As the title says I am new to all this, but I’m very enthusiastic and have started my first culture with white cabbage in a glass jar, and I’m on my fourth day. My question is how will I know when the cabbage is ready to eat and also I am concerned that if there is dangerous bacteria on the surface of the water and I ingest this it will make me ill won’t it? I ask this question because in Sandor's video he says that a film of bacteria on the top is quite common.
The water on the surface looks nice and clean with no problems, but if there is a small amount of bacteria there that I can’t see then obviously when I am taking the cabbage out of the neck of the jar it will most likely touch it and contaminate the cabbage so how can I avoid this?
Also do people drink the juice that the vegetables have been fermenting in – is it ok to do this or should it be thrown away? All advice gratefully received :)