How a live ferment gets to you
No dry ice. No styrofoam.
Live ferments are more robust than people expect. The brine and the live cultures are what keep them stable, so they travel safely without refrigeration for days and even weeks. Elaborate cold packaging looks reassuring and mostly just adds cost and landfill.
What we do use: a curbside-recyclable insulated liner and a cold pack in every box, sized to the number of jars.
We ship Monday and Tuesday only
Anything dropped off later in the week risks sitting in a carrier warehouse over the weekend. Orders placed Wednesday through Sunday go out the following Monday. Transit is typically 2 to 5 days depending on how far you are from California.
Free shipping on four jars and up
Cold shipping is genuinely expensive and we would rather be straightforward about it than hide a surcharge at checkout. Every box of four, six, nine or twelve ships free anywhere in the continental US. Orders of one to three jars ship at a flat $11.95.
Where we ship
The continental United States. Alaska and Hawaii are not available yet — transit times are long enough that we cannot promise the jar arrives the way it left.
A warm box is not a spoiled box
The cold pack will often be soft on arrival, and the jars may be at room temperature. That is expected and it is not a problem. Fermented vegetables are preserved by their own acidity and salt, not by refrigeration — the cold slows the ferment down, it is not what keeps the food safe. Put the jars in the fridge when they arrive and they keep for about six months.
Open the first jar over the sink
Live cabbage produces CO₂ and our lids are vented for that reason. A jar that has been jostled across three states sometimes has an opinion about it. Pressure, a hiss, or a little brine on the rim are signs the cultures are alive.
Returns and replacements
Broken glass
Email a photo within 48 hours of delivery and we replace the order on the next shipping day. No return shipping, no forms. Glass and carriers do not always agree, and that is on us.
Something is wrong with the ferment
Mold on the surface, a slimy texture, or a smell that is foul rather than sour means something went wrong. Send a photo within 48 hours and we replace it.
What we cannot take back
Because this is a live refrigerated food, we do not accept returns of opened or unopened jars. Replacement is the remedy, and we would rather send you another jar than argue about it.