My understanding is that the weighing down should be done and is a way to prevent your batch from becoming contaminated.. the brine should keep your veggies safe from contamination if they are sunk in it, surface exposure can lead to molds and bacterial contamination... The longer you ferment the softer your veggies become so that is really a personal preference thing I think.. my microbiology groups usually say to ferment 2-3 days for crisp veggies after that they tend to get mushier..
I've recently read about starting the ferment with yogurt, kefir or whey but according to several people on one of my groups this method often produces slimy veggies...so again its personal preferences.
I haven't read the Nourishing Traditons book yet so I can't tell you what was recommended in that... I also haven't started to ferment veggies yet and am only in the process of researching it....
You might want to do a yahoo search for groups pertaining to this... I belong to one group called Kimchee-Sauerkraut-Cabbage, anyway there is a pdf file on that group by Heidi who shows the complete preparation and tells about the fermenting process...
I've recently read about starting the ferment with yogurt, kefir or whey but according to several people on one of my groups this method often produces slimy veggies...so again its personal preferences.
I haven't read the Nourishing Traditons book yet so I can't tell you what was recommended in that... I also haven't started to ferment veggies yet and am only in the process of researching it....
You might want to do a yahoo search for groups pertaining to this... I belong to one group called Kimchee-Sauerkraut-Cabbage, anyway there is a pdf file on that group by Heidi who shows the complete preparation and tells about the fermenting process...
