I manufacture and sell kits to make your fermenting chores as easy as possible. I have fermented in Mason Jars, in a gigantic crock, and I have never had an easier time than when I use swing top quart jars with fermenting airlocks.
This kind of jar seals air-tight. If you ferment in one without the airlock you have to open them every day, at least once a day or the pressure that builds up inside may cause the jar to burst.
I manage to make do with only four of these fermenters in rotation. I can do two quarts of green beans from a bag of fresh beans at the grocery store. One head of cabbage is one quart of sauerkraut. Each kit comes with an airlock, a jar, a rubber seal and a pamphlet to describe the process.
This is a red-cabbage kimchi that I am fermenting. The airlock keeps insects and mold spores out of the food, while allowing accumulating gasses to escape. It makes the process as simple as fill it and forget it. Notice how the pressure in the jar has completely emptied the water chamber nearest the jar? I have a version of this that has a clear lid, they are a bit less expensive to buy so I sell them for 24.99, while the blue one here is 29.99 due to the extra expense.
I sell a variation that includes a clear glass fermentation weight, which keeps the food below the liquid level.
Clear Fermentation Kit:
Blue Fermentation Kit:
Clear Kit with Weight:
Blue Kit with Weight:
One Small Change at a Time 