My buddy swore by using a cabbage leaf as a fermentation weight for pickles.
He said it was an old trick from his grandma and would keep everything submerged. I tried it on a jar of garlic dills last month. Came back after five days to find the leaf had completely dissolved into a slimy mess floating on top. Had to toss the whole batch. Anyone have a better homemade weight idea that doesn't turn into goo?
My neighbor tried that with sauerkraut once. She ended up with the same soggy leaf problem, and it gave the whole jar a weird, bitter taste. She swears by a small, clean glass dish that fits inside the jar opening now. It works like a charm to keep everything pushed down.