Meet Karen Diggs and Eric Klein.

She’s a therapeutic chef, nutritionist, and fermenting phenom. He’s an engineer, inventor, and product designer. Together they have spent the past two years creating Kraut Source; a cool new home fermentation system that’s currently in the midst of a major Kickstarter crowd-funding campaign. With luck, the pair hopes to bring their brand of “culture” to kitchens everywhere.

Kraut Source lets you to craft nourishing and healthful lacto-fermented foods like pickles, kefir, kimchi, sauerkraut and more right in your kitchen. Naturally fermented superfoods like these contain probiotics, enzymes, and vitamins that can help you maintain optimal health.

Chances are you’re paying a premium if you buy these live-cultured foods in the specialty section of your market. But Kraut Source enables both novice and accomplished home chefs to create gourmet fermented foods economically, safely, and consistently every time.

 

The simple stainless steel device fits on any wide-mouth mason jar. It looks beautiful on the kitchen counter, yet takes up minimal space. Different sized jars yield bigger or smaller finished batches, which makes the system ideal for both singles and families.  You can choose a pint, quart, or 2-quart jar depending on your needs.

In the past, I’ve shied away from making fermented foods because the process seemed daunting. But over the weekend I used my Kraut Source to start a batch of homemade pickles! I just followed the simple instructions and used the pickle recipe that was included in my starter kit.

 

I put fresh dill, sliced onion, garlic, mustard seed, and some loose leaf green tea into a quart size mason jar along with six beautiful organic Persian cucumbers. Then I made brine by dissolving Celtic sea salt in water and poured it over the top of the cukes until they were submerged. Finally, I placed the Kraut Source device on top, secured it in place with the screw top ring, and released the press. I topped it off with the stainless steel cap, and filled the moat with some water as directed.

 

 

Viola! I have “pickles in progress” that should be ready to eat in 7 to 10 days. I think I’ll try Karen’s delicious recipe for Spicy Salsa next.

If you’d like to try making your own fermented foods at home, I highly recommend experimenting with Kraut Source. For a limited time, you can help launch this innovative new idea AND get a Kraut Source Kit by supporting Karen & Eric’s Kickstarter Campaign.

 Just pick the level that best fits your budget. I pledged $30 to receive the “Start Fermenting” kit which includes (1) Kraut Source device with a quart mason jar and a how-to recipe booklet with 30+ recipes to get started! Shipping is included.

But don’t delay. The Kraut Source Kickstarter Campaign ends next Tuesday, August 26, 2014. Join me in backing this project and you’ll be fermenting like a pro in no time.