Water seal vs open crock pickles
As long as your vegetables are submerged, you will be fine and there really is no difference.  You will likely need to place something on top to keep the vegetables under the brine.  Often a &quot;pickling crock&quot; will come with weights that fit inside, but anything will work. By way of example, I simply use one of these containers for my vegetables and brine.  Then I fill a second with water, and place it on top. That keeps the vegetables from floating, and limits the formation of mold on top of the ferment.