Fermentation hotline

Celery Kvass My last two columns on home fermentation triggered a surprising number of email questions from readers. In today's column, I'll address the three most commonly asked questions and pass on a couple new recipes. How can I tell if it's safe to eat? Fermentation is one of the oldest methods of food preservation. It's very safe as long as you adhere to some basic principles. The goal is to create an acidic environment that is too harsh for non-beneficial bacteria and molds. Pickling achieves this by adding vinegar. Lacto-fermentation achieves this by salting and creating a brine that is ideal for lactic-acid-producing bacteria and inhospitable to other bad bacteria. Because lactic-acid bacteria are anaerobic, as long as the veggies are kept submerged "underwater," they are protected from the bad aerobic bacteria.