water. With experience you will start to understand how long you like to let your veggies ferment, and how temperature affects the process. This is valuable information!
If you do find mold or yeast, simply skim it off the top of the brine and replace the lid. Keep an eye on the brine, checking every few days while fermentation continues.