Well-sanitized jars are so important for safe fermentation. Here’s how to ferment safely with properly sanitized jars.
We love our ferments around here. We are big fans of the awesome health benefits and delicious flavor that fermented food and drinks offer. Fermented foods can be easily and safely made at home– it just takes the right equipment and some smarts to make it happen well and safely. Learn how to sanitize jars for fermentation projects in this helpful post!
Fermentation is both an art and a science, one that allows food to spoil or rot under controlled circumstances. This means there is a delicate balance of good and bad bacterias at play, and as much as possible you want to give the good guys a chance to thrive. Ensuring that your fermentation equipment is sanitized prior to use is the best way to ensure that the good bugs are off to a great start in your project.
Need Some Fermentation Inspiration?
- Homemade Kim Chi
- Homemade Sauerkraut
- Homemade Coconut Milk Yogurt
- Homemade Water Kefir
- Homemade Kombucha
An Important Note About Jar Selection
Always choose jars that are meant for canning or preserving. Mason jars like Ball jars (seen above and right), Kerr jars and other brands are made to be boiled in water for canning and thus can withstand the heat safely. DO NOT use recycled pasta sauce jars or similar: these are fine for storing food, but are of dubious quality glass and may shatter when boiled.
Invest in some quality jars: you can find them at your local health food store, hardware store, big box stores and online. They are cheap, interchangeable, and very handy to have around the house beyond fermented fun! The lids are usually two-part lids, which are annoying to organize, but are helpful if you areactually canning peachesor jam. Choose the wide mouth jars to make everything from cleaning to packing the jars easier. When we do ferments, we use the very largeBall half-gallon jars,but you can start with the quart-size and move up once you become a kraut addict!
How to Ferment Safely With Sterilized Jars
- 将你的罐子放入一个大汤锅中,用水盖上(至少盖上一英寸)。
- Bring to a boil and let simmer for five minutes at a low, rolling boil.
- Add lids and covers into hot water and let sit until ready to fill with veggies. Do not let lids boil– it will activate the sticky sealant that is used for proper canning of fruits and veggies.
- Remove carefully using tongs and place onto towels (cold countertops can shock the jars and break them). Let cool slightly then proceed with recipe.
- If your jars do not fit into a stockpot, warm the glass under hot tap water. Place jars in sink and carefully fill until overflowing with boiling hot water, ensuring that boiling water covers the inside and outside rim of the jar. Let stand for five minutes, then drain water (carefully!).
Some Other Notes
- Always sanitize a few extra jars just in case your kraut doesn’t fit into the expected sizes. It’s much better to have a few jars ready to go then to have to go back and start the sanitizing process over when you’re already elbow-deep in cabbage.
- 开始前要消毒:不要在发酵的晚上早上消毒。Dust, germs, kitty hair and other airborne miscellanea can get into the jars and make the jars dirty again
- 不要太担心细菌:我们的目标不是让我们的生活完全消毒,而是确保我们的发酵有一个良好的开端。我不清洗我的碗、餐具或砧板。这些罐子需要消毒,因为发酵会在那里停留一周或更长时间,环境需要尽可能干净。唯一变质的发酵物(你会知道什么时候变质了!)就是我不小心消毒的时候。如果你打算把所有的卷心菜都切碎,那么有一个好的开始是值得的!
好运!有任何问题-在评论中分享吧!
Image Credit: Fermenting photo viaShutterstock; republished with permission fromVibrant Wellness Journal
Hollysays
我烤罐子很容易,我把烤箱调到220度,水开到212度,烤的时间和我煮的时间一样长。I preheat the oven I put the rim part of the lid in the oven and use pot on the stove for the center of the lids No hot steam kitchen
Shannonsays
Thank you, I am going to ferment for the 1st time today!
Tamisays
I’m new to fermenting. I just tried some brussel sprouts following the recipe I found online. After sitting for two weeks, I removed the lid to test them and found that there was no longer any brine covering the top of the vegetables. There is no mold and the sprouts still have a crunch to them; not mushy at all. But without the brine covering them, are they still safe? Should I add more brine?