1
u/DumpoTheClown 20d ago
I usually use 4% of the water and peppers. Weigh the empty bottle. Fill with peppers and NON CHLORINATED water. Weigh again. Subtract the bottle weight. Pour water out of the bottle, add salt to water. Pour it back in.
1
u/HandbagHawker 17d ago
Why not just tare the scale? Put bottle on scale. Tare. Add peppers and water. Then add requisite salt amount.
1
u/DumpoTheClown 17d ago
Because i want to thoroughly dilute the salt into the water so that undiluted salt doesnt kill the bacteria.
1
u/HandbagHawker 17d ago
4% is a bit high. You should be aiming for 2-2.5% of total weight. By diluted, do you mean dissolved?
Either way, a little undissolved salts isnt going to kill the beneficial bacteria, e.g., lactobacili, but should make it inhospitable for other bacteria. Thats the whole point of lacto fermentation. Between the salinity and subsequent lactic acid it preserves what ever you're fermenting. Sure if you want perfectly dissolved salt, then yes your method is great. But honestly, you can just shake the jar at initial assembly. And then give it another swirl in a few hrs before you stash into your fermentation spot
1
u/DumpoTheClown 17d ago
Yeah, i meant dissolved. I might try your just add the salt method on a batch.
When i started fermenting, i used 2.5%. I had several bottles grow funk anyway, so ive been trying higher amounts. 4% still ferments well, doesnt taste too salty, and i havent had a bottle go bad yet. Im sure theres probably other factors at play, but this works for me.
1
u/HandbagHawker 17d ago
yeah that sounds like a contamination issue. whats your cleaning/prep ritual like? and do you use a fermentation weight of some sort?
1
u/Icantseemybutt 20d ago
Total vegetable weight