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Many months ago I was asked by a local friend and farmer to make a German fermentation crock. I had no idea what she was talking about. She started describing a large gallon-sized crock with a moat around the top for water to make a seal that would keep out the mold and bacteria. She sent me some pictures to clarify my fuzzy understanding. It wasn't entirely clear to me how I would make this work, so it went on the back burner. The holidays came and went, personal grief entered my life, and I wasn't in the studio much. As I was getting back to work after all of this, I had a second person ask me to make one. I gave it some more thought, and the solution finally hit me. I'm not sure why it took so long, but it did and I've finally taken on both commissions. I made the moat separately and adhered it to the top of the large crock with some coils once it was leather-hard. I am very pleased with the final result. Considering they are made in three pieces, you have to add a knob, and they are quite large, it is a lot of work to make these. However, I do plan on making many more of these to sell out of my studio and possibly online. I personally find them interesting, and I believe there is a market for them.
Fermented foods are certainly recognized as healthy. Several years ago I read the book
Wild Fermentation and was intrigued. My husband went right after the sauerkraut, but I remember feeling like I wish that we had a good vessel for making it in. I am making inserts to go along with these crocks so that will weigh down the vegetables to submerge them in the liquid. I think that is one of the places where we went wrong, but it is the water seal that I believe will make the biggest difference. Eventually I will make one of these that is sub-par, and it will find its way into my own kitchen alongside all of the other mediocre things that I've made that aren't fit for selling. It's sad but true; however, I do look forward to giving this fermentation thing a go in a proper crock.
I mostly see them glazed, yours doesn't look glazed. How did you finish it? Should the weights remain unglazed so they soak with water and do their job even better? I've just been asked to do some here in Buenos Aires and would love to hear from your experience. Thanks. Elena
ReplyDeleteElena, you are looking at pictures of the process I went through to make the crock, so all of the pictures are in the greenware stage. You can see finished pictures of glazed crocks is this post: http://lorikindlerpottery.blogspot.com/2013/12/final-firing-of-year.html and in this one: http://lorikindlerpottery.blogspot.com/2013/05/cups-of-many-colors.html
ReplyDeleteAs for the weights, I do not glaze them.
Lori, a great description, the last one i made didn't have the air lock because with my also "fuzzy" understanding i didn't realise it needed one. thankyou
ReplyDelete