The first method is to cover the surface with very hot melted paraffin. If the paraffin is sufficiently hot to make the brine boil when poured upon it, a smooth, even layer will be formed before hardening, making a perfectly air-tight seal. Before adding paraffin the containers should be set where they will not be disturbed until ready for use, as any attempt to move them afterwards may break the seal and necessitate resealing. Paraffin has the advantage of ease in handling, and of being easily separated from the fermented vegetables when they are removed. Further, it can be used over again and thus the expense is small in the long run. If it becomes dirty it can be purified by heating very hot and straining through several thicknesses of cheese-cloth. One disadvantage in the use of paraffin is that the formation of gas below the layer will break the seal; therefore, it should not be used until fermentation has ceased. If the paraffin breaks, it should be removed, remelted, and replaced.

The second method is to pack a barrel or keg full and then replace the head. Fill the barrel or keg as full as possible with the fresh material to be fermented and then add the round board and weights exactly as described on page 594. Let the barrel stand for 48 hours to allow part of the gas to escape. Then remove the board and weight and head the barrel or keg up tight. Bore a small hole (about 1/2 inch) in the head and fill the barrel full with brine (made by dissolving 3/4 cup salt in 1 gallon water) so that there is no air space. Allow the barrel to stand until the fermentation has stopped, adding more brine at intervals to keep the container full. When bubbling has stopped, plug the vent tight. If the barrel does not leak, fermented products put up in this manner will keep indefinitely.

The third method is to use an oil, like cottonseed oil, which floats on the surface and effectively prevents air from reaching the brine. Brine covered with a layer of cottonseed oil or some other wholesome oil about 1/4 inch thick will keep indefinitely. The only objection to liquid oils is the difficulty of getting at the preserved vegetables without getting them covered with the oil, which is difficult to remove. Before the vegetables are to be removed the oil should be skimmed or siphoned off from the surface of the brine.

If oil or paraffin is used to cover the brine, it is advisable, after fermentation is finished, to adjust the amount of brine used and weights on the cover so that the brine comes up to but not over the cover. In this case only the brine exposed between the cover and sides need be oiled or paraffined, thus saving covering material.

Experiments have shown that the following vegetables may be preserved successfully under home conditions by the above method of fermentation by dry salting: cabbage (sauerkraut), string beans, beet tops, and turnip tops, and it is probable that others may be added to this list as a result of further experiments.

Fermentation In Acid Brine

Some vegetables which do not contain sufficient water are better fermented by covering them with a weak brine. This may be done as follows: Wash the vegetables, drain off the surplus water, and pack them in a keg, crock, or other utensil until it is nearly full (within about 3 inches of the top of the vessel). Prepare a weak brine as follows: To each gallon of water used add 1/2 pint of vinegar and 3/4 cup of salt and stir until the salt is entirely dissolved. The amount of brine necessary to cover the vegetables will be about equal to one-half the volume of the material to be fermented. This is very easily calculated by knowing the contents of the container used. For example, if a 5-gallon keg is to be packed, 2 1/2 gallons will be needed. It is best to make up at one time all the brine needed on one day. A clean tub or barrel can be used for mixing the brine. Pour the brine over the vegetables and cover as described on page 594. Set the vessel and its contents away in a moderately warm room to ferment. When fermentation has stopped, the container should be placed in a cool cellar or storeroom and the surface of the liquid treated to prevent mold by one of the methods described above. Before adding the paraffin or cottonseed oil, any scum or mold which may have formed on the surface of the liquid should be removed by skimming.

Experience has shown that the following vegetables may be preserved satisfactorily by fermenting in brine: cucumbers, string beans, green tomatoes, beets, beet tops, turnip tops, corn, and green peas. The general directions given above should be followed, but some modifications are desirable in the preserving of individual vegetables by this method.

Salting Without Fermentation

In this method the vegetables are packed with enough salt to prevent fermentation or the growth of yeasts or molds. The following directions should be followed in salting vegetables: Wash the vegetables, drain off the water, and then weigh them. For each 100 pounds of vegetables weigh out 25 pounds of salt. For smaller quantities use the same proportion of salt (one-fourth of the weight of the vegetables). Spread a layer of the vegetables about 1 inch deep on the bottom of a clean keg, tub, or crock, and sprinkle heavily with some of the salt. Try to distribute the salt evenly among the different layers packed so that the quantity weighed out will be just enough to pack the vegetables. Continue adding layers of vegetables and salt until the container is nearly full and then cover with the clean cloth, board, and weight, as in the case of fermentation by dry salting. The keg or other container should then be set aside in a cool place. If the salt and pressure of the weight have not extracted sufficient brine to cover the vegetables, after 24 hours, prepare a strong brine by dissolving 1 pound of salt in 2 quarts of water and pour enough of this over the vegetables to come up to the round wooden cover. There will be a small amount of bubbling at the start, as in the case of the fermented vegetables, but this will not continue long. Just as soon as the bubbling has stopped, the surface of the liquid should be protected by one of the methods described on page 595.

Experiments have shown that the following vegetables may be satisfactorily preserved by the above method: dandelions, beet tops, turnip tops, spinach, chard, kale, cabbage, string beans, green peas, and corn.

Care And Storage

If properly prepared and stored, fermented and salted products will keep for a long time. It is absolutely necessary to prevent mold from growing on the surface of the brine of fermented vegetables by the addition of paraffin or in some other way. Protection of the surface of salted vegetables is desirable, but not necessary if the containers are covered to prevent the evaporation of the brine. Practically all of the trouble with the fermented or salted products may be traced to carelessness in protecting the surface of the brine. In case mold should develop upon the surface or the brine should become evaporated so that the upper layers of the food spoil, this does not mean necessarily that the entire contents of the vessel have spoiled, even though the upper layers may have a very disagreeable odor. The molds and other organisms which cause the spoiling do not penetrate rapidly to the lower layers, and by carefully removing the spoiled material from the top, adding a little fresh brine and pouring hot paraffin on the top, the remainder of the contents of the vessel may be saved. After fermentation has ceased, the containers of salted and fermented vegetables should be stored in a cool place. They should be protected from rats, mice, and vermin, which might eat through the paraffin layer and get at the contents.

Preparation of fermented and salted vegetables for the table.

Some fermented and salted vegetables, like cucumbers, are eaten raw; others, like cabbage (sauerkraut), are usually cooked. In general the fermented and salted products may be prepared for the table in much the same manner as the fresh vegetables, except that before being cooked they should be soaked in fresh water for several hours or longer, if necessary, to remove the salt, the water being changed several times. In some cases it may be necessary also to change the water once or twice during the boiling of the salted vegetables. In this, one should be guided by taste.

Fermented vegetables, after being removed from the container, should be rinsed thoroughly in fresh water and then cooked without soaking if a product having a decidedly acid flavor is desired. If one does not desire the acid flavor, it may be modified to any extent or removed almost entirely by soaking the fermented vegetables as directed above for the salted product.