crock users

[sissy]

Been checking out crocks for sour pickles & or kraut making. Don't know anything about crocks & was wondering what your opinions are. I came across this one (the 4.6 gal. one) http://www.texastastes.com/p277a.htm
Would this one be good & is it a good price? Thanks for any info.
sissy

[Mom5farmboys]

Sissy, Just wanted to let you know this link takes you to a PH tester.

[sissy]

Thanks mom5farmboys,
Trying to multi task, not one of my best traits :o
sissy

[Anon001]

The link took me to the "kraut kutters".

Crocks are nice to have. I have several ranging from 3 gallon to 25 gallon. All of them are in excellent condition and are Red Wing.

The old crocks can be really high priced if they are a name brand. I had bought 8 of the ones ranging in size from 3 to 25 gallons. I had 2-25 gallon and 2-20 gallon that I sold, but only because I still had one more of each. I bought them all for $100. About a year ago, I saw one 5 gallon (not a Red Wing) sell for over $200 at a farm sale.

The prices at this link (http://www.texastastes.com/p219.htm) are probably a fair price, except I don't know anything about the quality.

Just a tidbit... my grandmother use to sharpen her kitchen knives on the edge of her crocks.

Paul

[sissy]

Thanks Paul, I'm looking for one that is affordable right now. One of the red wing would be nice, but maybe later The link took me to the "kraut kutters". the ones I was looking at are further down the page at that link.Thanks again
sissy

[MIKENSUE]

well, we got a couple of 10 gallon ones here that we acquired somehow, an have been looking for the old style crock dill pickle recipie. Anyone have one of those? I remember going to the basement in grammas house, pushing the mold aside to get one of those heavenly, salty, garlicy dill monsters that she made. I think that recipie died with her.
Like you said though Paul, I remember gramma sharpening her knives on them. She had this really little bitty butter crock that was her sharpener. It had a little chip on the rim and she said the chipped part gave her a better edge than the smooth part.
Sue

[sissy]

Ya, hubby wants sour pickles & I want to try krout.
sissy

[mozarkian]

well, we got a couple of 10 gallon ones here that we acquired somehow, an have been looking for the old style crock dill pickle recipie. Anyone have one of those? I remember going to the basement in grammas house, pushing the mold aside to get one of those heavenly, salty, garlicy dill monsters that she made. I think that recipie died with her.
Like you said though Paul, I remember gramma sharpening her knives on them. She had this really little bitty butter crock that was her sharpener. It had a little chip on the rim and she said the chipped part gave her a better edge than the smooth part.
Sue

Sue- this is from Jackie Clay's column- we just jarred our first crock of these and they are wonderful! We just put another batch in- they have to set in the brine for weeks and be checked each day, but they are good. moz

Recipe excerpted from "Ask Jackie" Issue 109

What you are referring to is brined dill pickles. But even these have
vinegar; just not as much. To make brined dill pickles, you’ll need
(roughly):
10 pounds 4 to 6-inch cucumbers
6-8 bunches fresh dill
1-1/2 cups canning salt
2 cups vinegar
2 gallons water
6 cloves garlic (optional)
Wash and drain cucumbers. Remove blossom end; leave 1/4 inch of
stem. Place a layer of dill in a clean crock. Add cucumbers to within 4
inches of the top. Combine salt, vinegar, and water; use pickling salt.
Ladle over cucumbers. Place another layer of dill over the top and
garlic, if desired. Weight cucumbers under the brine with a plate and a
clean weight.
Store container in a cool place. Let cucumbers ferment until wellflavored
and clear throughout. Check periodically for scum. If it forms,
skim as necessary. Keep the pickles under the brine. You can can the
pickles in about 3 weeks. These pickles will usually keep in the crock
until they are eaten. But if they are allowed exposure to the air, they
will rot. So most folks go ahead and can them up. To do this, remove
the pickles from the brine. Strain the brine and bring it to a boil in a
large kettle. Pack the pickles into hot jars, leaving 1/2 inch of
headroom. Ladle hot liquid over pickles, leaving 1/2 inch of headroom.
Process in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes. — Jackie

[MIKENSUE]

THANK YOU VERY MUCH!!! I am going to try these!
Sue

[mozarkian]

THANK YOU VERY MUCH!!! I am going to try these!
Sue

Hope you like em, (and we made ours in a big 3 gallon glass jar, cause the big crock has sourkraut in it). moz

[NotSoFast]

The link took me to the "kraut kutters".

Crocks are nice to have. I have several ranging from 3 gallon to 25 gallon. All of them are in excellent condition and are Red Wing.

The old crocks can be really high priced if they are a name brand. I had bought 8 of the ones ranging in size from 3 to 25 gallons. I had 2-25 gallon and 2-20 gallon that I sold, but only because I still had one more of each. I bought them all for $100. About a year ago, I saw one 5 gallon (not a Red Wing) sell for over $200 at a farm sale.

The prices at this link (http://www.texastastes.com/p219.htm) are probably a fair price, except I don't know anything about the quality.

Just a tidbit... my grandmother use to sharpen her kitchen knives on the edge of her crocks.

Paul
What do you think of Ohio Stoneware? (LINK (http://www.amazon.com/Ohio-Stoneware-Fashion-Crock-Gallon/dp/B002P4RISG)) The prices you show are lower but I've seen a lot of this brand around.

[sbemt456]

Sissy lol you are a better woman than me hunny if you want a crock that big. I have one of the 10L (about 2 1/2 gal) fermentation crocks. When it is full that thing is heavy and all I can do to pick it up. So do keep this in mind.
Im not a crock expert by any means but there is a little bit of difference in crocks and fermentation crocks. The fermentation crocks have a lip or valley of sorts around the top where the lid sits down in it. This is meant to be kept full of water to create a water lock so the outside air does not get into the food inside. When properly seated and fermentation starts the crock will "burp" ever so often. When I made my kraut this year, I packed the cabbage in the crock and set it in the cellar and literally forgot about it for about a month. It was low on water in the rim but I still had very very little mold on the kraut, maybe a tablespoon. I had intended to leave the kraut in the crock but with the bit of mold took it out and vacuum sealed it in jars.
I also have many of the old crocks that belonged to my grandmother but I dont use those for food. Most of the old crocks, if they dont get steady use, will develope hairline cracks in the glaze and will seep liquid out. This seeping will cause rapid deteriation of the crock and is one of the big causes of breakage. This is why we bought the new fermentation crock.
The fermentation crock is like the All American canner, they are a once in a lifetime investment if you take good care of them.

http://www.wisementrading.com/foodpreserving/harsch_crocks.htm

This is the type of crock that I have and I think this is the same place I ordered from. Also they do come with the food weights.
Hope this helps some.

Have a great day!

stella

[bookwormom]

sharpening knives on crockery must be international. You can turn a piece, bowl, cup, sugar bowl, upside down and do it on the unglazed bottom rim, too.
If I was short on cash I would go for the kind of bucket used in beer making. I like the crocks with the water rim and lid that fits inside and makes a seal. It pays to buy quality. Last year one of my crocks just sprang a crack. I was filling in kraut, it made a ping sound and there was a crack running up the side. Don't tell me I was too forceful in packing it in, how could I, I have a heck of a time opening a jar.

[bookwormom]

stella. you are so right about the old crocks. Bacteria settle in those litte cracks, too. Unless you have some really good ones. My mother actually had some made of wood, straight edged and with metal rims like a barrel. Fermentation is what takes place in all of them, no matter what kind of lid. I like the idea of the wood ones. Have not seen one since my childhood. I wonder what happened to mother's wooden 'crocks'. She had two, one for cabbage, one for turnips. They were tight, some wood kills germs, and when one falls over or something, it does not break. Dad had made lids that looked a bit like those outhouse hole lids. We always left the kraut in the crock. towards the end of winter, once in a while mother would add a shot of something potent to the top liquid, like brandy.

[DM]

I've made a LOT of kraut in a food grade plastic pail... It taste the same as when i make it in a crock...

DM

[Mom5farmboys]

stella. you are so right about the old crocks. Bacteria settle in those litte cracks, too. Unless you have some really good ones. My mother actually had some made of wood, straight edged and with metal rims like a barrel. Fermentation is what takes place in all of them, no matter what kind of lid. I like the idea of the wood ones. Have not seen one since my childhood. I wonder what happened to mother's wooden 'crocks'. She had two, one for cabbage, one for turnips. They were tight, some wood kills germs, and when one falls over or something, it does not break. Dad had made lids that looked a bit like those outhouse hole lids. We always left the kraut in the crock. towards the end of winter, once in a while mother would add a shot of something potent to the top liquid, like brandy.

Someone told me once that in those old crocks they used lead in the glazing, and once they get those little cracks in them and they are used for food that lead can leach into whatever the contents of the crock are.

[bookwormom]

You got a point there.

[sissy]

Thank you all so much for all the info, links, & recipe.
DM, I have the food grade buckets, But I am afraid the slime would gross me out the first time making kraut.:eek:
Stella, thank you so much for making me see the light.:) I did not even think about it being heavy. :o I'm not as young as I use to be. :sad: So I am going to get a smaller on. I am going to get the fermenting crock. (10 liter) I found one at Lehman's for $85.95 + 25 shipping (maybe). I also like that glass gal jar they have at the link you supplied. I may get one of those first & try it.
Thanks again so much ya'll
sissy

[DM]

DM, I have the food grade buckets, But I am afraid the slime would gross me out the first time making kraut.:eek:

sissy

What slime???

DM

[sissy]

Maybe I was wrong, :o I thought that you had to scoop the scum or what ever off the top of the brine every so often. I have never made Kraut or fermented pickles, so I may be confused.:o I guess I will learn though.
sissy

[DM]

The way i make kraut it only take 6 to 7 days from start to finish, and not much of anything builds up on top of the cloth. What little there is, can easily be taken off with a big spoon, and it's really not a slime...

DM

[sissy]

DM, thanks for clearing that up for me. That is good to know. Would you care to share your recipe?
Thank you again,
sissy

[DM]

DM, thanks for clearing that up for me. That is good to know. Would you care to share your recipe?
Thank you again,
sissy

I would if i could, but i have no recipe, i started makeing it as a kid with my dad, over 40 years ago. I have to taste the juice as i make it, to get it where it needs to be, and that's impossible for me to write down...

BTW, my dad learned to make it from his mother, and she learned in the old country... My dad did change it a bit over the early years, as it was pretty plain origionally, as most kraut is.

DM

[sissy]

Thanks DM, I know what you mean, there is a couple of things I fix that I have to show my nieces because there is no exact measurements for it. That's great that it is something that is handed down like that. My mom had me help her make green apple jelly one time. That is one of my best memories, that & when she tought me to make gravy. Thanks for memory lane.
sissy