❓How do I make homemade vegetarian pickles without them going wrong?

Failures usually come down to two things: the container and the brine concentration. The container needs to be completely free of oil and unboiled water — it's best to scald it with boiling water and let it air dry first, or you risk contamination that leads to mold. For the brine, aim for 3-5% salt (about 30-50 grams of salt per liter of water) — too weak and things spoil, too strong and fermentation slows way down. Pat your ingredients dry before putting them in the jar, then leave it somewhere cool for the first 3 days to let fermentation kick off (you'll see little bubbles), then move it somewhere cooler or into the fridge to slow things down and keep the crunch. When you're taking pickles out, always use clean, oil-free chopsticks — never let chopsticks that have touched your mouth or oil go into the jar. That's the detail that trips people up the most.