This liquid is called the brine, and if you made you jar too full the brine might leak out. Not a big deal. Simply open the jar, push the veggies down so they are fully covered, and remove a little bit of the liquid or some of the veggies.

This is one of the things that people find most troublesome. While these appear to be mold, they are actually something called kahm yeast. This yeast is not harmful, but it can look scary and unpleasant and even smell a little strong. It should be removed from the jar only to prevent it from imparting…

They will taste sour and the liquid they are in will look bubbly. If your culturing has gone wrong, you will know this by the strong, unappetizing odor the veggies will give off.

Technically, cultured vegetables can be stored in a cooler basement or cold cellar. However, they will continue to ferment, and in short order they won’t taste very good. Cultured veggies do best and taste best at the colder temperatures of a refrigerator.

Salt is the key. Vegetables without salt become soft and slimy. Vegetables made with salt will stay crunchy.

In the refrigerator, cultured veggies will keep for up to nine months, and sometimes longer. They continue to ferment but at a much slower rate. I find that many of my vegetables taste better after six weeks in the fridge. It’s fun to taste your vegetables at different stages to find out when you like…

For most vegetables, culturing takes six days at room temperature. There are a few vegetables that will culture in only two or three days, but these shorter times are indicated in the specific recipes in chapters xx. If you culture the vegetables longer than six days, they can get too yeasty; the flavor will change,…

No. Botulism is an issue with canned goods because the heat used in canning kills all the good bacteria. When culturing foods, the healthy bacteria thrive and make it impossible for the bacteria that cause botulism to survive.

Yes, this is perfectly normal and expected. Fermented vegetables should rise and expand as they culture, and you’ll find that they can often be very bubbly. This is a normal part of fermentation.