chopped vegetables,enough to fill jar to 1" below rim
1 ½ tablespoonssalt,I prefer Redmond's Real Salt or Pink Himalayan Salt
1quartwater,filtered or well
1cabbage leaf
Instructions
Wash and chop the vegetables into bite-size pieces or sticks.
Once your jar is filled with vegetables 1” from the top, mix the salt and water (the brine) well and pour over the vegetables, being sure to leave 1” head space at the top.
Try to remove any air bubbles; a butter knife works well for this.
Tuck the cabbage leaf on top of the vegetables to hold them all down, completely under the surface of the brine. Alternately, a few thin, longer carrot sticks crossed over and tucked in may be used. The point is the keep all of the vegetables totally covered with the brine and not exposed to oxygen.
Cover with the ring and lid, or the airlock. If your lid is metal, be sure to put a layer or two of plastic wrap between the jar and the lid to prevent corrosion of the metal.
If you are using a regular lid and ring, be sure to “burp” the jar every day or two to release the pressure (CO2). To do this, simply twist the lid a little until you hear or feel the pressure releasing (this may not happen the first time or two). In order to avoid as little air as possible from getting in, do not take the lid off all the way, just quickly twist only enough to release the pressure and then tighten again
And now you wait!Pay close attention to the changes your ferment makes each day. The first few days there will not be much going on, however by the end of the second or third day, and as more time goes on, you should see noticeable changes. The vegetables will get duller and duller in color. Bubbles will start to form at the top along the brine edge. Bubbles will also start forming throughout the ferment; you will see some trapped between the vegetables and some going up to the surface. When you 'burp' the jar, you will notice a mass exodus of bubbles to the top. All of these things are good and normal. The CO2 must escape.
Allow the vegetables to ferment for 3-4 days or until they are the desired flavor and texture before transferring to cold storage.
Notes
Sometimes ferments get happy and want to spill over the airlock, or even bust a jar with a lid. For this reason, I like to put the mason jar into a bowl that's large enough to catch anything that might spill.