wendy131•2mo agoProlific Poster

Shoutout to the guy at the market who said airlocks are a must

He was selling kraut at the farmers market in Boise. Told me my cloth-covered jars were asking for mold. I've used that method for 3 years with zero issues. Airlocks feel like overkill for small-batch veg. Anyone else skip the fancy gear and keep it simple?

4 comments

4 Comments

the_tyler2mo ago

Ever think about how the weather where you live changes the rules? Like @the_drew's summer pickles might need that airlock, but my dry kitchen lets me get away with cloth most of the time.

ninaowens2mo ago

Saw a guy lose a whole batch to fruit flies once.

the_drew2mo ago

Oh man, that's the worst! I had a jar of pickles going last summer and got lazy with the lid. Came back to a cloud of those tiny jerks dancing on top. Totally ruined, smelled awful. Now I'm super strict about using those airlock lids, no exceptions. It's just not worth the heartbreak.

hollyl252mo ago

That "whole batch" thing is why I'm so paranoid about covering my ferments. A single layer of cheesecloth or a loose lid just doesn't cut it sometimes. You really need a solid barrier to keep those little pests out.