Preparation

1. Pack veggies and seasonings in jars, leaving at least 1 inch of room on top of the veggies. It's always safer to use too big of a container than too small. Pack fairly tightly to prevent veggies from floating to the top.
2. Combine 2 Tbs salt for every 4 cups of room-temperature water to create the salt brine. Be sure to make enough to submerge all the vegetables you are fermenting. Stir vigorously to dissolve salt.
3. Pour the brine on top of the veggies, until they are completely submerged. Leave at least 1/2 inch of space above the top of the brine. If needed, weigh the veggies down with a weight or spring to make sure they stay submerged. Veggies that are not submerged may grow mold.
4. Cover with a valved or airlock lid to allow built-up gas to escape without letting excess air inside. Or cover with a regular jar lid, but don't screw completely tight. If using a regular jar lid, you'll want to open the jar once a day to release any built up gas.
5. Let veggies sit at room temperature for at least 3-6 days - avoiding exposure to direct sunlight. After 3 days, taste the veggies to see if they're as acidic/pickled as you'd like. If they just taste salty without any tang, let sit for another day or two and keep tasting until you reach your desired sourness. Smaller veggies and chopped veggies will take less time while larger pieces will take longer time to ferment. Also, ferments for one quart or smaller will generally take 1-2 weeks to ferment, larger batches could take anywhere from a couple of weeks to a month or more. When you have a nice, pleasantly sour, acidic taste and smell, then you can store the jars in the refrigerator. It's totally normal for the brine to get a little cloudy, it's just veggies releasing juices while soaking up the brine.
6. Some of our favorite flavor combinations are: Carrot sticks with a few black peppercorns, a clove of garlic and a sprig of fresh dill. Cauliflower florets with a pinch of red pepper flakes, a few black peppercorns and 2 cloves of garlic. Green beans with a few black peppercorns, 2 cloves of garlic and 2 sprigs of fresh dill.