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6 hours ago, eugenep said:

Hey. I looked at the articles referenced in the links. Here is one quote: 

 

"So how often does botulism really occur in fermented foods?...I did not find a single incident of fermented vegetables, sauerkraut,...etc. " 

 

It sounds like the risk of botulism is low or nil (as I suspected). 

 

Further down in that article, you will find: 

Quote

Adding salt to a ferment also reduces C. botulinum's ability to grow, and encourages beneficial bacteria to take over. 

Perhaps a reason botulism is rare in fermented foods is due to people actually following recipes that reduce its ability to grow...you know... using appropriate amounts of salt!

You are correct that the risks in fermented foods are very low, in part due to high salt and acid levels but they are not nil and the consequences (um, death) are so devastating that many here choose to follow guidelines.

I can't believe I'm devoting keystrokes here but there is absolutely nothing correct in the assumptions below.  Nothing.

6 hours ago, eugenep said:

By..sterlization..you mean heat up the food above a certain temperature (e.g., 165F) or add a lot of vinegar after fermentation (which will sterilize it)? I'm hoping the latter works since I think it's too much work to cook it again and likely will be skipped. 

Choosing to incubate food stuffs in conditions (anaerobic, low salt, low acid) that allow C. botulinum growth and then cooking or adding acid, isn't a preventative as neither of those treatments will inactivate any botulinum toxin that might have been produced during your merry low-salt fermentation. 

But, do carry on!

5 hours ago, eugenep said:

Hey. I looked at the articles referenced in the links. Here is one quote: 

 

"So how often does botulism really occur in fermented foods?...I did not find a single incident of fermented vegetables, sauerkraut,...etc. " 

 

It sounds like the risk of botulism is low or nil (as I suspected). 

 

Further down in that article, you will find: 

Quote

Adding salt to a ferment also reduces C. botulinum's ability to grow, and encourages beneficial bacteria to take over. 

Perhaps a reason botulism is rare in fermented foods is due to people actually following recipes that reduce its ability to grow...you know... using appropriate amounts of salt!

You are correct that the risks in fermented foods are very low, in part due to high salt and acid levels but they are not nil and the consequences (um, death) are so devastating that many here choose to follow guidelines.

I can't believe I'm devoting keystrokes here but there is absolutely nothing correct in the assumptions below.  Nothing.

5 hours ago, eugenep said:

By..sterlization..you mean heat up the food above a certain temperature (e.g., 165F) or add a lot of vinegar after fermentation (which will sterilize it)? I'm hoping the latter works since I think it's too much work to cook it again and likely will be skipped. 

Choosing to incubate foods stuff in conditions (anaerobic, low salt, low acid) that allow C. botulinum growth and then cooking or adding acid, isn't a preventative as neither of those treatments will inactivate any botulinum toxin that might have been produced during your merry low-salt fermentation. 

But, do carry on!