Over the last couple years, I’ve fallen hard for fermentation. This time of year, I regularly have jars of cabbage, carrot slices, or cauliflower quietly bubbling away on my counter. And though my first food preservation love will forever be jam making, making pickles with nothing but veg, salt, and a week or so never fails to feel like delightful magic.
In the beginning of my fermentation experiments, I didn’t have any dedicated airlocks or specialized weights. And generally, my ferments turned out just fine. Thing is, particularly in the case of sauerkraut, I found that I always had to toss the upper half-inch of cabbage, because it was brown, dried out, or even worse, a little slimy and moldy. However, when I started adding airlocks and weights to my process, I noticed that whole product stayed good.
One such airlock set-up I like a lot is the set from FARMcurious. It combines the pour spout lids from reCAP with a specially sized stopper that fits the spout in the lid and the stem of the airlock. You fill up a wide mouth jar with your prepared produce and salt (or brine), settle a weight on top (if you’re using one), and twist on the FARMcurious airlock system. A little water in the airlock and you’re good to go!
I know you’re getting gift giving messages from all sides right now, but if someone you love wants to get started fermenting in the new year, either the classic FARMcurious Fermenting Set (that’s the one pictured here) or their Ultimate Fermenting Kit (in addition to the lids, airlocks and stoppers included in the classic set, this kit also includes weights and a copy of the fabulous book Fermented Vegetables, prettily packaged in a gift box).
The good folks at FARMcurious want to share the fermenting love and so are offering up one of their classic Fermenting Sets. They also want you to know that they’re not just an online shop. They offer a world of resources for the home fermenter, including an extensive archive of fermentation support and FAQ and lots of recipes to help you incorporate your ferments into your daily meal prep. Make sure to follow them on social media for more tips, tricks, and promotions. They even run a Facebook community for users of the FARMcurious fermenting set.
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
Oh, and just one more thing. If you like what you see on the FARMcurious shop page, make sure to use the code “foodinjars” for 10% off your purchase. Now, on to the giveaway!
- Leave a comment on this post and tell me something about your fermenting habit. Have you tried it? Or are you still curiously reading up on the subject? Did you have a project go spectacularly right or wrong?
- Comments will close at 11:59 pm eastern time on Sunday, December 6, 2015. Winners will be chosen at random and will be posted to the blog on Monday, December 7, 2015.
- Giveaway open to United States residents only. Void where prohibited.
- One comment per person, please. Entries must be left via the comment form on the blog at the bottom of this post.
Disclosure: The folks at FARMcurious sent me the set you see here for review and photography purposes at no cost to me. No additional compensation was provided. All opinions remain my own.
I started with pickles, then saurekraut, then kimchi, and this year apple cider vinegar. Would love to try this kit.
I’ve never intentionally fermented anything, but I sure would like to try making kraut!
I’ve been fermenting things for about 5 yrs., vinegars, kombucha, jun tea, yogurt, water and milk kefir and some vegetables. I purchased a beautiful fermenting crock from ogusky ceramics, but it’s larger than I need now that we are empty nesters.
I started fermenting when I was in college, started with just sauerkraut and now regularly do kombucha, pickles, kimchi, and sometimes yogurt. Would love to learn more recipes!
I haven’t tried fermenting, but I would love to try it, especially sauerkraut
I tried fermenting the last of my green tomatoes this year. My first foray in to fermenting! I still haven’t worked up the courage to taste them yet, they smelled a little funky and grew some fuzz, so who knows if they’re safe…
The only thing I’ve tried to ferment is ginger beer. First batch was way to “hot” but second batch was pretty darn good. I really want to learn how to make sauerkraut though
My husband is into fermenting, making sauerkraut, kimchi, and Mead.
I tried making pickled beets a couple of years ago, and I think I wasn’t in love with the spice mix I’d picked out and did a lousy job of distributing it amongst the jars; some were too spiced, some not spiced enough, all tasted kind of weird (more spicy than salty). My only other attempts at fermentation are sourdough starter and recently kombucha (both are still alive, although the latter moreso than the former). I’d be interested to try pickles again, but I think I need to seriously think about what kind of spice mix I would actually like.
I would *love* to try making my own pickles. I have to avoid vinegar due to dietary restrictions.
I tried sauerkraut in a crock this last summer and had similar problems to yours. I would love to try out this product.
I’m new to fermenting, but already love it. So far, I’ve only tried sauerkraut and preserved lemons. Definitely adding this kit to my Christmas list!
I’ve tried a few things but none successful yet.
I haven’t tried fermenting yet, but I hope to in the future!
I’ve tried and failed. I’m hoping a Christmas present of the “Ferment Your Vegetables” book will get me started and successful!
I have had total success making homemade kimchi of all varieties, but less success with sauerkraut, which tends to dry out for some reason, making me wonder if my ill-suited equipment allows in too much air.
I haven’t tried it yet but have been doing research! This would be a great push to get me started.
i have pickled beets, would like to expand my fermenting world.
I have not tried to do this yet but I’d like to try making some kimchi and Hubby wants me to make sauerkraut…yum!
I just made cheese! Yummy 🙂 So now I have whey. I had planned my first ferment to be a spicy kraut, but now I’m going to ferment grains in the whey and make bread. I’m also making apple brandy liquer right now. It hasn’t become a ferment yet, but I’m keeping my eye on it as I did include the peels and some sugar. I read that you can possibly get a little wild yeast going.
I have my grandma’s kraut crock. she always weighed it down with a plate and sometimes a clean rock and covered it with cloth. It was always fun to skim the bloom. Soon my sauerkraut…soon…
Spectacularly wrong? haha YES! I tried making kraut like my MIL. I used a clean rock to weigh the plate down in the crock. However, it was a limestone rock…. which dissolves in the powerful juice. Funy thing is I didn’t even realize I was fermenting anything. I was just makin’ kraut.
Just tasted my first kraut (after 3 week ferment) using the reCAP lid/airlock units and it came out terrific! I didn’t reach the shoulder with my produce and was worried that there was too much airspace but no! It worked fine with no mold, no slime and just a crunchy, salty and a bit sweet (from the amazing cabbage I started with. ) I would love to have several going at once!
My mom is really into fementing so I thought I should give it a shot. I had luck with differant krauts, but my pickles aren’t the best. They get mushy. I don’t have any grape leaves near by so I need to figure that problem out! The set up looks simple and easy.
Thanks for the giveaway.
I tried it and it went…okay. I’d love to do more!
Haven’t tried it yet myself, but the Pickle Guys on Essex St. in NYC is always a must visit when I go to the Big Apple.
i want to try sauerkraut again.
I’ve made sauerkraut a few times, kimchi once, and some moldy pickled green beans. Since the green bean experience I’ve been hesitant to try again. A kit like this would really help my confidence level.
I’m excited to start fermenting, especially smaller batches! That gives you so much leeway to experiment
I home ferment off and on, but mostly in the winter, otherwise the heat makes things harder to keep an eye on. I don’t have any specialized equipment, however, and that could change the game entirely!
My brother has been fermenting kimchi and would love this.
I tired kraut once and it turned out okay. I’d like to try it again with different vegetables!
I’ve done some kraut, kombucha, pickles, yogurt, and beer. I’d love to expand and try some other vegetables though!
I haven’t realy done any fermenting. Well, unless yogurt, olives or preserved limes count.
I do kraut and love it! Always a batch going but y hubs would love these for small batch recipes!
Every once in a while my fermenting “habit” becomes a fermenting “addiction”. Whether I stumble across a new recipe I want to try to pickle or find some fresh produce out during my travels I am always willing to give it a try!
Always, always Kombucha. Have done sauerkraut with great success and just made my first jar of pickles!
I’ve fermented 3 types of sauerkraut this year, they’re wonderful. It’s a dry climate here, so I make sure there’s plenty of brine so evaporation doesn’t cause mold or yeast.
my sour kraut always fails been wanting this
I successfully made yogurt as part of a food preservation class this summer… Still nervous about trying fermentation at home, because I really don’t have the right equipment. I would love to try a kit like this, especially because it makes small batches instead of trying for a crock with big batches of things.
I tried to ferment cabbage into sauerkraut, but I don’t remember what went wrong. My husband has made many batches of beer and recently stopped that b/c making large batches was too hard on his back. We have also made prickly pear mead which was well received. I have pickled before, but would love to try fermenting pickles!
Have not tried fermenting yet because the process is too tedious for me. Yes, it’s easy. Yes there are lots of good reasons to do it. And we would certainly enjoy the fruits of minimal labor involved. These air locks look like they would remove much of the tedium for folks like me. Thanks!
I want to start fermenting cabbage and beets.
my husband started fermenting in mason jars sauerkraut
My in-laws made sauerkraut, but I was put off by the smell. I’d love to try this alternative to the crock method. Thanks for making us aware of this product!
Kohlrabi kimchi and kraut!
I must say, I’m more than a little curious to try FARMcurious! I’ve never tried fermentation, but it sounds fascinating.
As a homebrewing family, I find this to be a fascinating area of food prep. I would love to try this innovative product.
I’ve been fermenting veggies for a while now. I’ve had the most success with sauerkraut and dilly carrots, but I’ve also had some good batches of dill cucumber pickles.
Oh, please please please!! I have Crohn’s disease and am starting a low FODmap diet soon. Fermenting is one of the many new things I will be incorporating into my life. This would be such a blessing to receive. Thank you for the opportunity!
I would love to make sauerkraut with this!
My daughter and I have been wanting to get started doing this. This would definitely be a help!
Fermenting is on my list of to-tries—has been for a while.
I would love to try fermenting. We have been wanting to experiment with hot sauces and kimchee/saurkraut.
I have wanted to try fermenting veggies, but didn’t know where to begin until now. Would love to have this product to try it out.
I’ve been making sourdough bread regularly for years and started making yogurt last year. So much better than commercial products.
I’ve been so tempted to try fermenting– both for the health benefits and the fun of it. There’s not much I haven’t pickled, but fermenting seemed daunting. Between your post and the folks at FARMcurious, I think I might finally be able to pull it off. Sauerkraut and Kimchee anyone? Lacto-fermented dills?
I am still reading up on fermenting, but will start making Kraut like I grew up with soon.
I love ferments and have pretty much removed my bloat as a result. Have a regular brew of Kombucha and have tried a little Sauerkraut. Have toyed with getting an airlock system so will have to check these out.
I just started fermenting this year! it’s always an adventure, like this past summer when fruit flies attacked my sauerkraut and I sadly had to start all over again.
While I have fermented much dairy, veggies have not been successful for me. I probably need the right tools!
I love sauerkraut. Like LOVE love it. I’ve always wanted to try making my own, but have been too nervous to give it a shot. But if we can handle canning and curing our own bacon, why not try fermenting?
I grow my own organic produce in raised beds. This season I decided to try fermenting some cabbage ino sauerkraut. And I was surprised how easy it was. Next I attended a class on kimchee and that also went well. So now it’s time to expand my options and try some of the other fermenting described on this site. Fingers crossed.
I have never fermented anything but would like to try in the near future. It just seems a little scary too me, But I am going to try after the holidays and see how I make out, hopefully it is as easy as everyone says. fingers crossed
I have had great success making homemade kimchi, in fact it’s time to start a new batch. I hae been hit and miss with fermented salsa, but I intend to keep playing!!!! These airlocks would go a long way in a house full of pickle lovers!
My bestie and her husband have requested fermented pickles for Christmas and I’m so nervous to give them a try! This would help me so much! Thanks xo
Lacto Fermenting pickles is as far as I’ve gotten but I’m planning on diving into it more and more
My fermenting has been in the form of buying Bubbi’s saurkraut! Although, I am growing cabbages because I would like to ferment my own as well as try other fermenting foods. Gotta start somewhere!
My experience with fermenting has (so far) only been watching videos, reading about it, and drooling over neat glassware…then going to my nearest Asian market and BUYING all the delicious, fermented veggies I wished I could make myself. This looks like a beginner’s dream set!
I am currently tending a scoby and reading up on kombucha-making. I’ve never fermented vegetables in a crock before, but I’d love to!!! This sounds just about perfect for me. 🙂
I have never fermented anything, but this would be great for my son who makes sauerkraut.
(I left a comment days ago but I don’t see it anywhere so I’ll try again. Excuse please if this is a duplicate – I did look through all the pages of comments.)
I love fermented vegetable and can’t afford the prices for tiny jars in the store, so it’s either learn to make them well or do without. My sauerkraut has been so-so, and I was thinking of buying one of these special tops someday to see if it would help. Fingers crossed for this giveaway! Thank you 🙂
I need this bad!
I have been trying to ferment cabbage recently. The first two batches I threw away because they turned all brown and didn’t appear appetizing at all. I am currently fermenting some red cabbage, but have not yet tried it. I could really use these caps!
I have been making my own Kombucha for a while and tried sauerkraut but I would love to try other foods too.
You have my attention. This product seems perfect for me and the kids with to experiment. After looking at FARMcurious website, I am very curious as to what we will learn, try and eat.
I love fermenting dilly beans and cucumbers. Would love to experiment with FarmCurious Fermenting kit.
thanks,
Laura
I’ve had luck fermenting jun, kimchi, sauerkraut, kombucha, kefir, and pickles – it’s just getting the family to eat it that I’ve had trouble with.
This looks like the easiest kit! I’d like to try it for health! Thanks!
I have tried my hand at fermenting; sometime good results, sometimes not. Always get fruit flies though! This might be a good way to control them.
I haven’t done too much fermenting yet and am really just learning, but I’d love to expand my repertoire!
I have made sauerkraut one time and was pleasantly surprised that it turned out so well!
What a great giveaway! I’ve done a few fermentation experiments — the most successful so far was lactofermented salsa, and the least was kimchi. Excited to take it to the next level soon! Thanks for the giveaway opportunity!
I make my fermented Japanese pickles but haven’t really done salt fermented veggies. I figure of I can manage something as literallyh
hands on as numazuke pickles, sauerkraut should be easy
I have just started dabbling in fermented vegetables with mixed results. This looks like it would be so helpful in creating a successful finished product!
What a nest way to start fermenting for the new year!
My mom has been fermenting for years, it’s time for me to learn and hopefully our children will enjoy participating.
I’ve fermented beer but really want to learn about fermenting kimchi.
Mmm, Luv those fermented foods! What a great way to make it easy yum yums.
I would love to try fermenting.
We have a gluten free sourdough that we use periodically for making waffles. Yum! I also love this time of year because I can make lots of sauerkraut.
I’m ready to start fermenting!