ChouAmi™ is a unique and simple fermentation device which fits onto a beautiful and durable French-made glass jar by Le Parfait. It is an easy and elegant way to make your own sauerkraut or pickles at home in small batches. 

It's easy! Watch this video that visually explains how to assemble ChouAmi.

Fermented foods, especially lacto-fermented foods, contain lactobacilli cultures that are the original probiotics. Our ancestors lived on such foods until the onset of sterilization/pasteurization. The lactobacilli strains keep our digestion and immune systems healthy. We need the good bacteria to play a part in our immuno-defense against harmful pathogens. We recommend eating 1/4 to 1/3 cup (60 to 80 ml) of fermented foods with each meal.

The purest and freshest water is optimal. Municipal water which contains fluoride, chloride, or chloramine, is not good for fermentation. If your local water system contains these chemicals, then it’s important to get a good filtration system that can remove them. 

Our preference is Celtic Sea Salt, but any high-quality sea salt is good to use. Stay away from table salt because it’s devoid of minerals and contains additives. Besides, table salt simply tastes salty without the subtle, complex flavors of sea salt. Sea salt also provides trace minerals, which helps to balance the sodium/potassium osmotic gradient of our cells.

You can get very technical here and look at ratios in percentage, but we encourage the simple method of using about 1 teaspoon (5 ml) sea salt to 1 cup (240 ml) filtered water. Salt dissolves more evenly in hot water. Let cool before using.

Preferably between 70-75 degrees F (21-24 degrees C); below 50 degrees F (10 degrees C) is too cold for the cultures to develop quickly enough. Keep your ferments out of direct sunlight. Transfer the jar to the refrigerator when it’s done and remember that it will continue to ferment until its fully chilled.

That depends on what you’re fermenting. Minimum should be 6 days. We recommend at least 7 days for cabbage-based ferments. Traditionally, cabbage was left to ferment in big crocks for weeks, even months; however, a small batch requires less time. Your ferments can be left to develop for as long as 4 weeks or longer. Although the longer fermentation period doesn’t necessarily confer more beneficial bacteria, it does help the foods develop a deeper flavor. Sample fermentation time: Sauerkraut: 8-12 days; Kimchi: 10-12 days; Real pickles: 7-10 days; Cauliflower-based: 10-12 days; Salsa: 5-6 days; Fruit-based: 5-6 days. 

Your ferment is typically done anywhere between 6 to 10 days. After this point, it’s a matter of personal taste. To taste your ferment, follow these steps: 1) Unfasten the ring and remove the cap and moat 2) Lift up the press/spring 3) Use a clean fork or chopsticks to remove a small portion, and taste 4) If you're satisfied with the taste, replace with a jar lid and ring, and transfer to the refrigerator 5) If you want a deeper flavor, put the press/spring back in the jar, secure the moat, ring, and cap, and continue fermenting at room temperature.

his usually happens with vegetables that contain a lot of water, such as fresh cabbage. Simply remove ChouAmi, pour off any excess brine, and replace the unit again. Rinse the moat and fill with water (not brine). To help catch excess brine, we recommend setting the jar on a shallow dish or plate before fermenting. To prevent overflow: When making sauerkraut, massage salt into the shredded cabbage, and pack into the mason jar with other ingredients such as spices. Allow the mixture to ferment for 24 hours without adding any brine. If there is enough liquid released by the salted cabbage to cover the top of the vegetables by 1.5 inches (3.75 cm) after 24 hours, then no additional brine is necessary. Note on kimchi: As Napa cabbage releases a lot of water, keep an eye on your kimchi during the first 24-48 hours. There should be about 1.5 inches (3.75 cm) of liquid above the top of the vegetables, so pour off excess if it looks like it will over flow.

The water in your moat will evaporate over time, especially if your fermenting room is humid. Always make sure to fill the moat 2/3 of the way up and top off every couple of days as needed. If your moat is completely empty, it's possible that some water have been sucked into the cap. Tilt the cap gently to release the water.

It’s ok if your brine looks murky. It doesn’t mean something is wrong. Brine will turn murky as a natural result of fermentation and from minerals in the sea salt. Some ferments such as pickles and cauliflower tend to produce a murky brine.

If you see that the top of the brine has developed a fuzzy or lumpy matter that's green, pink, or grey, something has gone wrong with your ferment. Compost the contents and start over. If the jar smells rotten or sulfuric, leave it open for 10 minutes; it might clear itself up. If it doesn't, compost the contents and start over. If the substance is soft white, it could be kahm, which is a natural yeast that's a byproduct of fermentation. It's harmless and you can just scrape it off.

Warm water and gentle soap are all that's needed. All parts of ChouAmi are also dishwasher safe. We do recommend removing the gasket off the moat before washing the unit in the dishwasher. Make sure all parts are thoroughly dry before storing them away.

Not likely… Rust can occur when brine or acid comes into contact with a standard jar ring (which is made of mixed metals) but the ChouAmi device and ring is made of stainless steel. Fermentation stains on the device can be easily removed with a scrub pad, soap, and warm water. 

Yes, we do recommend cleaning the gasket after every ferment. We also recommend that it is thoroughly dry before installing it back onto the device or stainless steel flat panel.

No. ChouAmi only works with the Le Parfait Familia Wiss Terrine Mason Jar and the Le Parfait Screw Top Jar with a 100mm diameter opening. We find that these jars are the most efficient for use with our device. It DOES NOT work with US-made Ball or Kerr brand mason jars.

ChouAmi is optimized to work with the following Le Parfait wide-mouth Jars - 350ml Familia Wiss Terrine, 500ml Familia Wiss Terrine, 750ml Familia Wiss Terrine, 1L Familia Wiss Terrine, 1L Screw Top Jar and the 2L Screw Top Jar.

This may be because the ring was initially fastened too tightly on the jar. Wrap a soft kitchen towel around the ring for more leverage, and rotate the ring and the jar in opposing directions. For your next batch, fasten the ring on the jar only until when you lift the ring, the whole unit stays in place. A rubber oven mitt can be helpful with extra tight ring.

We can ship to you anywhere in the world from our Logistics and Fulfillment Center located in Illinois, USA.

For destinations in the continental US, shipping is $10 maximum on orders less than $75 and FREE for orders over $75. Please refer to our Shipping Policy for full details.

State and local sales tax is added to orders shipping to California and Illinois, USA.

Please refer to our Refund Policy for more details.

Please visit our Store Locations page to find a retailer near you. We are currently arranging availability of ChouAmi in Europe, Asia, and South America due to.

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