Way To "Crock" Vegetables

Way To "Crock" Vegetables FARM HOME Food 27-3-30 "It's a wonderful way to preserve fresh vegetables without the hassle and mess of using conventional earthenware crocks," says Justin Wielenta, Life Mission, Gaines, Penn., about his new "Not-A- Crock" system of fermenting fruit and vegetables. The system keeps vegetables completely sealed at all times during the fermenting process. It consists of a food grade 3 1/2 or 5-gal. plastic pail with an airtight screw top lid; a "breathable" bunge adapter attached to the lid; and a natural granite, acid-resistant stone weight that goes into the pail with whatever you're fermenting. The stone weight is made in two 5-lb. halves, with a finger hole in the middle. To use, you simply place your vegetables along with seasonings in the Not-A-Crock to within about 2 in. of the top of the pail, then place the stone weight and put the lid on, leaving about 1 in. of air space between the stone and lid. Then allow the food to ferment for two weeks. The bunge has a one-way flapper valve on it that will open periodically, allowing any gases that form to exhale. "It has a number of advantages over earthenware crocks," says Wielenta. "Crocks are heavy and inconvenient to use, and every two weeks after the initial fermentation you have to scrape off a top layer of yeast growth. Our unit is completely sealed so no yeast can form. Also, there won't be any loss of liquid due to evaporation. And the pail's contents aren't exposed to the atmosphere so there's no contamination. "The 1 1/8-in. thick stone doesn't take up a lot of space which maximizes the area for vegetables," he notes. Life Mission doesn't "sell" the unit but recommends an $85 donation, plus S&H. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Justin Wielenta, Life Mission, Box 87, Gaines, Penn. 16921 (ph 814 435-6834).

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