Do you use the fine sea salt.

I'll need to get some. needed to anyway. and I'll go ahead and get some bottle water. So it'll be here. Who know might try something else.

The fineness (or course-ness) of the sea salt is immaterial. Just use what you have on hand. Remember to sprinkle the salt lightly, and taste as you go. It's much easier to add salt than to remove it.

Try a batch without water and see what happens! The salt brings the moisture out of the veggies; it's pretty amazing.

Quoted from deblynn3

just read some of the eariler comments. The carrot might "work" harder because they are a sweet vegetable I remember reading they have the most suger of all vegetables, which is maybe why they are a gatherer black dot. WH adds more sugar to his wine if it stops working.

I have read that cooking carrots increases their Glycemic Index massively (doubles it I think) & its ok to eat them raw... so wonder if culturing would count as raw or in between?

Would broccoli work?

Quoted from balletomane

Would broccoli work?

Try it and let us know!

I have done it with broccoli, but I did it two different ways. One time, I just used the stems and
grated them so they were like long stringy pieces and did the same with carrots...combined the
two in one jar......They cultured very well..Another time, I just used the flower-ette pieces (kinda small pieces) and mixed with similar sized pieces of cauliflower...plus garlic, Italian spices and that came out well.  I've found the best results come from all pieces in the jar being similar sizes.

Really, if you don't like what you've made, dump it and start again.  It's all good to eat but it's
just a matter of what you like best.

Quoted from Lola

I do not shut the lid while it ferments, simply cover the stainless steel bowl with a cotton cloth.....once fermented, I transfer to a glass jar, seal and place in the fridge.

That's interesting!  I never heard it done that way!  But I have heard of people in the old days using wood buckets.

Also, I leave my cabbage usually longer than 3 days.  I 8 days.  Sometimes the cabbage takes longer to get good than the others.  IMHO.

Chloe, when you use things like little broccoli flowers and cauliflower, do you knead them with salt to bring out the juices?  Would it work that way for chunks?

Quoted from Victoria

Chloe, when you use things like little broccoli flowers and cauliflower, do you knead them with salt to bring out the juices?  Would it work that way for chunks?

You know, I haven't done this recently so I'm sort of forgetting what I did...I honestly think that
I added the small pieces of unkneaded broccoli and cauliflower to a batch of other
vegetables that were  salted and kneaded...All will ferment  based on the other vegetables that are prepared properly with salt.  Just as long as the broccoli and cauliflower pieces aren't huge. And you wind up with enough liquid to cover all vegetables.

I think if you tried to knead cauliflower, you'd  crumble the flowerettes...and same with the broccoli...All the little pieces would fall off in the process.  And besides, when you make pickles, you don't have the ability to knead a whole cucumber.  And difficult to knead carrot slices.

Perhaps, grated carrots, small chunks of broccoli, cauliflower, onion, garlic. I think the carrots might provide enough liquid to allow me to stuff the other vegetables down far enough so liquid covers them.  Will have to experiment. I know I did this with shredded carrots and shredded
broccoli stems.

I was reading an article online about culturing vegetables and it said to be careful that all your
utensils, hands and container are very clean...otherwise, you might spoil the batch by fermenting some bad bacteria into the mix that might be left in an unclean container.  If you ever see
a batch turn out grey and smelling bad, throw the batch away.  It's tainted with bad bacteria.
The result should always taste pickled...

Yeah, I use scalding hot water on all utensils, hands (as much as I can stand of course) and glass jars.

When I do the cabbage, I tamp it down in the jar with the end of a pastry roller thing.  That seems to work well.

So now after reading all your suggestions I have started a half-gallon mason jar of fermented veggies  !

Yesterday I was out the whole day and when I came home late, I noticed the brine had overflown despite the tight lid. When I opened it there was a mini explosion, !

It must have been the carrot  ! I must say it was a wonder to behold this natural creation of bubbles. No carbonation necessary, !

Here are the ingredients I have used:
Beet
Bok choy
Carrot
Garlic
Ginger
Jersusalem artichoke
Re bell pepper
Red onion
Zucchini

It smells so good. Now I'm wondering when I should start to put the jar in the fridge and how long I can keep it. I know there is no hard-and-fast rule but the veggies have started to become soft. Is that a sign that they are getting "ready"? Or should I wait for at least three days?

I suggest you taste them at least once a day. I like mine on the sour side, so that's how long I leave them at room temperature to ferment. Then, when I've "decided" they're done, they go into the fridge.

I see. So "sour" is the yardstick, eh? I like sour too. Let me go and have a taste  

Quoted from balletomane

Yesterday I was out the whole day and when I came home late, I noticed the brine had overflown despite the tight lid. When I opened it there was a mini explosion, !

It must have been the carrot  ! I must say it was a wonder to behold this natural creation of bubbles. No carbonation necessary, !

So this is the reason Lola covers hers with cloth until the fermenting is finished and ready to go in the fridge!  

Quoted from balletomane

I see. So "sour" is the yardstick, eh? I like sour too. Let me go and have a taste  

It's the non vinegar of vinegars.  Except I don't think it's acidic.  But the flavor is similar.  Kind of.  It similar enough to someone who doesn't eat vinegar any longer.

I think one of the most delicious things is the liquid from the fermented vegetables.  It's great poured on stir-fry as a seasoning, in place of salt.  

bingo!

Quoted from Victoria

I think one of the most delicious things is the liquid from the fermented vegetables.  It's great poured on stir-fry as a seasoning, in place of salt.  

Great idea, thanks Victoria!

I wouldn't cook with it, but dribble it on before eating.  

I came here to ask a question about how fermented veggies should taste.

Quoted Text

I like mine on the sour side

I think Drea may have answered my question?.  I made some fermented kale awhile back but it turned out kind of sour tasting, i've been leary of eating it because i thought it might be bad.  Soo if "sour" is good, then how would we know if the fermentation process has gone wrong.  Do they have to be sour to be the most beneficial, i'm not too much into sour things?.

Thanks!
Mickey

I haven't made it yet, but I buy a raw locally fermented sauerkraut.  I wouldn't describe  it as sour.  It has a wonderful, complex, slightly salty, LIVE flavor.  Almost bubbly, but not quite.    

The stuff I do is pretty tangy.  But sauerkraut might have other flavors in them to change things up a bit.

Soo it sounds like i'll be fine eating my sour kale!.