I trim the long beans to fit in the jar and can the ends as little pieces. Long ones for drinks and fancy garnishes, little ones go into Italian potato salad (boil red potatoes, slice & toss with vinegar while hot, add dilly beans, sliced pickled garlic, flat leaf parley, oil & vinegar). There are always plenty of shorties from the trimmings, I don't purposely cut up the big beans. Melissa

Sorry, I didn't mean to confuse things by using the term "pickled". I think of sauerkraut as a pickle (as in fermented pickle) so used the term incorrectly. Vinegar is not part of the recipe with the cabbage in question. Actually, I followed the NCHFP recipe almost exactly (except I only made 15lb and did not boil the brine that I added), used a very good digital scale, sterilized a food safe pail, and carefully measured pickling salt. Should be right on, so... Trying to clarify, but not sure if I can: If the proper amount of salt was there and the container it ferments in was open to air (though the cabbage itself is submerged fully below it's brine with a weighted plate, as directed by many recipes), then would botulism spores be able to produce the toxin in that environment? It seems to me that in everything I can find including some data at the FDA, vacuum packed foods and/or canned foods that are improperly processed are where the botulism risk is, and any container open to air is not the correct atmosphere for it to produce toxin. So to ask my second question about the acidity of kraut a different way: When you make a pickle or tomato sauce there is a known amount of acid that must be added to the recipe to make it safe. How would you know that the amount of lactic acid in your kraut is enough for it to be safe to bwb can? Is the mere fact that it did turn into kraut proof that the pH is low enough? It just seems like such an unscientific process amidst so much safety data about canning. This is a new process for me and I'm just trying to understand this more clearly.

Oh. I thought different vegies needed different ratios of salt and water, for safety reasons. Is that all wrong? Different veggies may benefit flavor-wise from different brine levels but that is a matter of taste. As long as you use one of the recommended salt brine levels - see salt brine charts referenced above in Joy of Pickling (JOP) for example - then you can safely ferment any vegetable or mixture of vegetables. This, of course, assumes you use the proper fermenting techniques too - enough brine to cover the amount of vegetables, time, air temps, cover, skimming, etc. Dave PS: Randy - feel free to start a new thread. That way the OP won'r be getting all the emails if it turns into a long discussion. :) This post was edited by digdirt on Sat, Oct 26, 13 at 11:16

Andy, your beans are still NOT there? They should be. I put them in the PO mailbox last Saturday. Even if they did not pick it up until after the weekend and the holiday (Tuesday), I would think that you still should of had them by now. Although the mail has been messed up here on the East Coast because of all the snow storms. Maybe that is it. I had emailed Sandhill because I never got their catalog yet this year and usually I have an order in to them by now. I did finally get the magazine 2 days ago, but they wrote me back saying that they sent it out all the way on the 7th of January, and that they had other people from the East inquiring about where their magazine was too. So, I hope that is it. Donna, hers was sent out the same day as yours Andy, and she got her seeds, however she is right on the East Coast like me so that could be why. Angelady, did you get yours? yours should of been to you also since it was in a priority mailer box. Well Andy, I would not worry yet. Just please let me know asap when you get them so I do not start to worry! I would think Monday they would have to be there after all of this time? Shucks, I was hoping to see you post that you received them. Also Andy, incase I forgot to write it in your envie, I have some greasy beans coming to me at some point. When they get here, I will be sure to send you some. I was able to find one to put in your envelope though. Christy