Adding things to a ferment in progress? And a question. fermentation

I was wondering: I have been using a cabbage leaf as a lid for my grated carrots; As times goes by and I keep poking around the jar in order to taste, the lid becomes soft and useless. Instead of keeping the carrots tightly submerged, it ends up becoming a ballon that expands above the surface.

I have replaced the lid once already (the old one tasted like half-sour sauerkraut), but is there something one should keep in mind when doing this? Any particular risks involved, or are there perhaps better ways of going about this whole thing? I guess a 'real' lid or jar-fitting weight could be something worth keeping an eye out for.

Also, is it common practice to eat the whole jar before it has been in the refrigerator? I find myself wanting to locate different stages of development in taste and texture, so I've not decided when (or if) to halt/slow the fermentation! I guess I better get another jar started soon. Or perhaps two, one to leave in the background.

Submitted April 03, 2015 at 08:15PM by scomberscombrus http://ift.tt/1Ckt98m fermentation