Fermentools {Review}

Disclaimer: I received a FREE copy of this product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.

We made sauerkraut for the first time with the Starter Kit from Fermentools!

Fermentools is a family business with the goal of helping everyone find success in the world of fermenting.

David’s grandpa has told stories about how his family would make sauerkraut by shredding cabbage into a giant crock, filling the crock with water, adding 5 pounds of salt, setting a board on top, and then setting a rock on it to keep in place. Then they’d let it sit for months. That way they would have all their sauerkraut for the winter.

(As a decidedly German family, apparently they required a lot of sauerkraut to get through the winter.)

David’s always been interested in connecting with this family tradition of fermenting cabbage, but I’ve always been hesitant to try. After all, “cover it with a board and a rock and let it sit for months” doesn’t sound super food-safe.

Fermenting is intimidating. And there are so many sources of information, it’s hard to know where to turn.

However, there’s a growing awareness of how important fermented foods are for guy health, so there must be *something* to this tradition. When offered the opportunity to review the Fermentools Starter Kit, I told David that this was his chance.

Here’s what’s included in the Starter Kit from Fermentools.

The Kit is designed to turn any wide-mouth mason jar and ring into a fermenting system, which is an awesome way to dip a toe into fermenting. I didn’t want to invest in a 30 gallon crock and and 150 pounds (!!!) of cabbage for something I wasn’t sure would work.

The directions were easy to follow and simply laid out. We chose to use the beginner’s sauerkraut recipe included in the kit, though the kit can be used with a whole host of recipes.

Elle got in on the action. Here she is shredding cabbage:

And here’s the final setup. Instead of the rock, the kit includes a perfectly sized glass weight to keep the vegetables submerged. I don’t want to knock the old board and rock setup, but the glass weight is pretty cool.

With that setup, we didn’t have to burp the jar or air it or whatever. David just hid it away in a cool dark place for a week.

Guys, it worked!

I tried sauerkraut once many years ago, and that was enough. But for the sake of the review, I agreed to try it again.

It was like the book Green Eggs and Ham– I’ve spent years saying that I don’t like sauerkraut, but I could actually see myself topping a bratwurst with his final product! It was sweet and sour with a little crunch.

Turns out I don’t dislike sauerkraut, I dislike the overly-processed canned stuff I tried years ago.

As a connoisseur of saurkraut, David was very pleased with the final product, too.

If you’re trying a garden for the first time, if you’re worried about the supply chain disruptions in the food industry, or if you think you don’t like fermented foods, this kit is for you. I do not get a commission, we just really liked the kit and want everyone to get in on the probiotic benefits!

And maybe it’s a little early to start thinking about Christmas, but this kit seems like it could be a great gift for all sorts of hard-to-shop-for people.

Are you in? Use the code Crew2020 for 15% off from now until June 30th at Fermentools.

But don’t take my word for it. Read more reviews!