Thank you, passionprincess, for the suggestion of using a plastic ziploc bag filled with water to put on top of the veggies to keep them submerged. I also read on another site that if you add a bit of salt to the water in the bag, then if it breaks, the water that leaks out is the same salinity as the brine.

I also found out that the gallon kimchee jar is just the right size to hold a 1-cup glass pyrex bowl (to use intead of the plastic upturned lid that came with the setup), which means now I have two solutions to the problem of not enough veggies to fill up the jar...and I don't have to add extra water.

Drea - I hope it works.

My recent cilantro ferments are spilling out because I added extra water - I was too lazy to let it sit in salt for a few hours! It is a bit messy but I am catching all of the juice so it is okay.

I just realized that super fermented kimchee (aka sour kimchee as Koreans call it) will taste similar to tomato sauce when pureed. Since tomatoes are avoids and I was looking for a tangy, sour sauce, this calls for another culinary experiment.

The water bag works great to keep the veggies submerged. I finished off the last of the pink sauerkraut last night, and it was so good, I even drank the "juice".
Cabbage is a neutral on my swami and sea salt is a superfood.

Unfortunately, I eat fermented veggies like a meal, rather than a condiment. I crave sour/salty flavors much more than sweet. All that salt (even though most of it is digested by the probiotics) is causing water-weight gain in my body.

I have my one batch of carrot kraut, but I find I much prefer to drink my probiotics rather than eating them. It's so much easier for me to pour myself some beet kvass a few times a day, rather than having to remember about the carrots when I'm eating a meal. I think I ate the fermented carrots ONCE in the week or so since they've been ready. I'll try to remember to serve them with dinner tonight- I think DD1 will enjoy them.

Meanwhile, I've been going through plenty of beet kvass and enjoying the pickled beets in salad (or by themselves) when it's time to use new beets for a fresh batch. It seems like a much simpler process (no need to take out the food processor and wash it when I'm done) and it's easier for me to get into the routine of it.

I eat the fermented veggies as food, obviously. I mix my rice with kimchee and sardines. A really quick and simple meal.

PassionPrincess - If you make a sour Kimchee that can replace tomato sauce  for us folks, you will make many people happy. Keep us posted please!!!

Drea & PassionPrinces - My kombucha tastes like the finest of champagnes! It is suppose to ferment another 2 days in the bottles but we were craving it and so...

Ruthiegirl - How do you make your beet kvass? The recipe I have calls for whey. I used to make it by allowing yogurt to drain and use the whey. Can't have whey now.

I just use beets, salt, and water. I'll add about a tablespoon of my old batch of beet kvass if I have an old batch and it's good (I've had some batches that weren't quite right, I still drank them, but didn't want to perpetuate that particular flavor.)

With added "starter" it needs about 2 days to ferment on the counter. Without the added starter, it needs 3.

Quoted from Drea

The water bag works great to keep the veggies submerged. I finished off the last of the pink sauerkraut last night, and it was so good, I even drank the "juice".
Cabbage is a neutral on my swami and sea salt is a superfood.

Unfortunately, I eat fermented veggies like a meal, rather than a condiment. I crave sour/salty flavors much more than sweet. All that salt (even though most of it is digested by the probiotics) is causing water-weight gain in my body.

You might need to balance that sodium with some high potassium foods.

http://www.naturalnews.com/024539_potassium_sodium_diet.html

http://www.healthaliciousness.com/articles/food-sources-of-potassium.php

Chloe, I'm glad you're back with us for many reasons, but especially because you give such good advice.

So I made some sour pickles. Some of them got hollow, what did I do wrong?

Quoted from grey rabbit

So I made some sour pickles. Some of them got hollow, what did I do wrong?

What kind of cukes did you use? I made a batch using persian cukes I found at Costco. They weren't hollow, but they were not crunchy (which was too bad, because I really like crunchy pickles); next time I'll add the grape leaves (we have a lot of grape vines growing here), as apparently that helps them keep their crunch.

I'm new to this, so I'm not sure what happened, grey rabbit.

I just transferred the batch of turnip/carrot/ginger/garlic ferment to smaller jars to keep in the fridge. Yummy. That batch fermented for 5 days in the kimchi maker I bought recently. I realize now that 1 gallon of fermented veggies is just too much for one person. I'm really glad I didn't spend $100 on the 10-Liter crock (that's 2.5 gallons!).

I happened on this post - because being a type A, I just love vegetables and hippie food, so I had to give it a go. I've just put up my first attempt  using beet, turnip and carrots. Got loads of juice during the squeezing, so much that I had to let a little out because my jars were overflowing - I think that must be a good sign(?). I'm very eager to see how it turns out - it will be hard to wait 4 days or so, but I promise I'll be good. I'm usually pretty good in the kitchen, but... Wish me luck

When Koreans make kimchee, they will wet the veggies (from washing it) and salt t. The veggies sit in the salt for a few hours and then they spice it and bottle it. They do not crush the veggies because they think the life force and cell walls get destroyed. That is how I was taught and saw my mother and granny make all sorts of kimchee.

I use the same technique for veggies and do not crush, at all. The salt pulls out the water in the veggies via osmosis and prevents mold (like Rutheigirl wrote). The spices and remaining juices mix with the veggies and go back into the cell walls of the veggies during the fermentation process. That is why the veggies seem soft and wilted when they are salted or soaked in brine, only to become crunchy again after becoming balanced (perfectly fermented with spices and all).

Hmmm... Maybe I'll try that technique next time

Well... my first batch of cultured veg is ready to eat. I have to say, it's really quite tasty - I had no idea what kind of flavor to expect. I do like pickled foods, but being that cabbage and vinegar are both avoids for me, I've had to give up that flavor profile. So, okay, I used beets, turnips and carrots, and I think next time I will use broccoli stem instead of the turnip. While the overall flavor of the mixture was good, the turnip was a bit pungent for me.
     The funny thing about my experience was, as I was standing there in the kitchen carefully and judiciousy tasting this stuff trying to decide if I actually liked it, before I knew it I had already eaten quite a generous portion. So, yes, I now understand what the fuss is about. So soothing in my Type A tummy! You guys know your stuff - I'm a convert

Oh, my favorite vegetable ferment is turnips and carrots! I have broccoli stems and carrots fermenting now.

this looks so easy.. and fun to boot.. thanks all for the links and info..

I just made a batch of broccoli stems and carrots. Nothing else. I does taste a lot like sauerkraut. I'm going to try a batch of turnips and carrots, and nothing else, to see if it, too, loses the turnip flavor (which I like).

I have a jar of purple carrot and beet juice. Can anyone think how I might make this into a cultered/fermented beverage? I bought it because I like both veggies, but I haven't opened it because drinking it just doesn't "sound" good.

If it gets fermented (sour) enough, you can use it as a dressing or marinade base. Add some olive oil, garlic, onions, etc. and you have a light salad dressing.

Quoted from Drea

I have a jar of purple carrot and beet juice. Can anyone think how I might make this into a cultered/fermented beverage? I bought it because I like both veggies, but I haven't opened it because drinking it just doesn't "sound" good.

Thanks PP, but what I was getting at was "how" to turn this into a fermented/cultured beverage.

As long as it is not pasteurized, add a bit of salt and let the enzymes get to work. The juice has to be perfectly raw, though.

Quoted from Drea

Thanks PP, but what I was getting at was "how" to turn this into a fermented/cultured beverage.

Quoted from passionprincess

As long as it is not pasteurized, add a bit of salt and let the enzymes get to work. The juice has to be perfectly raw, though.

Thanks for the reminder...this juice is pasteurized (thanks to the "wonderful" food laws of the USA). I guess I'll either be drinking it, as is, or tossing it, as is.