Always work with glass for any ferment! No plastic of any kind.

Ferment under 72* especially for a crispy result. Or don't leave too long on counter if it is hotter than that.

I like to keep the finished ferment at about 50* to keep it crispy.

Sweeten the ferment after it has fermented. Use maple syrup or honey or sugar.

Use salad dressing to make a cole slaw after the cut veggies have fermented.

Add ferments to salads.

~Basic brine:
1 T sea salt in 2 c water
1 1/2 t salt in 1 c water
1 t salt in 2/3 c water
1/2 t salt in 1/3 c water

Sauerkraut:
2 lb cabbage to 1 T sea salt. Use some large leaves to make a cover to help hold it under the brine. In my 2 gal glass jar I pounded in 14 lb of cabbage cut in the 1/4 inch blade on my mandoline slicer. Use a small plate and my 1 gallon weights on top of the leaves. I needed to add a quart of two of brine this year (2017).

~Sauerkraut 2024
11/2 lb per quart jar mixture of:
green cabbage, purple cabbage, carrot, garlic, peppercorns, caraway seed.
2 1/4 t salt each qt jar

To make a brine for cucumbers, onions, rudabaga, carrots, or radishes:
1 T sea salt per pint of water

~Now that I have whey from making unpasteurized yogurt add it to the ferment!
Try:
1 t salt per pint and
2 oz whey

Bread and butter type pickles:
1 T sea salt in a pint of water with 1 T cane sugar OR honey
Add onions, garlic, 1 t mustard seeds, 1/4 t peppercorns, or 1/2 t dill seed.

Prepare brine, put stuff in, weigh it under the brine and wait. Try it after a few days and refrigerate and eat when you like it!

A week on the counter has been yielding a bubbly pleasantly sour ferment. After this move to colder storage, refrigerate in summer or garage in the fall and winter.

Small cucumbers for pickles has been taking a few days on the counter, until they get quite cloudy. Then store in fridge and eat in about a week.

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