I’m thinking about purchasing the Ferris Pickle Pot but am wondering
why these expensive Pickle Pots don’t come with lids? I’ve been
using a regular Crock Pot but am finding that it takes awhile to
come to temperature and I don’t think it gets hot enough, well at
least to 125 degrees. Also my pickle last about a good 5 months and
if I purchase the Ferris with no lid, would my pickle go bad or
evaporate? Anyone who has a Ferris please let me know.
Hi,
I think the reason the Ferris pickle pots don’t come with lids is
the plastic basket that’s inside them would keep the lid from sealing
& doing much good.
I had a Ferris pot a number of years ago. I forgot to turn it off
one night when leaving the shop. In the morning the water ws gone &
the basket was a glob in the bottom of the pot. The element had also
burned out. I replaced the over priced Ferris pot with a crock pot
picked up at the Salvation Army store for less than $10.00. It comes
with a lid that keeps the water from evaporating as fast. It also has
2 temp settings.
Old crock pots are available at Salvation Army, Goodwill, St.
Vincent de Paul, & other used goods stores. They’re also available at
a lot of garage/yard sales
Dave
unused for years. Too small for a lot of what the students are
doing. Stainless Steel commercial restaurant type crock pots are the
most used ones here. I made acrylic lids for them. We also have
ceramic crock pots from the thrift store.
The water in the pickle pots evaporates even with a lid. If your
pickle water evaporates add water.
When working at home I do not heat the pickle unless I am working on
just one piece and/or in a hurry. The large pickle tub for
hollowware is not heated and does not have a cover.
I used to use a leaking coffee maker for hot pickle. I cut the water
tank and filter part off and used the hot plate to heat the pickle in
the coffee pot. (I switched to a French press or Bialetti Moka
Express for coffee making.)
Old crock pots are available at Salvation Army, Goodwill, St. Vincent de Paul, & other used goods stores. They're also available at a lot of garage/yard sales
Don’t you find them too large? I have to admit I’m not entirely
comfortable with having that much pickle hanging around in a crock
pot.
Paul Anderson
Don't you find them too large? I have to admit I'm not entirely comfortable with having that much pickle hanging around in a crock pot.
Paul, if you don’t need a big one, why not do what I did - go to
Target/Walmart/Sears whever you want and get a new small one (mine is
1 quart size) for $10. The first one I had lasted 10 years, this one
is now 3 years old and works like a charm. Has a lid too.
Kay
Old crock pots Don't you find them too large?
When I was madly making things for Christmas, rather than pickling
in a sauce jar which I kept having to take to the microwave to
reheat, my hubby went out to buy me a small crockpot. The store had a
large one that was only a couple of UKP more so he bought me that
one. I was initially miffed at having such a large vessel in which to
pickle but I’m glad now that he bought me the larger one. Not only
can I pickle multiple things at once, but I can pickle large items
with ease as well.
Yes it takes more liquid and therefore more chemical, but it doesn’t
need changing very often at all. Alternatively, if you didn’t want
to use more chemical, just pickle for more time. Most of the time I
just top up the level with water when some has evaporated away. I
switch it on in the morning to the high setting and then when it’s
hot enough, I turn it to the “Keep warm” setting for the rest of the
day. It’s one of the best purchases I’ve made.
Helen
UK
I use the big casserole size that I buy at wal-mart. I need the width
to pickle silver bracelets before they are shaped. I keep the liquid
level at about 1" to 1 1/2". I put down a couple layers of old towels
under my pickle pots in case the pot cracks. I have had this happen
before. The life span of a crock pot used for pickle is about 1-5
years depending on how sloppy you are splashing pickle on the metal
base. I used to buy them at thrift stores but have found that some
glazes are not acid proof.
Rick Copeland
Silversmith and Lapidary Artisan
Rocky Mountain Wonders
Colorado Springs, Colorado
rockymountainwonders.com
Hi Paul,
Don't you find them too large? I have to admit I'm not entirely comfortable with having that much pickle hanging around in a crock pot.
The crock pot size is not a problem for me. There are also smaller
ones available. The pickle is only warm water with sodium bisulfate.
It posses no problem.
Dave
Very small crock pots are available in the home section of most
stores. The one I have is less than a 1 quart size, and cost about
$8.00 They come even smaller. People use them for fondue, melted
chocolate for dipping strawberries, etc… Mine works just fine.
Alma Rands.
I’m currently using a 6 quart oval crock pot as my pickle pot. My
casting output got to be too much for the large Ferris pickle pot I
was using once I got a kiln that holds more than 4 flasks at one
time. The crock pot was here and wasn’t being used often, so it got
recommissioned from kitchen to shop.
I’ve got citric acid in the crock pot and I’m very happy with the
whole setup. It heats up really fast compared to the old pickle pot,
which is nice when I’m in a hurry. And the lid seals pretty well, so
if I don’t use it for a while the pickle doesn’t all evaporate.
Kathy Johnson
Feathered Gems Jewelry
http://www.fgemz.com
And the lid seals pretty well, so if I don't use it for a while the pickle doesn't all evaporate.
The pickle doesn’t evaporate. Only the water does.
Kathy and Rick
I’m with you…the large pickle pot serves all the things I make.
The oval one is even white inside so you can see your items. I will
also second the citric acid! Rick I’d love to see your set up and the
24/7 tumbling of your cabs.
Rose Marie Christison
Helen - what is a crockpot? sorry. is it a pickle pot, or is it a
kitchen thing you use instead? (I’m the lady with the nutella jar
full of safety picle, so you know the kind of level I’m operating on
Hi Rick
I used to buy them at thrift stores but have found that some glazes
are not acid proof.
If you stick to the pyrex insert ones you do not have to worry about
acid proof glazes. The most expensive ones I have seen are around
$50 CAD, so it is usually less in the US.
For Paul
You can now easily find the small quart or litre size crocks now,
even in Canada. Sometimes they are sold along with a large one as a
set. I have seen them at Walmart for around $10 CAD.
Karen Bahr - Karen’s Artworx
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
what is a crockpot?
A crock pot is something sold in the US, and apparently the UK, and
probably other places designed for kitchen slow cooking. It has an
interior heating element, a cooking container of ceramic, and a lid
(usually plastic, sometimes glass). Better ones have multiple heat
settings. When cooking it is designed to put a roast or chicken in
before you go to work in the morning, and it slow cooks it so it is
ready when you get home at night. In the studio I use a small one to
hold my pickle. The low heat it works on provides a great heat
source for pickle - gets it nice and warm without boiling. Since I
don’t do many large pieces a small pot works really well for me.
Bought mine at Wal-Mart, but any store that sells kitchen equipment
will probably have them. Cheaper can be just as good as expensive for
use in the studio.
Beth in SC
Rick I'd love to see your set up and the 24/7 tumbling of your cabs.
Like the old Toyota commercial used to say. You asked for it you got
it. I put together some pictures on my studio with the big front
door.
http://rockymountainwonders.com/studio.htm
Rick Copeland
Silversmith and Lapidary Artisan
Rocky Mountain Wonders
Colorado Springs, Colorado
rockymountainwonders.com
Sorry Sophie,
what is a crockpot? sorry. is it a pickle pot, or is it a kitchen thing you use instead?
A crockpot is a kitchen device, sometimes known as a slow cooker or
maybe electric casserole. It comprises of an outer, electrically
heated vessel, inside which sits a removable ceramic casserole pot
which is covered by a glass lid. Mine has a dial on the front with
“off”, “warm”, “hot” and “keep warm” settings. The ceramic part on
mine is white so you can actually see your pieces - something to
bear in mind when buying one. The one I use for food in the kitchen
has a dark brown ceramic part - that would make life more difficult.
It’s revolutionized my routine at the bench. They’re well worth the
money. I use sodium bisulphate as my choice of pickle.
Helen
UK
A crock pot is something sold in the US, and apparently the UK, and probably other places designed for kitchen slow cooking.
Beth, thank you!
a slow cooker, then. do you use it like a bain marie - with the
pickle in a separate container and water in the crockpot, with the
pickle container stood in the water - or just with the pickle
directly in the pot?
I love the idea of this.
Helen, thank you!
I’m going to see if I can find one on ebay, I’ve got a reasonable
paypal balance at the moment 
I don’t know what’s in my pickle - it’s sold as “safety pickle” (I
buy it in Birmingham’s jewellery quarter) and as it comes with no
other info except on how to make it up I imagine it might be citric
acid, but I’m not sure. I have children who run through my workspace,
so I try to keep toxic stuff to a minimum. No etching at the moment!
The safety pickle actually works pretty well cold, but it takes
significantly longer to do so.
My granny had a slow cooker - I have the inside part of it that I
use as a casserole, but the heated bit is long gone.
thank you again,
sophie
The one I use for food in the kitchen has a dark brown ceramic part - that would make life more difficult.[snip] I use sodium bisulphate as my choice of pickle.
First-- if you drill a whole lot of holes in a plastic container and
put that in your pickle pot/crock pot, you can drop your pieces in
that and use it to “strain out” your pieces-- lift them all at once
out of the pickle, so color doesn’t matter (though silver or gold on
brown has not been a problem for me).Second, consider citric acid,
available at cooking/baking/canning places, or quite cheap on line.
Less toxic (edible until you put metal in it), more environmentally
friendly, works just fine.
Noel