What device should I use for pressing/fermenting
I regularly make a Japanese side dish of fermented cabbage that's simply pressed down for a day and salted. I'd just jury rigged something up, but it finally broke so now I'm looking to see if there is an actual device I can buy. I'd like to steer clear of plastics too.
The device needs to apply a good amount of pressure and I'd like to make the pressed cabbage in large amounts, but it doesn't have to be huge (say enough for a single cabbage).
Best Answer
In Asian style ferments where the juices are discarded you can omit the weights completely. My kimchi process looks something like this:
- Salt and massage cabbage in mixing bowl. Let sit for an hour.
- Massage again and let sit for an hour or longer.
- At this point the cabbage has pretty much given up all its juices and is ready to be drained and rinsed.
- Rub the cabbage with your seasonings and stuff into hermetic jars.
A hermetic jar such as this, combined with the steps above provide a consistently vigorous and healthy fermentation, without the cost of the German stuff. http://www.amazon.com/Pieces-Italian-Hermetic-Recycled-Canning/dp/B001QYMMSW
Weights serve a number of purposes, many of which are negated when using a hermetic or airlocked fermenter and pre-sweating your vegetables.
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Answer 2
I use a square cambro container filled with product. Then insert another cambro container on top filled with water or other weights. This keeps your product submerged in brine or weighted down.
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