Frequently asked questions

Lacto-fermentation can preserve food for several months, or even several years, at room temperature. To preserve the flavour and stability of the jars as well as possible, we recommend:

• In the refrigerator (ideal): cold greatly slows the activity of microorganisms. Your jars remain exactly as you received them.
• In a cellar (around 15 °C): a cool, stable temperature provides slow storage that suits fermented products.
• Up to 20 °C: most of our jars remain stable up to this temperature. It is normal for some to show a few bubbles, a sign that the jar is alive.
• Above 20 °C: the vegetables may begin fermenting again. This can cause slight fizzing when opened, leakage or a bulging lid. These are natural and harmless effects.

Once opened, we recommend keeping the jars in the refrigerator and preferably consuming them within two weeks. Most opened jars can, however, retain their qualities for much longer.

• Always use clean utensils when serving, to limit contamination.
• If you plan to finish a jar within a few days (3 to 5 days), you can keep it at room temperature. Serving from it regularly renews the top layer and limits oxidation.

Yes, this is normal. Fermentation remains active even after the vegetables have been put into jars. Depending on the batch, some jars may referment more than others: CO₂ builds up and pressurises the jar. When you open it, you hear a “pssst” and see bubbles like those in a fizzy drink.

Whether your jar fizzes or not, it will be delicious either way.

This is caused by carbon dioxide being produced as the vegetables continue to mature, especially when the temperature is higher than in our workshop (around 18.5 °C).

• Open the jar slightly to release the gas (“pssst”).
• Then place the jar in the refrigerator to stabilise the fermentation.

This is probably kahm yeast, a harmless white film that can appear on some jars. It is also found on olives or pickles, and sometimes during wine fermentation.

• As long as the smell is pleasant and appetising, the product remains safe to eat.
• Only a distinctly unpleasant smell or coloured mould (yellow, green or blue) means that the product is no longer good.
• If a jar has been forgotten for a long time and kahm yeast has taken over, its flavour may dominate the original taste, rather like a very mature cheese that will not appeal to everyone.

No, our preparations contain no milk. The term “lacto-fermentation” has nothing to do with milk: it simply refers to the production of lactic acid by microorganisms naturally present on vegetables. Our products are 100% plant-based, with no lactose or milk proteins, and are therefore suitable for people who are:

• lactose intolerant,
• allergic to milk,
• vegetarian or vegan.

However, we cannot guarantee that our workshop is completely free from traces of allergens. Although many of our recipes contain none, the production environment may result in minor cross-contamination. People with severe allergies must take this into account.

We have a complete page on this subject: Eating lacto-fermented vegetables is easy.

We do not currently reuse the jars.

• Recycle the lids with metal.
• Recycle the jars with glass.

We dispatch orders every Monday. An order placed during the week will therefore leave the following Monday. This lets us prepare the jars as close as possible to dispatch instead of leaving them waiting in stock.

We take two breaks during the year, in summer and at the end of December. The dates of the last dispatch and when dispatch resumes are announced on the website and in the newsletter.

Delivery is free for orders of CHF 65 or more. Below this amount, the delivery charge is displayed before payment is confirmed.

Yes, within 30 days of your purchase. After that, we can no longer issue a full refund.

A refund is justified in two cases:

• the parcel arrived damaged,
• a jar deteriorated before its stated consumption date.

Write to us at commande@fermentierra.com with your order number and, if possible, a photo. We will then ask for your bank details so that we can make the transfer.

No. Our jars are living and perishable: once a parcel has been dispatched, we no longer have any control over its storage conditions and therefore cannot put the products back on sale. If there is a problem with your order, a refund applies — write to us and we will find a solution.

Write to commande@fermentierra.com. This address is for everything relating to an order, delivery or refund.