Disclaimer~I received a COMPLIMENTARY 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.
A few years ago, a fellow homeschool mom introduced me to the concept of fermented foods. It was a new concept to me, so of course, I was interested in learning more. Eating healthy and eating foods that are fresh were important to us. We already had a garden growing and we added chickens to our small little country farm 9 years ago. Learning to ferment foods with the Starter Kit from Fermentools seemed like a great way to add to our healthy foods in our pantry!
Fermentools was founded in 2013 with the idea to create a product that could turn basically any mason jar into fermenting vessel. The custom designed airlock system did just that! The materials were designed to last a lifetime.
The system is simple to use, easy to clean, and most of the pieces are made right here in the United States!
Why are Fermented Foods Important?
By now, you've heard all about the importance of probiotics. Our guts are filled with live bacteria (good guys and bad guys) and yeast that help protect the lining of our stomachs and intestines. They help with the absorption of our food and nutrients. Many of us have guts so out of wack that our bodies are not getting the nutrients we need. When our systems are out of line, we weaken our immune system (we all want a healthy immune system right now) and reek havoc on our bodies. Food intolerance and autoimmune diseases can occur.
We become tired, cranky, have bathroom issues, headaches, brain fog, can't sleep, gain weight, etc.
The list goes on and on.
But did you know that fermented foods are a great dietary source of probiotics!
1. They improve gut health.
2. They help restore the proper bacteria balance in the intestines.
3. They help aid in digestion.
3. They improve heart health.
4. They help improve the immune system.
Besides all the health benefits, fermenting foods is a great way to preserve fruits and vegetables.
It can help families save money by preserving foods fresh from the garden or foods that they bought in bulk when they were on sale.
The STARTER KIT includes
1 Staninless Steel Lid
Made from 304 surgical stainless steel, the corrosion-resistant lid will last a lifetime
1 Glass Fermentation Weight
Made to fit inside your standard wide mouth Mason jar and won't react with your food
1 Air Lock
The air-lock inserts into the lid and allows for "burping" during the fermenting process.
1 Rubber Stopper
1 Rubber Canning Gasket
Himalayan Powered Salt
Ancient Himalayan salt has over 80 trace minerals
and is ground so fine it will easily mix withcold water
Instruction Booklet
Contains instructions and a recipe for basic sauerkraut
Cloth Storage Bag
The only items needed that are not included are a wide-mouth glass canning jar and whatever foods you wanted to ferment. The kit allows you to work on one fermenting project at a time. If you want to have multiple projects going at one time, you would need to purchase additional tools available on the Fermentools website.
~My Experience~
This was not my first attempt at fermenting foods. Over the past few years, I have tried a few different fermenting recipes. In the past, I have made fermented pickles, fermented salsa, and kerfir water.
I wouldn't say I'm a newbie, but I am still a novice at it though.
The Starter Kit does make the whole process of fermenting foods a lot easier since you get everything you need. The system with the starter kit is quite different from the ways I have used in the past. The recipes I had used in the past had all come from a fellow homeschool mom who was a pro at fermenting foods.
I do have to say her recipes where easier to follow and easy to execute.
This is my second time reviewing the starter kit. Last year, I reviewed the starter kit for the homeschool review crew too. I will admit my first attempt with the starter kit was not a success.
I had tried the basic sauerkraut recipe. I can't stand the stuff, but I tried to make it for my husband! When it was ready, it didn't smell right, some mold was growing on the top, and he decided to not try it. I can't say I blamed him for not trying it. I wouldn't have either.
This year, I decided to ferment some zucchini since we had some that was not going to get eaten before it went bad. I cut up my zucchini and added some spices: garlic,dill, pickling spices, red chilies, and a few grape leaves.
I did find that the zucchini was a little mushy after the process. I partially didn;t care for it. I did some research after the fact, and discovered that is is better to remove the fleshy center so that it will stay crispy. I don't think too many people like to eat mushy stuff.
Overall this go around with the starter kit was a success. It definitely was easier to use and understand, but I've used it a few times now.
I will admit, I do not use it that often. My family is not a big fan of fermented foods.
Learn more about Fermentools
See what other great recipes the Review Crew tried out!
Till Next Time,
Monique
