My mason jar lid cracked during a 2 week kimchi ferment

I started a batch of kimchi on October 1st with a brand new wide mouth jar. On day 5 I heard a pop and saw a hairline crack running along the rim. What kind of lids are you guys using that actually hold up to the pressure for long ferments?

2 comments

2 Comments

linda62614d ago

Heard from this older guy at a fermentation workshop that you gotta use the plastic storage lids for long ferments, not the metal ones they sell with the jars. He said the metal ones are really only designed for canning or short term stuff, not the pressure buildup from a two week ferment. I switched to those white plastic Ball lids after my first crack and haven't had a problem since. They're cheap, like a couple bucks at the hardware store, and they actually let a little gas escape without popping off or breaking. Plus you don't have to worry about rust forming around the rim from the salt, which happened to me a few times before. Just make sure you get the wide mouth version, the regular ones won't fit.

andrew_wood7214d ago

The 2 dollar plastic lids @linda626 mentioned are definitely the way to go. I've got a drawer full of those white Ball ones and they've held up through countless 3 week sauerkraut ferments. The metal ones are just too rigid and that's exactly why they crack, the plastic has a little give to it. Just make sure you burp the jar once a day even with those plastic lids to keep the pressure manageable.