James Laughlin

I did a modified Atkins diet and lost more than 100 pounds over about a three-year period. I was amazed at how wonderful raw vegetables could taste after my body adapted to the diet. Broccoli and cauliflower were incredibly delicious as were most other low-carb veggies. Carrots tasted like candy. Now that I'm back eating things like pasta and potatoes, basic veggies are starting to taste bland again.

On the topic of high protein and fat, at times during my diet I would eat an entire roasted chicken in one setting, like some starving cave man. It was a wonderful feast, and I still lost weight, too.

I lost weight most efficiently when I simply cut out grain products

I'm pretty certain my extra pounds are not cheese-related, but rather grain products -- fermented grain products, that is. I never buy anything that says "lite" and that includes beer. I hate the calories, but sure love the that glass or two of liquid goodness in the evening....

My wife loves desert -- usually about 8 p.m, or about two hours after dinner. We typically eat a health diet. She is a great cook and most of our meals are made from scratch using fresh ingredients. We also have a large garden (by urban standards) and it's not unusual during the spring and summer from most of the veggies in our meal to come from the garden, like potatoes, onions, leafy greens, beans, peas, tomatoes, etc. A typical breakfast includes granola she makes fresh from oats, walnuts, raisins and local honey. We often include a dollop of our own home-made yogurt. But when it comes to desert, we have a parting of the ways. She likes chocolate and I like cheese. Dark chocolate vs. extra sharp cheddar; chocolate chip cookies vs. Gouda & crackers; chunky chocolate frozen yogurt vs goat cheese on toast. I say she's crazy. She says I am.

So, we both need to lose a few pounds. She says "Cut the cheese!" I say, "Death to Chocolate!" We both laugh. I think all may be lost, except the pounds.....

In researching the topic of plastic and food safety, I found this interesting article that discusses which types of plastics are considered safe and those that might leach BPAs, phthalates or other nasty things. Most sandwich bags (Ziploc, Glad, Hefty, etc.) are made from low density polyethylene (LDPE), which is considered a "low hazard" product not known for leaching contaminants. Elsewhere I found that LDPE is also resistant to most acids (including carbon dioxide) at temperatures up to 140 degrees F. So, nothing is guaranteed in life, but I suspect the bags are fine in this application.

The light baggie on the carrot jar expanded to a certain size and then stopped. I'm assuming even a small amount of internal pressure overcomes the seal created by the rubber bands. The baggie most likely expands because it is lighter and looser than the heavier plastic bags, which have shown no signs of inflating. That's all fine. If gas inside the jars is under just a tiny amount of pressure, there is very little chance for oxygen (or mold) to get inside and cause problems. Having the gas seep out means there is no need for me to "burp" the jars.

All good, since my wife gets annoyed when I check the jars five times a day. "They are going to be there for a month, no need to play with them every day!" she says....

I don't use plastic bags because I don't want highly acidic liquids eating up the plastic in the food that I'm going to eat.

In this case there is no direct contact of the plastic and the food. However, condensate collects on the bottom of the plastic and no doubt drips into the brine. I've read of people using plastic bags filled with brine as a weight to hold the food under the water. In that case the plastic is in direct contact. I wonder if either case is a real concern with food-grade bags? Perhaps using plastic as a lid would be less likely to leach bad things? Or, exposure to the gas-filled environment might actually be more corrosive to the plastic than resting in the brine.... Hmm, food for thought.

I'm planning to let the cabbage ferment another two weeks at least and will most likely go longer depending on the flavor developed. I expect to move the carrots to the fridge in about six days.

I have read various articles and forum posts debating the need for a sealed vessel for fermenting. Some say yes, some say no. I've done sauerkraut both ways and it came out fine. However, they have been short ferments and I've never felt comfortable that I could keep the cabbage fully submerged in the brine. I assume fermenting in an anaerobic environment would make that less important. When I look at various airlock systems, they seem expensive and/or complex. In search for a much simpler (and cheaper) alternative, I'm currently fermenting a batch of sauerkraut and two jars of carrots using plastic baggies as an improvised airlock system. I've placed baggies over the top of the jars and hold them in place with rubber bands. My theory is that this will provide an air-tight seal but will have enough "give" to release any gas pressure that builds up inside the jars.

Has anyone tried this method? I looked around on this site and elsewhere and haven't found anyone using this system. Of course, it may be common... Thoughts on pros or cons?

The carrot jars were initially covered by simple sandwich baggies, as shown in the picture. Within 24 hours, the jar on the left began to inflate with gas. I pressed down gently, but firmly, and pushed the gas out. I've since covered the jar on the right with a quart storage bag, thinking it would provide a sturdier membrane. I will leave the baggie on the other jar to see how it survives. The sauerkraut jar is covered by a much heavier gallon freezer bag. The two heavier bags have shown no signs of inflating, while the sandwich baggie on the one carrot jar has begun to inflate again. I guess any of the jars could develop enough pressure to blow off the bags, but I suspect gas would leak out before it reaches that point. And, it's easy enough to press out the gas without exposing the ferment to air.

James