Light & Temperature
Place the Jar in a spot about 70ºF (not much above 72ºF and not much below 68ºF) and ferment for the time specified. Desirable LAB flourish optimally at about 70ºF while culturing most vegetables. Temperatures too low will slow down the fermentation process, and temperatures too high will either kill them, causing the fermentation process to proceed too quickly, and/or cause undesirable softening of the vegetable. Each species of LAB has an optimal temperature range (yogurt LAB like 105-112ºF). Follow the temperature suggestions in the recipe for optimal results.
Cover the Jar with a dark kitchen towel. Lactic acid-producing bacteria (LAB) (the bacteria that do the work of fermentation) flourish in the dark, and light kills them. UV Light in the amounts that penetrate the Jar seem to be beneficial to yeasts, and is to be avoided. Yeast, while not necessarily harmful, really interferes with the flavors and texture of a ferment. Wrap the Jar with a dark kitchen towel, or another light-blocking material, and set it in a location in the kitchen where the sun does not shine directly.
Be sure to keep the top of the Airlock uncovered to allow pressure to escape thru the tiny holes in the Airlock cap.
Move the Jar to cool or cold storage at the indicated time. The time frames given are a guideline. When the bubbling looks like it has stopped, it is time to move it to cooler storage. Don’t move it to cool or cold storage while the ferment is still producing bubbles; likewise, don’t leave it at room temperature much longer when no more bubbles are being created. I like to peek at my ferments a few times each day. There is something so satisfying about checking on the bubbles!
To check for bubbles, I remove the towel that covers the Jar, slide the Jar towards me on the counter, and without lifting the Jar, grasp the lid and neck of the jar (without disturbing the Airlock) and rotate the jar back and forth a few times. This jostles the vegetables just enough to loosen any trapped bubbles, which indicates that the ferment is still active. When I rotate the jar, and almost no bubbles rise, I know it is ready to move to cool/cold storage.
Some vegetables require additional time in cool storage to continue their fermenting at a slower pace, such as cabbage (sauerkraut), which will finish in about 6 weeks at about 55ºF, or about 12 weeks at about 38ºF.
Cover the Jar with a dark kitchen towel. Lactic acid-producing bacteria (LAB) (the bacteria that do the work of fermentation) flourish in the dark, and light kills them. UV Light in the amounts that penetrate the Jar seem to be beneficial to yeasts, and is to be avoided. Yeast, while not necessarily harmful, really interferes with the flavors and texture of a ferment. Wrap the Jar with a dark kitchen towel, or another light-blocking material, and set it in a location in the kitchen where the sun does not shine directly.
Be sure to keep the top of the Airlock uncovered to allow pressure to escape thru the tiny holes in the Airlock cap.
Move the Jar to cool or cold storage at the indicated time. The time frames given are a guideline. When the bubbling looks like it has stopped, it is time to move it to cooler storage. Don’t move it to cool or cold storage while the ferment is still producing bubbles; likewise, don’t leave it at room temperature much longer when no more bubbles are being created. I like to peek at my ferments a few times each day. There is something so satisfying about checking on the bubbles!
To check for bubbles, I remove the towel that covers the Jar, slide the Jar towards me on the counter, and without lifting the Jar, grasp the lid and neck of the jar (without disturbing the Airlock) and rotate the jar back and forth a few times. This jostles the vegetables just enough to loosen any trapped bubbles, which indicates that the ferment is still active. When I rotate the jar, and almost no bubbles rise, I know it is ready to move to cool/cold storage.
Some vegetables require additional time in cool storage to continue their fermenting at a slower pace, such as cabbage (sauerkraut), which will finish in about 6 weeks at about 55ºF, or about 12 weeks at about 38ºF.