Any re: Harsch vs. Airlock pickling?

Kimchi, pickles, sauerkraut, and more!

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Re: Any re: Harsch vs. Airlock pickling?

Postby michael on Tue Mar 17, 2009 8:20 pm

Hi, Steve;

Yes, aren't these 'moat-as-air-lock' style crocks great?! They seem to make everything a breeze, and practically guarantee good results.

The potter who made my fermenting crock now has the beginnings of a webpage dedicated to them, where you can see a number of her different designs, both completed and in progress. Here's the URL:

http://www.artatwork.ca/fermentingvessels/index.htm

Happy fermenting!

Michael
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Re: Any re: Harsch vs. Airlock pickling?

Postby mikepdx on Sat Mar 21, 2009 3:23 am

I use both the Harsch crocks and the "Pickle, Sauerkraut, and KimChi Maker". I purchased them at
http://store.therawdiet.com/sakicrpo.html

The Pickle & Sauerkraut Maker description is here:
http://store.TheRawDiet.com/pisaandkimch.html

There is a Sauerkraut Maker tutorial with photos at
http://thesunnyrawkitchen.blogspot.com/ ... kraut.html

They are both easy to use and make delicious cultured vegetables and pickles. The main difference is that it only takes about 5 days in the Sauerkraut Maker. In the Harsch crock, the sauerkraut is ready to eat in about 7 to 10 days, and you have the option to let it sit and culture for up to 4 weeks. It becomes more sour the longer it sits.
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Re: Any re: Harsch vs. Airlock pickling?

Postby michael on Sat Mar 21, 2009 1:07 pm

Hi, Mike;

Yes, that's definitely an inexpensive way to go.

Regarding fermentation time:

mikepdx wrote: The main difference is that it only takes about 5 days in the Sauerkraut Maker. In the Harsch crock, the sauerkraut is ready to eat in about 7 to 10 days, and you have the option to let it sit and culture for up to 4 weeks. It becomes more sour the longer it sits.


Based on my own recent experience, and some of the great feedback on this forum, it seems to me that fermentation time depends on temperature, the degree of salt content, and whether or not one uses a probiotic starter. I'd bet that even the Harsch crock could produce decent enough sauerkraut within five -- or even fewer -- days, if one were to use a probiotic starter and ferment at a relatively warm temperature. My Spielmann Fermenting Vessel works on the same 'moat-as-airlock' principle as used in the Harsch crock, and although I let my sauerkraut ferment in it for six days, I could easily have cut that to three days and had a really good product. There are sites that advertise a fermentation time of 24 hours -- my guess is that it's all a matter of the amount of starter, the fermenting temperature, and how one likes one's sauerkraut.

Happy fermenting!

Michael
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Re: Any re: Harsch vs. Airlock pickling?

Postby RiverValleyMama on Tue Mar 24, 2009 10:29 am

I just wanted to mention that you can also keep an eye out at flea markets and similar shops. I found a bunch of different sized crocks locally that averaged out to about $7-10 a gal. I bought a 2 gallon for for $14- it has a chip on the rim but no cracks or chips where it counts!
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Re: Any re: Harsch vs. Airlock pickling?

Postby Isidora on Wed Mar 25, 2009 8:27 am

Hi;

What a great forum this is! It’s always a treat finding others who share the passion for sauerkraut!

As this is my first post, perhaps I should introduce myself: I’m a professional potter, who specializes in hand-made stoneware fermenting vessels, for the home production of quality sauerkraut and other cultured vegetables . I have an enthusiastic local clientel, but I had no idea that there were so many sauerkraut devotees out there!
I see that one of my clients, Michael, has already spoken of my krocks.

If any of you are interested, you can learn a little about my work by visiting my website: http://www.artatwork.ca/fermentingvessels/. And, of course, you can always find me here, should you want to ‘talk shop’.

Looking forward to participating in this group!

Isidora
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