Pickling crock idea

[randyt]

I have a few crocks for pickling. I have heard of folks using jars, plastic buckets and even plastic bags.

I was thinking for a 5 gallon crock maybe one of those big glasd carbouys that folks use for making beer or wine might work. The top would need cutting off. A daunting task. Glass seems so much better than plastic.

I wonder if the top is cut off, if the bottle would be weakened.
Also not worth it unless the bottles are cheap

 

[elkhound]

i have used plastic buckets before. i made 14 day pickles in them.

my worry would be the edge wanting to chip off as it was used.

my next adventure in this dept. will be with firehouse sub pickle buckets.they sell them for $2 each and they have a gasket lid. i think a person could drill a hole in lid and put the rubber grommet and airlock and make a real nice secure fermenting vessel.i just used towel over my pickles last time.i have my grandmothers crocks but i just dont want to wrestle the heavy things and pouring and transferring from handled buckets is way to go..my2cents.

 

[randyt]

I wonder that too..

 

[Weedygarden]

I have a few crocks for pickling. I have heard of folks using jars, plastic buckets and even plastic bags.

I was thinking for a 5 gallon crock maybe one of those big glass carboys that folks use for making beer or wine might work. The top would need cutting off. A daunting task. Glass seems so much better than plastic.

I wonder if the top is cut off, if the bottle would be weakened.
Also not worth it unless the bottles are cheap

Plastic is often used nowadays for pickling and kraut making. When I took a class on kombucha making, we were discouraged from using plastic.

Plastic is something that is too prevalent in our food supply and that I avoid as much as possible. Almost all of my drinking vessels are glass or ceramic. I do have a couple to go cups that are not. I do have a set up for water that involves a canning jar with straight sides, a special Ball lid with a hole in it for a straw and a metal straw. It keeps my water clean and is less likely to spill.

I don't know what a new carboy costs. I watch for them for free and at yard sales.

I do know that crocks are really expensive, so I can appreciate your desire to find alternatives. We have one at church that must be close to 100 years old that has a lid made to go with it. I believe it was used for providing water for drinking at one point in time because it has a special spout on it. It holds 10 gallons and I'd bet it is worth $100's, if not more.

 

[elkhound]

if you want to use glass canning jars they make weighted pucks to use with them. a half gallon jar holds a good bit.

 

[backlash]

I have a 2 gallon glass tea jar that would work pretty well. It was cheap around $20 I think.
I have my Grandma's crock. It holds 15 gallons. That's a lot of krout. I also have a 5 and a 1 gallon crock. I think I have a 3 gallon someplace.
I helped my Mom make krout in the big one. We used 100 pounds of cabbage. When I say I helped I mean I did all the work and Mom supervised.
I pickled the cabbage hearts along with the shredded cabbage and they were the best part.
I have Grandma's cabbage shredder. It's a flat blade on a 3 foot wooden handle. Sort of like a hoe that was straightened because that's exactly what it is. Grandpa made it.
Here's a link to cutting off a carboy.
How to cut a carboy: IE what to do with a broken carboy!