Gardening, canning, pickling and everything related
-
Ron & Glen, Thank you for that information, I really appreciate it. When you say airlock lid, is that a special lid or something that releases air, but lets no new air in or is it just a regular mason jar lid/ring? Have you ever tried making Bavarian style Kraut with the seeds? The Garlic sounds real good as well as a little carrot.
calldoctoday I have used both of these, no preference but the burp inserts are easier but only used them twice


-
Thanks for the info!
-
I just recently noticed the air lock lids for mason jars when i was trying to buy elusive canning lids(cant buy them anywhere around here,had to order them and no longer have a right arm).There has been many times i have ran out of kraut and i like the idea of making a small batch to get buy between large crock batches.think i will give it a try.
RON PARRISH See if you can find a crock made for fermenting the kraut. They are a good width, and they have a lip you can fill with water for an airlock. I have a 5 liter one that holds around 3 large to huge heads of cabbage, shredded and pounded in with salt. That gets me around 6-7 quarts of finished sauerkraut, and that’s plenty to hold me for a while.
When I started making sauerkraut, I originally used a large rolling pin (without handles) for pounding and shredded just with a knife, but I realized I was making enough of it to justify getting a real stomper and shredder. That made life a good deal better.
I use 2% salt. After coring and shredding the heads, I weigh in grams and just multiply that by 0.02. That’s how much salt to use. Easy peasy. Use salt that is NOT iodized (kosher works just fine).
Just put in a handful or two of the shredded cabbage, a healthy sprinkle of the salt (and seeds–see below) and give it a bit of a pounding. Repeat. After just a little while, the salt will draw out liquid from the cabbage. Before you know it, you’re mixing as much as “pounding.” Just keep that up, tamping the cabbage down, until you only have about 1-2 inches of head space. You need room for the weights. No matter how well you weigh it down, the cabbage will come up some as it ferments and liquid will bubble up. I also find it useful to cover the top of the shredded cabbage with a large leaf or two from the outside of the head. That keeps the small shreds from getting out of hand.
If you get it too full, you’re liable to have a bit of a mess, so put the crock somewhere you don’t mind getting some funky salt water. I actually find it useful to gently tamp it back down every day or two for the first week or so. It tends to calm down after that.
Let it ferment as long as you like. Some like it as little as 2 weeks. Others (like me) like it to ferment for 6 or 7 weeks. You can taste it along the way to find out. When it’s done, I pack it in quart mason jars or large Fido jars. Rather than canning, I prefer to refrigerate it (but I have a lot of refrigerator space from years of brewing).
I do like adding some sort of seed. My favorite is straight caraway, but I’ve also mixed in some dill and even a little fennel to really mix things up. A healthy pinch (or few) of red pepper flakes also is fun. Play around as you like or not at all.
-
I am using a 5 gallon crock now that has been in family for 3 generations . My process matches yours but the idea of seeds and pepper flakes interests me. I will give it a try for sure! Thanks!
-
Canned up some pizza sauce and chili base this weekend.

-
I pickled some eggs a few weeks ago. They came out pretty darn good. Nothing like sitting on the porch with these and a cold beer.
50/50 water to apple cider vinegar mix
per Jar:
1/2 tsp tumeric powder
3 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

-
I pickled some eggs a few weeks ago. They came out pretty darn good. Nothing like sitting on the porch with these and a cold beer.
50/50 water to apple cider vinegar mix
per Jar:
1/2 tsp tumeric powder
3 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

lkrfletcher I have heard of these all my life (which is a long time). Think I’ll have to try a batch. How long will they store in a refrigerator?
-
Chef, we used to do a lot of these as we had a few chickens that produced more eggs back then than we could possibly eat or give away. That was before our sons became teenagers (they are grown now) & started this thing about eating 4-5 eggs a day, every day. I never tried the Tumeric with them though, although that sounds interesting. We understood that they could survive several months in the refrigerator & gave many jars away that may have experienced that. However, we went through them pretty quickly & they were great in potato salads too.
-
I pickled some eggs a few weeks ago. They came out pretty darn good. Nothing like sitting on the porch with these and a cold beer.
50/50 water to apple cider vinegar mix
per Jar:
1/2 tsp tumeric powder
3 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

lkrfletcher Chef I worked up this recipe years ago. They don’t last long when I make them. Large and jumbo eggs will work, but the medium eggs pickle more quickly and have more of the flavor. Medium eggs also are a better snack size, and a dozen fit nearly perfectly in a quart-sized, wide mouth Mason jar.
Gochujang Pickled Eggs
12 medium eggs
¾ cup water
1 ¼ cups white vinegar
2 tsp salt
¼ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp mustard seed
½ tsp turmeric
2 tbsp gochujang (Korean chili paste)
2 half-dollar sized slices ginger, julienned
Thinly sliced onion to taste
¼ tsp dill seed
½ tsp dry mustard
¼ tsp black pepper
Pinch of dry oregano-
Boil eggs—place in pot and cover with water; bring to boil; cut fire, cover, and remove from heat; after 10 minutes, cool under running cold water (and make ice bath); remove shells. Place eggs in large jar (1 dozen medium eggs fits perfectly in a 1-quart, wide mouth mason jar) or other container of choice.
-
Add remaining ingredients to saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring frequently until salt is dissolved. Simmer for 5-7 minutes. Pour over eggs in jar.
-
Close jar and refrigerate for at least 4 days (2 weeks is better).
-
-
I was doing some research on pickled eggs and came across this link which has several recipes for pickled eggs. Pickled Eggs
-
lkrfletcher Chef I worked up this recipe years ago. They don’t last long when I make them. Large and jumbo eggs will work, but the medium eggs pickle more quickly and have more of the flavor. Medium eggs also are a better snack size, and a dozen fit nearly perfectly in a quart-sized, wide mouth Mason jar.
Gochujang Pickled Eggs
12 medium eggs
¾ cup water
1 ¼ cups white vinegar
2 tsp salt
¼ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp mustard seed
½ tsp turmeric
2 tbsp gochujang (Korean chili paste)
2 half-dollar sized slices ginger, julienned
Thinly sliced onion to taste
¼ tsp dill seed
½ tsp dry mustard
¼ tsp black pepper
Pinch of dry oregano-
Boil eggs—place in pot and cover with water; bring to boil; cut fire, cover, and remove from heat; after 10 minutes, cool under running cold water (and make ice bath); remove shells. Place eggs in large jar (1 dozen medium eggs fits perfectly in a 1-quart, wide mouth mason jar) or other container of choice.
-
Add remaining ingredients to saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring frequently until salt is dissolved. Simmer for 5-7 minutes. Pour over eggs in jar.
-
Close jar and refrigerate for at least 4 days (2 weeks is better).
-
-
lkrfletcher I have heard of these all my life (which is a long time). Think I’ll have to try a batch. How long will they store in a refrigerator?
TexLaw lkrfletcher Tex_77 Just a very easy tip to peel boiled eggs, leave them out with egg carton open overnight under a fan. Best to use eggs that are at least a week old. Farm fresh eggs are nearly impossible to peel. The eggshell is porous and will evaporate a little water, enough to leave a thin air pocket between the shell membrane and the egg white. Cool then enough to handle them, crack the shell and the shell should just come off. Have done hundreds of dozens for catering this way and it has never failed. I never “Boil the egg”, just bring the water to boil and then turn off the heat. 12 to 13 Minutes for large and and 15 to 16 minutes for XL. Vinegar in the water does nothing for the peeling, just hardens the egg white as it seeps out.
-
TexLaw lkrfletcher Tex_77 Just a very easy tip to peel boiled eggs, leave them out with egg carton open overnight under a fan. Best to use eggs that are at least a week old. Farm fresh eggs are nearly impossible to peel. The eggshell is porous and will evaporate a little water, enough to leave a thin air pocket between the shell membrane and the egg white. Cool then enough to handle them, crack the shell and the shell should just come off. Have done hundreds of dozens for catering this way and it has never failed. I never “Boil the egg”, just bring the water to boil and then turn off the heat. 12 to 13 Minutes for large and and 15 to 16 minutes for XL. Vinegar in the water does nothing for the peeling, just hardens the egg white as it seeps out.
Chef Sounds like a great tip. Do you give them an ice water bath before fanning?
I have had great peeling outcomes using a pressure cooker -
lkrfletcher I have heard of these all my life (which is a long time). Think I’ll have to try a batch. How long will they store in a refrigerator?
Chef maybe 2-3 months. But they never last longer than a week. Soooooo good.
-
TexLaw lkrfletcher Tex_77 Just a very easy tip to peel boiled eggs, leave them out with egg carton open overnight under a fan. Best to use eggs that are at least a week old. Farm fresh eggs are nearly impossible to peel. The eggshell is porous and will evaporate a little water, enough to leave a thin air pocket between the shell membrane and the egg white. Cool then enough to handle them, crack the shell and the shell should just come off. Have done hundreds of dozens for catering this way and it has never failed. I never “Boil the egg”, just bring the water to boil and then turn off the heat. 12 to 13 Minutes for large and and 15 to 16 minutes for XL. Vinegar in the water does nothing for the peeling, just hardens the egg white as it seeps out.
Chef I did mine instant pot. Peeled really well.
️ -
lkrfletcher Chef I worked up this recipe years ago. They don’t last long when I make them. Large and jumbo eggs will work, but the medium eggs pickle more quickly and have more of the flavor. Medium eggs also are a better snack size, and a dozen fit nearly perfectly in a quart-sized, wide mouth Mason jar.
Gochujang Pickled Eggs
12 medium eggs
¾ cup water
1 ¼ cups white vinegar
2 tsp salt
¼ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp mustard seed
½ tsp turmeric
2 tbsp gochujang (Korean chili paste)
2 half-dollar sized slices ginger, julienned
Thinly sliced onion to taste
¼ tsp dill seed
½ tsp dry mustard
¼ tsp black pepper
Pinch of dry oregano-
Boil eggs—place in pot and cover with water; bring to boil; cut fire, cover, and remove from heat; after 10 minutes, cool under running cold water (and make ice bath); remove shells. Place eggs in large jar (1 dozen medium eggs fits perfectly in a 1-quart, wide mouth mason jar) or other container of choice.
-
Add remaining ingredients to saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring frequently until salt is dissolved. Simmer for 5-7 minutes. Pour over eggs in jar.
-
Close jar and refrigerate for at least 4 days (2 weeks is better).
TexLaw thank you I will give em a try
-
-
Chef Sounds like a great tip. Do you give them an ice water bath before fanning?
I have had great peeling outcomes using a pressure cookerglen no ice bath. Interested in the pressure cooker. What times and pressures do you use, An interesting way to boil eggs.
-
Since we are talking about pickling, anyone ever done pigs feet?
-
Jonathon Not me, but I’m interested in hearing from anyone who has eaten them. Not on my bucket list as of now…
Hello! It looks like you're interested in this conversation, but you don't have an account yet.
Getting fed up of having to scroll through the same posts each visit? When you register for an account, you'll always come back to exactly where you were before, and choose to be notified of new replies (either via email, or push notification). You'll also be able to save bookmarks and upvote posts to show your appreciation to other community members.
With your input, this post could be even better 💗
Register Login