Over the last couple of years, I’ve gotten more and more interested in small batch fermentation (these dilly beans and last week’s batch of hot sauce are two good examples). Throughout my slow-motion tumble down the lactobacillus rabbit hole, I’ve gathered a useful collection of gear designed to help my little ferments turn out well.
Late in the spring, a pair of products I’ve come to use a lot fell into my lap, thanks to the folks at Masontops. They had reached out in the hopes that I’d write about their Chalk Tops (which I did), but also included a Pickle Packer and a set of regular mouth Pickle Pebbles in the package they sent, just so I could see their whole product line.
I use the Pickle Packer nearly every time I make a batch of sauerkraut (which ends up being at least a couple times a month). It allows me to quickly bash the cabbage and salt together and then compress them neatly into a quart or half gallon jar. And the Pickle Pebbles are great for weighing down the veg so that the top doesn’t rise up above the liquid and then dry out, discolor, or mold. They are just simple, useful products.
On Thursday, the folks at Masontops are launching a Kickstarter campaign for a new product, which I do believe is going to knock the socks off those of you who do a lot of fermentation. I’ll have more about that product on Thursday as well. In the meantime, I’m giving away one of their fermentation sets, which includes both the Pickle Packer and Pebbles. Here’s how to enter.
- Leave a comment on this post and tell me what you’re cooking, canning, or fermenting this week.
- Comments will close at 11:59 pm eastern time on Saturday, October 10, 2015. Winners will be chosen at random and will be posted to the blog on Sunday, October 11, 2015.
- Giveaway open to United States residents only.
- One comment per person, please. Entries must be left via the comment form on the blog at the bottom of this post.
Disclosure: The Masontops folks send me a collection of their products for photography purposes and are providing the fermentation kit for the winner of this giveaway. They recently become a Food in Jars sponsor. However, all opinions expressed here are my own.
This week I have been away more than I have been home, but I have made two batches of sauerkraut in the past month, and I used your resource on making it in a mason jar – perfect for my family of 3! This weekend will be applesauce weekend and I am going to try and snag some end of season tomatoes to roast in the oven. Keeping my eyes peeled for a dehydrator when at the thrift stores…
Have a crock of kraut and a gallon jar of kombucha on my counter
This week it has been food in the freezer. The crab apple Rosemary jelly, Apple cinnamon jelly and apple ginger jelly were all two weeks ago. Instead, I made chili/spaghetti sauce base (onions, garlic and tomatoes ) and that went in the freezer and zucchini bread (gluten free with chocolate chips) also went into the freezer (12 loaves). I love fall!
this set looks so cool! This time of year, it’s all about the salsa! I’m forever making salsa for canning and eating. I do take an occasional break for some pear butter…
Salsa & tomatoes now! I’ve never thought of doing sauerkraut, but may give it a try!
Kombucha!! But I really want to try out sauerkraut and other pickled veg.
Not fermenting anything new, but instead enjoying my maangchi kimchi from many months ago! It’s lost all of it’s crunch but has developed a wonderful flavour, works perfect with the kimchi quesadilla recipe posted here long long ago 🙂
I would appreciate having these simple easy-to-use tools.
I have a jar of kombucha fermenting on my counter.
Looks like a handy set — thanks for offering a giveaway! Going apple picking…I’ll be making applesauce this weekend. 🙂
oh, these look so useful! I used my meat mallet last winter when I was making sauerkraut.
Anyway, I finished all my major preserving projects and now I’m starting to think about sauerkraut in my 3-gallon crock. I have kombucha going right now (and always kefir and yogurt). Time to get another veg ferment going!
This week I’ve canned a batch of crab apple jelly and batch of cranberry catsup. The cranberry catsup recipe is from Food in Jars. It’s so good! I also have tomatoes to can sometime this weekend. My heirlooms are just about done and now I’m waiting for the romas to ripen.
Currently fermenting a half gallon of Habanero mash
and Kimchi is in the fridge with two quarts of kefir.
I am very excited to try. I’m canning this week, cabbage, tomatoes, fire roasted peppers, pickled garlic, and fermenting cabbage for sauerkraut.
I’m cooking corned beef hash, canning tomato paste, and fermenting everything that is not bolted down this week. I am also dehydrating onions. I prefer to ferment things whole such as 1 inch onions. I do not ferment broccoli… anymore.
Making the last of the pickled baby beets we got at the farmers market last weekend. Also making Spicy bread and butter pickles made with Splenda. I would love to try the Pickle Packer and Pebbles seems like it would be a good addition to our tools.
Wayne
This weekend I’ve been making large batches of different things so nubby Little one and I can eat real food between the crazy of collage classes :] This time it was Breakfast cookie, a batch of hummus and a double batch of homemade raviolis for the freezer :] I would love to try my hand at small batch fermenting!
I’m so excited to try fermentation for the first time – sauerkraut will be my first project because my husband loves it! I’m supporting their Kickstarter campaign and look forward to receiving many Pickle Pipes in December! Thanks for the links, Marisa!
I’ve got kimchi and kombucha going, am hoping to ferment some homemade sriracha sauce. I wonder how this would work with fermenting kombucha? I’m so excited to try! Thank you!
A rainy weekend inspired me for a quart of saurkraut, a quart of dilly beans, a quart of sirarcha,
and canned 6 quarts of chow-chow, 3 quarts of apple pie filling!
I’m planning to make some apple pie filling!
Canning away between teaching Cottage Food Safety trainings here in Colorado and offering food preservation classes. Watching Marisa’s live webcasts on preserving tomatoes, jam, etc. have been very helpful and I have share the live links on facebook. Getting more and more into fermentation and gut health so hearing about this new product is wonderful.
This week was just under 3l of grape jelly, 7qt of potato, 5qt of carrot, and 23qt of butternut sqash.
Enjoying fall vegetables and menus, especially chili. Looking forward to sauerkraut from scratch and hoping to win so that I can make fermented foods!!
Dilly pickles and Jicama
This week I made escabeche, pickled carrots and radishes. I have my sights on pepper jelly and maybe even my first batch of sauerkraut this weekend!
I always do hot sauce this time, family comprises of just two if us and I am totally excited about the small batches.
I have water kefir going and can’t wait to start fermenting other things!
This week has been mainly white kimchi (which is basically kimchi without the spices), and finishing up the umeboshi fermentation. 🙂 I haven’t tried sauerkraut yet, but mainly because I wouldn’t know what to eat it with! (I know it tastes fantastic on hot dogs, but we don’t eat it that much…)
Kimchi, Kimchi, Sauerkraut and maybe a ginger bug soon 🙂
Today I’m cooking (and canning) soup and fermenting carrot and daikon radish (my favorite ferment!).
This week I’m cooking anything that takes advantage of the white cherry tomatoes from our garden. My favorite has been a veggie filled quiche!
I started Giardiniera yesterday and will be starting a small batch of dill pickles today:)
I don’t have anything yet. But going to a class this week.
Quick fridge pickles, dried zucchini chips, and another batch of fig preserves from Christine Ferbers awesome book, Mes Confiture.
This week it is all things apple – trying to calm that “inner pioneer” as you say – the neighbors have an apple tree they don’t use at all, and happily are letting me pick! Apple Cider Jam, Apple Sauce, apple pie filling, dried apple rings… all things appley are getting put up this week! I JUST started fermenting this summer and LOVE it. The sauerkraut in a half gallon mason jar is awesome! And ginger beer! yum! This looks like a great set – I’ve been using a jelly jar full of boiled rocks set on top of the top cabbage leaf left whole, to keep the shredded cabbage below the water line – and I tamp down hard with a wooden spoon, so this would be the bees knees!! neat idea!! –Kim
Hi,
this weekend I am planning on several fermentation and pickling projects: Fermenting Dilly Beans and pickling green tomatoes and cucumbers. One of the farmers markets that I support offered wasabi pickles and wasabi green tomatoes – thought I would give it try.
thanks,
Laura
This is an awesome give away! Thanks for offering it. Right now I’m cooking quince for jelly and membrillo. Later today I will poach quince to freeze for winter breakfasts, and I’m going to try dehydrating some of the poached fruit. And if I have time tonight I will fill my dehydrator with peppers. I love you website!
I have always wanted to try making sauerkraut. With these items, I might not have an excuse not to!. Thanks so much!
Doing my first fermentation of the hot sauce recipe. A little uneasy with knowing how the process work. But giving it a try.
Applesauce and spagetti squash are on my list for this week.
These look awesome!
I will be making a giant German apple popover this weekend along with some homemade yogurt!