We, the fermenters, know a true thing: vegetable fermentation is quite the simple process. In fact, the only thing you really need to join our ranks is the spirit of discovery and the desire to make food more flavorful and healthful.
There are a couple things that make the process work more smoothly, though. One of those keys to great vegetable fermentation is keeping things submerged. Although vegetable fermentation is possible without full submersion, for the kind of fermentation we’re most usually engaged in, it is better to submerge. Submersion keeps mold and unsightly, distasteful surface yeasts at bay and it make our little probiotic microbe friends oh, so happy.
There are nearly endless ways to keep your vegetables submerged. If you’re fermenting in jars, it pays to be creative. If you’re fermenting in crocks, it’s usually pretty easy to find a weight given that they often come with them and always have wider openings that lend themselves to using plates, bowls and other common kitchen items as weights. I’ve tried a lot of tricks over the years for jar fermentation. Do keep in mind that whatever you use should be food safe and acid tolerant (especially be careful with glass which can contain lead). Here are some that I’ve found to work very well.
Pie Weights
Many years ago, I found some cotton, reusable tea bags at a kitchen supply store and had many happy fantasies of all the herbal infusions I would be making with them, and all of the sachets that I would gift to friends with garden herbs. Fast forward to the present day and that hasn’t happened (I do infuse herbs, but I do them fresh or dried in whole sprigs, no bag necessary). I do, however, fill them with ceramic pie weights, which are both food safe and weighty and place them on top of my ferments.
Marbles
Use these the way you would use pie weights (above). Marbles can be a little trickier, though, since you want to make sure that no lead is in the glass and that there aren’t any glazes that could leech into your food.
Plastic Bag
A small plastic ziplock bag with a small amount of brine in it. Don’t fill it all the way or it won’t fit in your jar. Place it on top of your vegetables and put the lid on without securing it all the way. The brine acts as a weight (and if there’s a leak in the bag, you won’t dilute your pickling brine). It’s flexible enough that you can still put your lid on. Don’t seal the lid so that the CO2 created during fermentation can easily escape. Downside: there’s plastic on top of your food for the duration of fermentation. This is a cheap and convenient method, but I don’t use it because I have plastic fear.
Jar in Jar
The enduring favorite in my house. I wrote a post about this lo, those many years ago. Briefly, the idea is to fill a smaller jar with liquid and place it on top of your veggies in a larger jar and cover the whole thing with a cloth. This works best in wide-mouth jars and the cloth napkins I use for the job don’t look so lovely (sometimes there’s overflow, cloths get stained and restained). You could also use coffee filters and paper towel for this job, or be careful about the amount going in so that there’s no overflow.
Pickle weights
This falls under the special equipment category, but I have to admit that I love mine. I spotted these lovely, handmade fermentation weights on a fermentation forum a while back and I’ve never regretted buying them. They’re compact, a boon for my urban kitchen, and I continue to find their use simple and neat. If the batch was residue-free, I soak them in a bowl of very hot water before reuse. If there was any leftover stuff on them (surface yeasts or more commonly “foam” bits from the bubbling up of the ferment) I soak them in a distilled white vinegar solution then rinse in very hot water before reusing for the next batch.
Boiled stones
Stones are nature’s pickle weights. In Philadelphia, where I live, stones are few and far between and the ones I do find have had congress with too many restaurant-fed cockroaches to ever gain entry into my home. However, some of you are lucky enough to live amongst the non-pigeon birds and dense, unevenly spaced trees, so it might be easy to find a stone of some heft that’s the right size to fit in your jar opening. Stay away from limestone since it is rich in calcite and will react with the acid created during fermentation. Boiling the stone for 15 minutes before using for the first time is a good idea.
Cabbage leaf
Okay, so this isn’t exactly a weight, and it can actually be used in conjunction with a weight, but sometimes, folks, I’m lazy. I peel off a less-than-perfect outer cabbage leaf and shove it down on top of my veggies, place the lid on the jar, being careful not to tighten it all the way and just let the whole thing go.
Fido or LeParfait Jars
Here in the US, Ball jars are very easy to come by and the price is definitely right. There are a couple brands of European jars that seal with a gasket and a clamp. Although, like the cabbage leaf, most recommendations are to use it in conjunction with a weight, you don’t always have to do that, especially with packed ferments. I do use a weight in these jars for brined ferments and for longer ferments (so I can burp them), but I will often do a short kimchi fermentation (3-7 days) in a Fido with no weight at all. The gasket allows excess pressure to escape and the build-up of CO2 from the fermentation process provides a protective layer that keeps oxygen from the surface during fermentation. I straight-up had a fido explode on me (annoying because of the clean up, dangerous because of the flying glass (no one was awake or hurt so it was okay) and frustrating because it was a gallon jar that cost more than a case of any of my other jars), so this is definitely something to approach with caution, and is best for more experienced fermenters.
You don’t want to “burp” these jars regularly if you’re not using a weight. That will take the protective CO2 layer out and leave you with the potential for surface yeasts or molds. If you are using a weight, burping regularly is fine, since the liquid layer at the top is providing the barrier to air.
A Fork a Day
This could also be known as the do-nothing weight, although it’s actually a bit more labor intensive than any of the solutions you see above. In the case of a packed pickle (sauerkraut or kimchi style pickles) this is sometimes a reasonable method. What do do? Nothing, really. Just put the jar on a shelf, packed as tightly as possible, lid lightly attached. Every day, open up the jar. Scrape down the sides and press everything back down with a fork until there is a liquid layer once again.
All Done with Weighting? Here’s How to Finish Up!
If the weight you’ve chosen fits all the way into your jar (pickle weight, cabbage leaf, etc), you can place the lid on your jar and close it, but leave it a little bit loose to let the CO2 escape. If it doesn’t (smaller jar, etc), you’ll want to find a clean, tight weave kitchen cloth, such as a cloth napkin or coffee filter to place over the top of your weight and jar. Secure it to the bottom jar with a rubber band or two, so no dust or debris can fly in, but CO2 can escape.
How Do You Keep Your Ferments Submerged?
I’ve used all of these methods at various times for various reasons. They all work fine, but I definitely have my favorites. And this list is certainly not comprehensive, so tell me: how do you keep your veggies submerged?
Lili says
I use another jar. I save them and almost always have one that just clears the inside rim of the pickling jar.
bec says
I mostly stick to the jar method, but currently on my counter is a ferment that uses the fork method. It works beautifully.
Patricia says
I use a crumpled up piece of natural (non-chlorinated) parchment paper and place it on top of the veggies until they are submerged. When the veggies want to float up, the top of the crumpled paper (still dry and stiff), presses up against the jar lid which resists the pressure and ensures that the paper keeps everything submerged.
Stephanie says
GENIOUS!!!!!!
Tara says
Thank you!
Ashley says
This is genius! I’m going to definitely test this.
catherine says
I like vintage glass canning jar lids. They are food safe and cheap (I paid a quarter each) at antique stores. They are regular-mouth size so fit right into wide-mouth jars.
I also have a few glass discs called “boiling controls discs” or “pot watchers. The idea is that you put them in a pot of water when you set it to boil, and when it boils the glass clatters, so you hear it and don’t absentmindedly let it boil dry. Very useless product for me except that they are thick round food safe glass discs 🙂 I’ve gotten a few at rummage sales and clearance sales. Too wide for Ball jars but work great in European gasket jars.
My favorite: antique glass furniture casters. Basically small, heavy class “cups” that you’d set the legs of your tables and chairs in, so the furniture slides on floors without scratching, and legs don’t dig holes in carpet. I am making a leap that they are food-safe, but mine have the Anchor Hocking logo on them, so I think it’s a good guess they’re not expensive enough to be leaded glass. They’re nice and heavy and I got them for a quarter a piece at a vintage store.
Amanda says
Hell yeah, Catherine! I love this list!
Meg says
I recently started using carrot sticks, criss crossed at the top of the jar – holds everything down and you get 2 pickled carrots in everything else you pickle!
maureen says
I’m going to try glass candle holders-they come in all sizes, shapes-my local used shop has a shelf of votes :& various glass pieces that are used for different shaped candles-worth a try. Just clean them up & experiment w/ sizes.
Nicole says
just keep in mind that a lot of glass used for decorative objects contains lead. be safe!
Amanda says
Yes! Food safe glass is a must.
Penny says
I have a vintage glass canning jar lid for a regular jar & 4 glass casters. None of them fit in my wide mount jars. Where did the folks who use those types of items come up with ones that do fit in wide mouth jars?
Loreli says
On using stones, recently this came up in the Facebook group Wild Fermentation and I cautioned that some stones have lead or other toxic minerals in them. Another group member suggested purchasing stones from an aquarium store, and I think that sounds like a fantastic idea. Stones could weight down a cabbage leaf so everything stays submerged and the leaf itself doesn’t rot. Another group member said she’d heard of using mats woven from thinly sliced carrot sticks, a stone on top of that would be seriously cool.
Amanda says
Hi Loreli,
Can you provide a source for the lead information? I checked with a couple friends who are into rocks, and they were not in agreement with you, except for in a couple cases of specific (and not common) lead containing minerals. I’d love to see a source so I can update the post.
Thanks so much!
Loreli says
If they are in to rocks, they may be more able to identify them than I am (or most people), I heard about it when someone was cautioning my son not to lick stones he found on the ground (to see their pretty colors when wet). She had a friend end up in the hospital from mineral poisoning (though it was from a broken pure crystal, not a stone that is a mixture of minerals). The links I’m providing is from googling “toxic stones”, usually it’s from pages that talk about gem elixers, they soak the stones in water for infusing it with healing vibrations and then drink the water? Anyway, since I know a lot of stones are more than one mineral, I’d rather be on the safe side.
http://meanings.crystalsandjewelry.com/toxic-or-harmful-stones/ (this one includes cautioning about shiny stones, but I don’t know about stones with shiny flakes in them)
http://www.crystalguidance.com/articles/crystalcautionlist.html (this one seems really thorough, and is annotated)
Alexandra says
Yes, indeed: I use decorative, smooth polished stones purchased at a garden centre. They’re used as pot-top decorative stones, usually placed around the plant, and if they’re large enough, I use single stones (they’re normally flint-type, marble or granite) but if they’re smaller, large-gravel size, I put them into a zip-lock bag.
I boil them for around 10 minutes, in a solution of water and white vinegar (10/1) and then let them air-dry in a plastic sieve, before storing them in a clean tupperware tub.
Before use, I rub the larger stones over with a kitchen towel dampened in vodka. It sterilizes them prior to use. It’s not a waste of good vodka if you suck the kitchen towel afterwards. (Yes, I’m kidding….)
The smaller stones, kept in double-layer ziplock bags, don’t need further sterilizing.
Amanda says
Lol! I’m loving the image of sucking the vodka out of the towel. It kind of reminded me of a funny thing in my own house. I make a fabric spray from vodka infused with lavender and lemon peel and my dog always licks the air when I’m spraying it. Who knew my pup was a lush? 🙂
John Coley says
What about using a French press (like for coffee) to keep those veggies submerged?
Amanda says
Hi John,
I have definitely seen that done before, so it’s worth trying! I would mention a couple things to consider:
1. You’ll want to ensure that the metallic part of the filter is restaurant grade stainless steel. It’s not just being exposed to acidic conditions (coffee) it’s going to be sitting in an acidic environment for weeks or longer.
2. How will you cover the container? With the press-y part up (you’re welcome for that gorgeous turn of phrase, English language), it will be a pretty decent distance from the top of the handle to to the spout, and you’ll need some way to cover it and secure it. A kitchen towel and a rubber band should still do the trick, but it might look a little funny.
I hope that helps!
Erica says
What about extra kombucha scobies? I have recently opened a jar of cut cabbage kimchi (I prefer to cut the cabbage into more manageable pieces at the start of the process) that has been stored out of the fridge for 8 months. It was covered with a piece of scoby and that has done a fine job of covering the kimchi.
I did make sure to make a note about removing the scoby before eating the contents!
Amanda says
I wouldn’t recommend using cultures as tools of submersion. Using a kombucha SCOBY will kind of inoculate your vegetable ferment with the yeast and bacteria that are present in the SCOBY (not the same ones present in veg ferments) and it could lead to texture issues, or just not having the probiotic bacteria you want fermenting in there! A well-boiled SCOBY might work!
JohnC says
I’ve found the easiest and cheapest way of all is to just use mason jars with the stock ring and lids. They are already designed specifically to let pressure out when fingertight as that is how canning is done, so all you do is keep them fingertip tight so pressure will release when it gets great enough naturally and each day I tighten the lid all the way, flip over the jar and then loosen it back to fingertip tight without fully opening it.
This way there is only co2 in the jar and the top bits get submerged daily.
Cheapest easiest way I think there is.
Chuckez says
I have a honey jar with a latching lid and rubber seal, Do I latch it closed or leave it unlatched? Thanks
Ryan Helseth says
There are lots of great ideas in this post and the comments, but I think my custom designed glass fermentation weights that fit perfectly into wide mouth Mason jars are the best option!
https://masonjarlifestyle.com/product/glass-fermentation-weights-fermenting-wide-mouth-mason-jars/
val says
I have some fluted glass tumblers that are wider at the top than at the bottom. They’ll insert into a widemouth jar about an inch and a half before they get hung up, and the fluting lets bubbles escape.
Dina says
I got a heatproof silicone mat at Daiso that’s intended to be used on the top of cooking stock to quickly and easily remove scum. It also quickly and easily removes scum from ferments! I pack it in like I would a cabbage leaf.
Maggie C says
What about wooden discs cut in half (inserted one at a time to get back the smaller rim of the jar)? Seems to me it would capture all those cabbage bits. The discs could be weighed down with almost anything compatible with the brine. We have some maple here and m’ hubby has volunteered to cut some out for me.
Is there any reason I shouldn’t use wood as long as it is properly cleaned each time?
Amanda says
Hi Maggie,
Wood is not a great idea, since it can absorb liquid and expand. If it does expand, it can jam in your vessel, or worse yet, break it.
Radojka says
I use my heavy glass serving plates, they are clear and very large for serving food and sweets. I use smaller ones on top of the cabbage and then I stack the larger ones on top and the glass plates hold the food down. Works great for me.
Then I cover the brining bucket with a large cotton dish towel and snap the lid down and I make sure the dish towel is stretched tightly so that it doesn´t get wet.
tansu aksu says
Just buy Ball’s shaker lids – sold next to Ball’s jars in Walmart etc, wholes in the shaker lid would be good enough. (see here > http://www.goodmans.net/i/8020/ball-10747-herb-shaker-lids-2-pack.htm )
Now for the wide mouth I haven’t seen any shaker lids, however same idea, just get extra regular wide mouth lids and dril 3-4 holes, cheap and easy.
Tansu
Amanda says
Hi Tansu,
Shaker lids definitely don’t solve the issue of submersion. They are fun though!
Jonathan says
I’m new to picking (making not eating) but for my first batch I’ve improvised by using a lid from a fast food restaurants ice cream dessert (out of fairness for the other reputable fast food restaurants they will remain unnamed) it fits in perfectly when upside down and has a hole in the middle for liquid to come through. Great for me in a Sunday afternoon panic to get them sorted.
Regina Seib says
I have a question: The cloth that I covered my fermenting cabbage with got wet as the juice bubbled over, it was a clean tea towel ,is there a problem with this?
Amanda says
Hi Regina,
No. You might want to change to clean towel for the rest of fermentation, though. Good luck!
Gus says
How about using marbles, not loosely but contained inside a cloth or piece of fabric or thin cutout of a cotton T-shirt, that way it’s much easier and faster and more convenient to put them in to press down on your veggies/fruit/whatever and to remove them all at once! Gonna get me some marbles…
Gus says
break off the handle of a rounded or straight tapering mug and voila! You have a weight and seal that fits every mason jar mouth.
gloria says
Thank you 🙂
Dotty says
I got tired of burping my ferments daily and spent the big bucks on these.
https://www.amazon.com/Masontops-Pebbles-Pipes-Mason-Fermentation/dp/B01N5EP6MA/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1501626520&sr=8-7-spons&keywords=fermenting+masontops&psc=1
Amanda says
You definitely don’t need to burp daily!
elyse says
Hi! Just started fermenting today! I saw on a youtube video where one person cut a beet into the shape of the top of the jar and sized it to fit perfectly (this is what I tried today). I also saw another youtube where this guy used like 4 big leafy greens and folded them up to push the veggies down below the brine. I don’t want to spend money so I’m trying these to options first. also, i’m not sure about the burping as I am using mason jars. I will keep checking and just release the lid every 6 to 12 hours – not sure. 🙂
Amanda says
Just a quick word to the wise: the beet piece will shrink as the salt from your ferment draws out its liquid, so depending on what’s in your jar and your jar shape, it might not do anything to keep your veggies submerged after a few days.
As I mention here, I use cabbage as a subversive tool, especially pieces with a strong rib. Choose your leafy greens carefully. Many will ferment much more quickly than your vegetables (again, depending on what you’re fermenting) and turn to unpleasant mush. Cabbage is always a good choice.
As for burping, no need! Just loosely attach the jar lid, set it over a plate, and let it be.
Good luck!
Achin says
Does the cabbage leaf need to submerged? Or just lay on top?
Amanda says
I’ve done it both ways. Ideally, it’s also submerged, but one more than one occasion, I’ve had mine pop out of the liquid and it’s been ok. I have seen a couple get moldy, too, so better to submerge it if you can.
Linda says
I am going to try boiling stones, I collect them from the ocean and I also have river stones. I will make sure to stay away from limestone and any rocks that have any remnants of barnacles.
Dana says
Hi all. I usually just use a smaller jar that nests inside the mouth of the larger, but I have so many ferments on the go right now that I’m in a bit of a… wait for it… pickkle. So I used the disc part of a new canning lid (rubberized side down) and weighed it down with a smaller jar. My thinking was that the materials were designed to be in contact with acidic foods, so it should be safe, but would love to hear others’ thoughts!
Carmen says
What about using something like an avocado seed on top of the cabbage leaf to put help the lid press everything down under the brine? I typically use a shot glass but I’m running out of them. I’ve also used the lemon peel after juicing lemons and them the peel dry (of course, this will make your ferment taste lemony, which might be ok in some cases and not ok in others). I wonder if the avocado seed might have enzymes that might disrupt the fermentation process or if it might make the ferment taste bitter. I don’t think they would sprout because of the salt, would they?
Helen says
Would it be ok to use a cauliflower leaf? I want to ferment some cauliflower, but I don’t have any good submersion devices except for the leaves around my cauliflower, which I thought I could use in place of a cabbage leaf.
Amanda says
Absolutely! Cauliflower leaves are great “shelves” with the strong ribs!
Karen says
I had pre-shredded cabbage to ferment so no leaves to put on top. I used a coffee filter to keep the sheds from floating up and have the crock weights over the coffee filter in my water seal crock. Will the filter be ok to use? Sure hope so since I have 10 lbs of cabbage in there!
Angela says
I’ve been using a cabbage leaf weighted down by a smaller mason jar. The problem I have though is that little pieces of cabbage escape the sides of the cabbage leaf so the top of those pieces could be exposed to air. Or they cling to the glass sides above the brine line. Should I just give the thing a little shake everyday to keep those pieces moist? I’ve never been able to keep ALL food submerged all the time. I ruined two big batches of beautiful organic cabbage from those little pieces getting mould 🙁 Any advice would be awesome!!
Amanda says
My best advice is not to sweat it. You can break off pieces of cabbage that protrude above the liquid line, tuck the cabbage piece ends under, tuck them beneath the jar “shoulders,” or not stress if they get a few dots of Kahm on them. I would personally not ditch a batch because of that if the kraut below smelled and looked good. The point of the cabbage leaf is to take a hit if anything gets exposed to the air. I wouldn’t worry. It sounds like everything is working as it should!
Harry says
Bricks, rocks, marbles, plates, jars, etc, etc, etc… I have a 2 gallon crock from the farm, and I have never fermented … cabbage (other drinkable things, yes but not cabbage). So I cut up a food grade bucket lid which I will use to hold the floaters down, but how much weight should be necessary to hold this down? 4 OZ,s, 8 OZs, 12 OZs? 22 CU FT per sq inch? That may be excessive ;), 2 qts of water in a gallon freezer bag? LOL
I mean What can be expected? Is it just the escaping CO2 that may occasionally burp up and leave a ridge and a light rock to push it back down until it burps away?
Amanda says
Hi Harry, I’ve never weighed my weights (outside of cheesemaking), so I can’t say exactly how much, but for veg fermentation, what you want is to see the liquid level above the veggie level. That tells you it’s enough!
April says
I’m making a fermented cough syrup with aronia berry juice, raw honey, garlic and ginger. I tried fermentation weights which are now at the bottom of my jars., I tried the plastic bag with liquid in it which wasn’t much success. I’m using the pickle pipes but as far as keeping things submerged I resorted to the natural, non bleach, no chlorine, etc coffee filters until I can figure something out. Most are in half gallon jars and 2 smaller jars. Will these affect my ferments which should only take about 2-3 weeks?
Amanda says
Weights don’t work on ferments that are mostly liquid. The easiest thing to do in my experience (what I do with kvass) is to give the jar a shake on a daily basis (or more frequently if you think of it). That disrupts the surface and keep Kahm from forming. It’s a mechanical solution to a biological issue. Another one of those comes from my friend Carly of Food and Ferments. She fills hers all the way to the top, so that the surface of the liquid is in contact with the lid. If you’re using a metal lid, this needs to be a short ferment (the acidification of the liquid will cause corrosion). Plastic or glass lids are good options. Don’t do this in a fido or le parfait jar. That way lies ferment sprinklers.
Dawn says
My sister and I just did a large batch of fermented cabbage and 12 jars of cranberry chutney. I used cabbage leaves and she used beautiful glass weights. I ordered some on the spot,they will be here in 2 days.
Question: in two days can I open my ferment jars and pop in a sterilized glass weight?
Amanda says
Hi Dawn,
You can! You don’t want to open your jars constantly because that’s just more air exposure than you probably want, but you’re definitely going to need to crack the jars to let the CO2 escape during fermentation. Opening them once is in no way a problem. Enjoy your kraut!
Patricia says
Hi Amanda, Thank you for all the information, I didn’t know of all the different ways to keep the pickles submerged.
I like the idea of the little cloth bag. Do you think it would be ok to use dry beens instead of the ceramic pie weights?
Thank you!
Patricia
Amanda says
I think it’s a great idea, but I wouldn’t! The dry beans will absorb liquid they come into contact with. That will lower your liquid level and potentially lead to a pile of moldy beans on top of your ferment. I like the way you think, though!
Amanda
Nacrystal says
This is a quite useful blog, thank you.