Pickles, Lactic Fermentation & Safetey Questions

[Ravenlunatic]

I have started making my own pickles and would like to venture farther into the lactic fermentation arena, and so I have a few questions since I am a novice.

Is there a difference between making pickles with brine and making fermented cucumbers? The reason I ask is because I have set cucumbers in brine, in a crock with no lid (holding cuces down with a plate) and I have also set cuces with the same strength brine and herbs in mason jars with lids and the pickles are veeerrryyy different. The first being salty pickles, the second being sour wierdness I'm not used to.

So I have begun the trials and errors of lactic fermentation but I have no in person guidance. I have lots of basic questions.

What are some safety guidelines so I don't get sick? I really don't know.

How do I know I shouldn't eat something I have set out to ferment?

How long will the fermented veggies last once I put them in the fridge?

Do I need to sterilize the jars? Or can they be just washed well?


Thanks for any response!!!

[Magelet]

What are some safety guidelines so I don't get sick? I really don't know.

-If it smells bad, looks bad, or tastes bad, don't eat it. make sure you add enough salt (however it will be obvious if you don't). every way that lacto-fermented veggies can go bad is obvious. you don't have to worry about bacteria that leave no evidence.

How do I know I shouldn't eat something I have set out to ferment?
if it's moldy (a few specks of mold you can scoop out is totally fine), if it smells foul. if it looks rotten.

How long will the fermented veggies last once I put them in the fridge?
a long time. months? a year? more?

Do I need to sterilize the jars? Or can they be just washed well? I usually just use hot water from the tap, not true sterilization. however sterilization would probably be good.

[Ravenlunatic]

Thanks for your reply... its funny, you would think it obvious if something went bad but a friend and I checked all of my pickle/fermentation jars and one jar she said tasted foul, like bad and it tasted fine to me... and another jar that had a small amount of scoopable mold on it was my favorite.... oh well.... I guess time and experience enhance the ability to really tell.