The Basics for Successful Ferments

So many wonderful books have been written about fermentation in the past couple of decades. This is not them. All I want to do here is give you what you need to know to get started and avoid the mistakes that could spoil your creation.

Sanitation:

Unlike canning, you do not need to sterilize your vessels and equipment, but do make sure your entire work station is scrupulously clean. Running everything through the dishwasher on the sanitize cycle is one way to manage this. We always use filtered water to rinse the vegetables, our hands and any tools that have been handwashed in order to avoid municipal water treatment chemicals.

Tools:

Use stainless steel tools. If you don’t object to plastic, you can use food grade plastic or silicone since they are non-reactive. Wood is porous so must be carefully cleaned. Avoid copper or aluminum.

Vessels:

Our preference is glass or ceramic jars and crocks. Personally I would not make or store my ferment in plastic, but I know of reputable companies that sell sauerkraut and kimchi in PET food-safe, BPA-free polymer containers.

Brine:

Water – Do not use municipally treated water a.k.a. tap water. The chlorine and other additives prevent the very activity we are trying to promote.

Salt – use sea salt, kosher salt or pickling salt. Do not use salt with iodine and anti-caking agents a.k.a. table salt. Measure the salt by weight because different sized granules will fill a measuring spoon differently. If you are trying a recipe that only gives the salt as a measuring spoon amount, use fine grain salt.

Weights:

Lactofermentation requires an oxygen-free environment. All the vegetables must be below the brine level. Keep the floaters down with a weight.

• • foodsafe glass disk
  • cabbage leaf
  • small ziplock bag filled with brine
  • in a wide-mouth jar, if you have the space, you could use a 118 ml / 4-oz canning jar

Closures:

For brine and self-brining ferments, put a lid on your vessel, but be diligent about releasing the carbon dioxide buildup every day.

• • Screw top jars (require burping)
  • pickle pipes and jar rings
  • Various commercial airlocks

Notes:

Self-brining vegetables such as sauerkraut do not require added water, just salt and a good firm massage.

For the first few days, put jars of freshly started ferments in the sink or a large container in case of overflow during the night.