Fermenting Update

When last the fermenting veggies were mentioned, I was waiting for them to ferment to perfection. Well, with the medical situation our family had going on, that didn't happen. 

We turned our heat way down to conserve energy while we were away. Great for the gas bill, not great for the bacteria's energy. So, even though the veggies sat for the proper range of time, they were still on the crunchy side when I chose to put them in the fridge. I could've let them sit out longer, but since we didn't know when we'd be home next, I decided to put them away.

Here's what I found when I took off the tops:

Unfortunately, mold on each one. 

The good news is that the mold doesn't mean the whole thing has to be pitched. The cabbage leaves keeping the cabbage and brussel sprouts under the liquid allow for the mold to be contained. So, according to internet fermentation experts, take off the layers the mold has come into contact with and the lower levels are okay. I pulled those out plus the top layer of each jar (just in case)

I put the ferments in new jars in an attempt to keep more mold from growing, keeping the headspace in the jar low for the same reason.

The brussel sprouts are okay. Pretty crunchy, not much fermented flavor. The red cabbage has a beautiful color. Also pretty crunchy. 

 They've been sitting in the fridge for the past three months. I wonder how the taste and texture have evolved.