Fermentools Starter Kit REVIEW

Disclaimer: I received a FREE kit 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.

Could there have been a more perfect product for me to review?  I am a homesteader at heart and love all things preserved.  I just couldn't pass up the chance to review the Starter Kit from Fermentools.  I have been canning for years, but just tried fermenting last year.  If you don't know about fermenting or the awesome benefits of the product I urge you to do some research.  In an age where gut health is key, you definitely want to consider fermented foods.  There is a plethora of information about the benefits of fermentation, but it can be summed up for the most part in one word, probiotics.  Healthy gut bacteria.

The Starter Kit includes most of what you need to get started fermenting.  You just need to supply a wide mouth mason jar and metal ring.  Included in the starter kit is:

• stainless steel lid
• glass fermentation weight
• airlock system
• rubber stoppers
• rubber gasket
• Himalayan powdered salt

I prefer to preserve our own homegrown foods from our garden but the season isn't right yet for most foods.  I tried fermenting cucumbers and cabbage last year with no special equipment so I knew I could easily ferment cabbage.  If you have never tried fermenting before, I urge you to try it.  It is quite simple and this kit makes it just about foolproof and easy to do.  If you are worried about spoilage, botulism, or other scary bacteria, you shouldn't.  While not impossible, if you follow directions, use filtered (non-chlorinated) water, and use clean utensils there should not be much chance of bad bacteria.  It just doesn't survive in the salt solution environment.

Green cabbage sauerkraut

Purple cabbage sauerkraut

To keep it simple, you basically choose something to ferment, follow a recipe, add the food you chose to ferment into a clean mason jar (not included in the starter kit), fill the jar with filtered water with salt dissolved (follow directions for the % salt solution--for cabbage and some foods you add the salt directly to the food as part of the process), place glass weight so that it keeps food submerged under the water, place gasket on the jar, place stainless steel lid on top of gasket, screw metal ring (not included in kit) on to seal the jar, put rubber stopper with a hole in it into the hole in the middle of the lid, fill the airlock system halfway with filtered water and place it into the hole in the rubber stopper.  That's it, it takes minutes to complete.  The hard part is the waiting!

Included guide with instructions and recipe

It can take anywhere from 3 days to weeks to ferment different foods.  I think it took about 10 days or so last year to make fermented pickles.  Oh my goodness, they were awesome!  The cabbage to make sauerkraut turned out pretty good.  This kit made it pretty easy because it has a chart that tells you how to mix the salt and the water for the right solution.  The chart covers solutions for 2%, 3.5%, and 10% solutions.  There is a simple recipe included for sauerkraut in the included guide and plenty more available on their website (https://www.fermentools.com).

Chart is in grams, conversion to tsp/Tbsp
is on the other side of the bag

Recipes available on their website

Practice makes perfect.  I am learning that the more you do, the easier it gets and the more creative you can become.  I am currently fermenting garlic asparagus (fresh from our garden!).  I can't wait to try it.  If it is anything like the pickles from last year it will be superb!

Current ferment of garlic asparagus

I couldn't get the glass weight to
seat properly on top of the asparagus

All in all, I really liked this kit and plan to purchase more.  It made fermenting so much better.  I had to manually burb my jars last year and they leaked and made a mess.  With the airlock system, no burping, and no mess!  When I did the asparagus the weight didn't want to sit correctly so I wasn't happy with that but hopefully it will be ok. It seems the weight needs to be slightly larger?  It would also be nice to have a "handle" or something that makes it easier to pick up out of the jar (I have seen knobs and/or indents on others I have seen).  With that being said, I still recommend this Starter Kit.  Now is the time to buy with their current sale and the 15% coupon (CREW2020) good through June 30, 2020 below!  Be sure to take advantage of this great offer.

You can connect with Fermentools on FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM, and PINTEREST.  Please be sure to check out the other reviews from my fellow Crew members to see what they have to say about this awesome system by clicking on the graphic link below.