Abstract:This study focused on the screening and identification of lactic acid bacteria specific for vegetable fermentation and the preparation of a direct vat set starter.Salt-tolerant and acid-producing candidate strains were preliminarily obtained through in vitro screening.The candidate strains were inoculated into the potherb mustard fermentation system.The physicochemical properties（pH value，titratable acid content，salinity，nitrite content，and aerobic plate count），volatile flavor characteristics，and sensory attributes during fermentation were analyzed in combination with 16S rDNA technology.Lactic acid bacteria strains with excellent characteristics for vegetable fermentation were identified.A direct vat set starter was prepared，and its storage stability was investigated.The results showed that ten candidate strains with salt tolerance and acid-producing ability were screened from 141 strains.These ten candidate strains were inoculated into the potherb mustard fermentation system，and strain WZW-1 exhibited superior performance in physicochemical properties，types，and contents of volatile flavor compounds，and received the highest overall score in sensory evaluation.The strain was identified as Lactobacillus plantarum WZW-1.The freeze-drying survival rate of the direct vat set starter prepared with the dominant strain WZW-1 was（97.58±0.83）%，with an aerobic plate count of 11.82 lg（CFU/g）.After one year of storage at -20 ℃，the aerobic plate count remained at 10.12 lg（CFU/g）.