Why make quick
pickles yourself with vacuum?

Yes, basically any airtight glass twist top jar can be used to make quick pickles with vacuum. Make sure to use jars with metal lids, because these seal well and are sustainable.

Plastic jars or jars with plastic lids aren’t suitable for vacuum. They simply aren’t strong enough to resist the deep vacuum that Airtender creates and will collapse or even implode. 

Most importantly, we don’t recommend plastic jars because they aren’t sustainable and can be a health risk because they can cause potential chemicals and microplastics to get into your food.

Pickling in the traditional way is done by letting your vegetables ferment in a vinegar-like solution and/or brine for a longer period of time. This provides the traditional sweet and sour taste and also ensures a longer shelf life. The disadvantage is that this usually takes a lot of time.

Quick pickling with Airtender works with the help of vacuum. Take, for example, sliced ​​cucumber or red onion. By placing these in a mixture of vinegar, sugar, salt and other ingredients in a jar under vacuum, you draw air and moisture from the vegetables. This creates space for the liquids to quickly be drawn into the vegetables.

When you save food in plastic containers and bags, there is always a risk of chemicals slowly leaching into your food. Especially when those containers are routinely washed in the dishwasher. Yes, the materials may have been labelled as ‘food approved’, but the effects over time when directly in contact with food are still uncertain.

Apart from the chemical problem, there is evidence that tiny pieces of plastic called “microplastics” and “nanoplastics” separate from containers and lids into your food. These plastic particles end up in the body, which poses severe health risks.

Glass, however, does not leach chemicals and does not disintegrate into your food. It has been a safe and trusted way of storing and preparing foods for centuries. And of course: 100% recyclable and sustainable!

Absolutely! If you would like to ferment with mason jars or even any twist top jar, you can use the Airtender Lid Punch to make a perfect hole in metal lids. You will need a ‘water lock’ to insert into the hole, so the build up of fermentation gas can escape. This type of accessory can be bought in most stores that sell canning accessories. 

The other option is to use traditional clip top jars with our special vacuum lids. By creating a vacuum in the jar, you will kickstart the fermentation process and shorten it by several days. As a bonus, you can reseal the cliptop jars with vacuum after opening. This way, your fermentation will stay fresh for longer.