FARMcurious Mason Jar Mold Free Fermenting Kit, Grey, 2 Pack

I liked this item so much. . . I purchased a second set! Having said that, there are a few “issues”.First of all, I’m VERY new to fermenting. It can be a bit “confusing” in the beginning. Like with a lot of recipes, some people say do it this way. . . .some people say do it that way. I think you simply have to try different options / recipes and find out what you like best and what works for you. But this “topper” certainly is a GREAT start on your adventure to fermenting.These “toppers” keep the oxygen out, which is a very good thing. Though “toppers” are not required to ferment something, it makes it safer. If oxygen gets to your veggies, then it can cause spoilage.There are very few recipes included. There’s some additional information on their website. But you’re going to have to do some looking around on your own. There are lots of online resources and recipes, as well as lots of books. But in the end. . .for the most part. . . you simply take whatever veggies you want to ferment. . . add a mixture of salt and water. . . and either days. . . or weeks later (all depending upon what you’re fermenting, and your preferences). . . you have delicious fermented veggies. FYI. . . When some people hear the word “fermented’ it doesn’t sound good. But “fermenting” is a form of “pickling”. Most people think of pickles with vinegar, but “fermenting” uses saltwater. FYI: Sauerkraut is a fermented vegetable.But here are the “issues”. . . . You’re going to need a few other things. Having just these “toppers” is not really enough.#1. Wide-Mouth Jars#2. Pickling salt, or other salt that does not contain an anti-caking agent or iodine.#3. Pickling pebbles, also called pickling stones. These are not always required when using a “topper” but they are still a very good idea, so that your veggies are always under the brine. See below link for an option.#4. Pickle Packer – Again, this is not required, depending upon what you’re going to ferment. . . but. . . if you’re going to make sauerkraut or other shredded veggie, then this item really comes in handy. See below for link. Pickle Pebbles PLUS - Glass Fermentation Weights - WIDE MOUTH - 4 Pack Pickle Packer - Sauerkraut Pounder Made From Natural Acacia Wood Purchase together and save a little. . . . Masontops Fermentation Tool Set PLUS - Wide Mouth Glass Fermentation Weights and Vegetable Tamper

I cut up some cayenne chilies from my garden and used 1C water with 1T Kosher salt per the instructions, then weighed the chilies down with a glass weight. Three weeks later nothing had happened and I had salty chilies. Next I tried following the recipe that came with the kit for Sparkly Carrots with Ginger. Again, nothing happened. I'm going to give this one more try with cabbage, then I'm giving up. I have had much better luck using a Mason jar covered with a piece of cloth than I have with these gimmicky airlock things.** UPDATE 11/16/2015 **I was curious how so many people were having success while everything I tried either it failed to ferment or it was so overly salty as to be inedible. I did some research and everything else I found said to use 1% salt by weight. FarmCURIOUS's instructions yields about 3.5% salt by weight. I reduced the salt to 1 teaspooon per cup of water and lo and behold, it worked! My sparkly carrots came out fermented, lightly salty, and delicious. I would recommend blanching carrots first to soften the texture, but this was an acceptable first attempt.Because I was able to finally achieve good results I changed my rating from 1 star to 4 stars. The lids work well and the airlocks keep out mold. If FarmCURIOUS didn't fail so badly with their instructions I would give them 5 stars.

Overall not a bad deal. If you purchase the pieces that make up this set it comes out pretty good. I've made kraut and have a jar of red onions fermenting at this time. The process is simple: just put your veggies in, add the brine, make sure all your material is completely covered by the brine and wait. You may want to experiment with the salt water ratio (something I am nervous to do being a novice). My kraut tasted a bit salty so next time I will use less salt and see what happens. The most difficult task is making sure the vegetables are beneath the brine liquid. This inhibits any mold from forming. The way I've done it thus far is to top off my kraut with a large leaf of cabbage. This leaf will push down on the smaller shreds and keep them below. I've actually eaten the top leaf (out of curiosity) since there was no mold on it; tasted like a big leaf of sour sauerkraut. The system seems to truly inhibit mold since it forces the oxygen out of the jar. For onions I simply used one of the waste ends and used that to top and push the material down. I've tried (with success), placing a small baggy filled with brine on top. This worked fine but is difficult when using a normal jar. With a 1/2 gallon it should work just fine. My next purchase may be the weights that are glass or ceramic. Overall a simple and fun way to introduce yourself to fermentation. You just have to have patience!

I purchased this for my fiancé as a gift. He likes to experiment with different foods, so I thought he'd enjoy giving fermenting a try. It turns out he has some experience with fermenting already. He is really happy with it & says its a neat product, although he feels I paid too much for it - even with the Prime Day discount. I'm also glad he has some experience as I would have felt a bit lost. The company offers additional recipes, but you have to pay for them. Seems as though they charge just a little too much for everything.Also, as others noted, there is a problem with the quality of the packaging. The container it comes in is not sealed. When we opened our Amazon box, the package had opened & all of the parts were strewn around the box. Fortunately we had all the pieces.One more thing, the product photos make you think it comes with the jars, but it's just the lids & gassers.Good luck with your future fermenting!

Non j'ai reçu que le couvercle et j'ai pensé que j'avais acheté un jar. Sur la photo et le titre on a l'impression que c'est un jar avec couvercle.

Ich dachte, das Einmach-Set besteht aus Deckel, Gärrohrchen UND MASON-Jar.Leider sind es aber nur zwei Plastikdeckel und zwei Röhrchen OHNE Glas.Der Preis ist in meinen Augen viel zu hoch. Schade, und ausprobieren konnteich es auch nicht, da ich keine MASON-Jars habe.