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How to Care for Your Fermenting Crock Pot
The Properties of the ceramic materials of the Miracle Harsch Fermenting Crock Pot are the best and the glaze is lead free. The stoneware hardly absorbs any water so mold can not build up. Mold growth and the formation of yeast growth is what you want to prevent when fermenting foods. The water grove that the lid sits in is a key component in preventing mold and yeast from growing on the surface of the food you are fermenting.
The underside of the lid, the out side bottom of the crock pot and the weight stone are all unglazed. The underside of the lid and the bottom of the crock pot are not glazed because that is the part that touches the rack when they are fired in the kiln. A glazed surface can not touch the kiln's rack during the firing process.
The unglazed part of the lid is food safe. Do not fill your stoneware crock pot more than 80 percent full allowing an air space between the food and the bottom of the lid. The lid sits in the rim of fresh water which has no affect on the lid or your food. The water in the rim is to allow the fermented food gasses to escape with out bacteria entering the crock pot. The water in the rim prevents Kalm from forming on the top of the water your food is fermenting in. Kalm is a white yeast that forms on the top of lactic acid fermented foods which are fermented in pots that the air can get to the water the food is fermenting in. Kalm makes the vegetables slimy and taste bad, although it is safe to eat.
Do not clean the lid with soap of any kind. All you have to do is rinse it off with water and dry thoroughly.
The 2 piece weight stone is also unglazed and you should not wash it with soap either. When you are done with a fermenting cycle, rinse off the weight stone and place in your oven to dry. If you have finished baking something in your oven, place the stone on a lower rack, turn the oven off and let it stay in the oven until the oven has cooled and the stone is cool to touch. The heat from the oven will not hurt the stone because it had been fired at 1200 degrees when it was made. Store the stone and lid in a dry place where the air can circulate and they can keep dry. Do not place the stone in the pot or store the pot with the lid on. The key is to keep all parts of the fermenting crock pot dry when not being used.
