Many people have a love-hate relationship with ceramic fermentation crock weights. Their heft and shape is great for providing substantial, full-coverage submersion of fermenting foods. However, the unglazed nature of the weights can cause issues like lingering smells and even mold if not properly cleaned.
Most ceramic fermentation crock weights are unglazed, so special care must be taken to keep them in tip-top shape. Here are our recommendations for restoring your weights to their original condition, if you have experienced problems, and keeping them that way!
BOIL YOUR WEIGHTS AFTER EACH USE
The best way to keep your ceramic fermentation crock weights pristine is to boil them after every use. This will kill any bacteria lingering on the surface of your weights and eradicate them of any smells from previous ferments.
Simply bring a large stock pot (like this one) of water to a boil, insert the weights gently, and allow them to sit for 10 to 20 minutes. Make sure the weights are not touching during the boil and move them around periodically so that all surfaces are able to be cleaned thoroughly.
After particularly smelly fermentation batches (think Kimchi!) vinegar can be added to mix to make a 50/50 solution. Soak the weights in the water and vinegar solution at room temperature for 30 to 60 minutes, then proceed with boiling for the recommended time.
MAKE SURE THEY’RE 100% DRY!
It’s very important that you make sure your weights are completely dry before storing them. We recommend leaving them out to dry completely for 24 hours before putting them away.
If you do not have that kind of time or patience, you can bake your weights to cut down on drying time. Preheat the oven to 400 Degrees Fahrenheit during the boiling process. When the weights are finished boiling, transfer them to the preheated oven and lay them directly on the rack. Turn the oven off and let the weights cool down at the same pace as the oven.
Once the ceramic weights are completely cool, you can move them to wherever they will be stored until the next use.
SEPARATE YOUR WEIGHTS FOR STORAGE
To ensure your ceramic fermentation crock weights are still as clean when you need them again as they were when you put them away, a few precautions need to be taken.
Always store your weights separated, not touching. This means no stacking them or shoving them in a dark corner of the cupboard behind a bunch of other things. Try to keep them somewhere with air circulation as opposed to in a plastic bag or inside the crock itself.
WHEN THAT’S STILL NOT ENOUGH…
Sometimes mold has already taken over your ceramic fermentation crock weights and a little elbow grease is required to get them back in working order. Run the weights under hot water and simultaneously scrub off any surface mold with a mild brush, like a new toothbrush. Once that has been completed, proceed with the standard protocol of soaking, boiling and baking.
As for getting rid of especially stubborn odors that withstand boiling, baking, and vinegar washes, a baking soda solution soak is highly effective. To do this, mix 1 tablespoon of baking soda per cup of water and pour over the weights in a shallow baking dish (like this one) until they are completely covered.
They can remain in this mixture for as long as you feel necessary, but an hour or so should be fine, followed by a thorough scrubbing. We recommend rinsing in a water and vinegar solution afterwards and scrubbing off any remaining baking soda particles before storing.
DO YOU HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR SUGGESTIONS? LEAVE THEM IN THE COMMENTS!
Started my first ever batch of sauerkraut. When checking daily and tasting I am tasting soap? Not sure why?
Hi Corinne,
The first thing that comes to mind is if there was ANY leftover Soap on the vessel or the cabbage. For example, if the cabbage was not thoroughly washed and rinsed – it could definitely still have a soapy taste.
Another explanation could just be the Pectin content of the cabbage. Pectin is a protein in plant walls and usually results in “foaming” during fermentation. This could be that “soapy” taste. We would recommend keeping an eye on it, continually scraping any foam off the top, and seeing how it turns out. After fermentation, if it still tastes off -cabbage is very cost effective and it is better to be safe than unwell.
Hope this helps. Let us know if you have any other questions.
Happy Fermenting,
The Humble House Team
Hi, started my 1st batch of sauerkraut, I went on vacation….opened it after a month(?) blue, black mold on the weights and the top of the kraut. I tossed it to my compost, however, the bottom section looked okay, but I was afraid to sample it. What do you think? Also, I threw bleach on the weights, then I read how to clean the weights…..so they are now soaking in hot water (no bleach) and will follow the directions of boiling the weights.
Hi Mary,
If your sauerkraut has heavy mold growth, we suggest throwing the entire batch out. Mold grows tiny tendrils that can go very deep into your food without being visible to the eye so it’s possible and even likely that the entire batch is compromised even if you cannot see it and it’s not worth chancing getting sick!
When mold appears on your fermenting food, it’s a sign that unwanted oxygen is getting into your fermenting environment as mold loves oxygen and needs it to grow. Our guess is that while you were on vacation, the water in the channel dried up. Either that, or there was not enough brine to keep your fermenting foods fully submerged throughout the lacto-fermentation process. This can happen if the cabbage you use is dry to start and is common when cabbage is out of season. You can remedy this by soaking your cabbage leaves in saltwater overnight prior to preparing the cabbage for fermentation.
Happy Fermenting!
The Humble House Team
Is it ok to have the ceramic weights glazed. I have a friend who glazes his pottery and wonder if I could just have him glaze the weights? Why do the weights not come glazed?
Do I keep the water boiling for the 20 minutes the stones are sitting in the water
Hi Danna,
Yes – you can keep the water boiling while the stones are in the pot! That is what we recommend.
The Humble House Team
Can you make a smaller batch of fermented food in a larger crock, or does the crock need to be completely filled
My Answer to this would be as long as the cabbage is covered with liquid so air or “Oxygen” doesn’t reach the product ,you shouldn’t have a problem . I have fermented Napa cabbage in mason jars before and used special tops with water seals so gases can escape but nothing can enter and now I have a crock from Humble House and I have just entered the 4th day in the Crock and the water level along with some fermented cabbage is floating above the weights but the authentic taste is still there with no visible signs of any type of problem ! There are sites on you tube you can google and get some good info !
Killing kahm yeast on my weights? And crock?thx