DIY - Your first fermented vegetable jar in 5 steps

1. The basic ingredients

No need for starred chef equipment:
- Your vegetables (carrots, cabbage, beets, cucumbers… embrace diversity!)
- Unrefined salt (coarse sea salt preferably)
- Water (filtered if possible, to avoid chlorine that slows fermentation)
- A glass jar with a tight-fitting lid

That’s it. Yes, really.

2. Water/salt proportions

The golden rule: 2 to 3% salt relative to the total weight of vegetables + water. Example: for 1 liter of water, count about 20 to 30 g of salt.

Why? Salt protects vegetables from bad bacteria and lets the good ones work.

3. Preparation and jarring

• Wash your vegetables (no need to peel them if they’re organic).
• Cut them into pieces or sticks.
• Slip them into the jar.
• Cover with brine (water + salt mixture).
• Make sure everything is well submerged = a vegetable that sticks out is a vegetable that molds.

No need for grandma-style sterilization. A clean, rinsed jar is enough.

4. Fermentation at room temperature

• Close the jar (no need to tighten it like a safe).
• Leave it at room temperature, away from direct sunlight.
• In a few days, you’ll see bubbles: it’s alive, it’s working, and that’s exactly what we want.

5. Duration, storage & taste

After 5 to 7 days: your vegetables are already fermented, crunchy and tangy.

After 2 to 3 weeks: the flavors are more intense, more complex. Taste regularly: you decide when it’s “perfect”. Then, store them in the fridge: they’ll keep for several months without a problem.

**Safety-wise → if it smells good, the color looks appetizing and there’s no suspicious mold, you can munch away with peace of mind.

Find our fermentation article series:

• Why ferment your vegetables?
• Home fermentation, where to start?