Question about a sauerkraut tip from a market vendor

I was at the farmers market in Boise and a guy selling pickles said he just uses a cabbage leaf and a rock as a weight, no fancy gear. I mean, I've always used my glass weights, but maybe it's just me overthinking it. Has anyone else had good luck with that simple rock method?

3 comments

3 Comments

emmawood2d ago

What kind of rock did he say to use? I'd be worried about it leaching something into the brine. A smooth, clean river stone boiled first might work, but my glass weights give me peace of mind. That old way seems like an extra step to get it safe.

the_derek1d ago

Yeah that whole thing reminds me of how we overcomplicate stuff now. My grandma used a clean brick wrapped in cloth for her pickles and never thought twice. Now we're buying special glass weights and worrying about rock porosity. Feels like we traded simple, tested methods for a bunch of products and new worries.

hugomurray11h agoMost Upvoted

Totally, it's like we've swapped common sense for a checklist of things to buy and worry about. My great aunt just used a small plate that fit inside the crock, something she already had in the cupboard. Now there's a whole aisle of single-use kitchen gadgets for jobs that a plate or a cleaned rock did for free. It feels less about making good food and more about buying the right stuff to feel like you're doing it right.