Do I need a starter culture to ferment vegetables?Updated 2 years ago

No. Lactic acid fermentation is a fermentation process that runs very reliably with the microflora present on the vegetables. All we have to do is create the right conditions for the lactic acid bacteria to survive. On the internet you sometimes find the tip to inoculate your fermented vegetables with some ready-made sauerkraut juice. This is actually not necessary and can even be harmful. The types of lactic acid bacteria that are active during the 1st phase are not the same as those that are active during the 2nd phase. In addition, they are sensitive to acid. With the ready-made sauerkraut juice, we would therefore firstly inoculate the ferment with the wrong microbes for the initial phase and additionally possibly also acidify it too much. Whey is also not suitable for inoculation, as it also contains other lactic acid bacteria.