- Chile piquín
- Apples
- Carrots
- Cider vinegar
- Cranberries
- Molasses
- Salt
- Sugar
- Tamarind
-
If you have a question about commercial production or the hot sauce business, please post in The Food Biz.
tutorial Fermenting Peppers 101
- Thread starter RocketMan
- Start date
great post....one thing, i wouldnt use bleach to clean anything near food. Soap and water is great for a sanitizer just use vinegar, its the best.
I just started making the sourdough starter....
I just started making the sourdough starter....
I found one of these and bought it used for a couple bucks and I'm thinking to use it to ferment hot sauce. I cleaned it out and didn't find any leaks and I think if I put an airlock on top this should work fine. Good/Bad idea? This year will be the first time I try this and I'd like to not screw it up. BTW this thread has been very helpful and all the info provided is appreciated! Thanks!
bukowski9 said:I found one of these and bought it used for a couple bucks and I'm thinking to use it to ferment hot sauce. I cleaned it out and didn't find any leaks and I think if I put an airlock on top this should work fine. Good/Bad idea? This year will be the first time I try this and I'd like to not screw it up. BTW this thread has been very helpful and all the info provided is appreciated! Thanks!
Hey Bukowski,
I'd imagine it would work fine for hot sauce till the end when you're trying to get the mash out of the barrel - that little funnel is going to back up. I have a Mr Beer my wife gave me years ago but I don't do extract brewing anymore. To the point - I ferment my pepper mash for hot sauce in 1/2 and 1 gallon mason jars now with airlocks I ordered from Amazon. Works like a charm and is still cheap.
First welcome to THP bukowski!
The Mr. Beer might be a good thing for fermenting your mash and actually as it's made for fermenting, beer which has a more aggressive fermentation than peppers do, I don't think your going to need an Airlock. Well, unless it's already been drilled out for one. Just don't use the valve to drain it into the cook pot and you'll be fine.
The Mr. Beer might be a good thing for fermenting your mash and actually as it's made for fermenting, beer which has a more aggressive fermentation than peppers do, I don't think your going to need an Airlock. Well, unless it's already been drilled out for one. Just don't use the valve to drain it into the cook pot and you'll be fine.
Several reasons. But the two that I find most desireable are 1) the development of lactic acid which tends to compliment acetic acid (vinegar) quite nicely in sauces and 2) the development of pectin which is a natural thickening agent which prevents your sauces from separating after homogenization. If you're using fresh (unfermented) peppers, chances are you'll either have to make a VERY thick blend for it not to separate, or use a thickening agent additive such as cornstarch or xanthan gum to keep the sauce from breaking.Jupiter said:
First off welcome to THP Jupiter, you picked the best place on the web for all the spicy info. Fermenting is an old, very old, method of preserving foods. The idea is to have a shelf stable product it has to have a Ph below 4.0. Typically when one of my mashes finishes it's fermentation it comes out around Ph 3.4. That's only half of what needs to be done though. Proper hot packing and bottling of the sauce goes along with that.
One of the big reasons people start fermenting that I've found though is they don't like the strong vinegar flavor in their sauces. The lactic acid, well to me at least, allows the flavor of the sauce to shine through better. There's no vinegary zing to it.
One of the big reasons people start fermenting that I've found though is they don't like the strong vinegar flavor in their sauces. The lactic acid, well to me at least, allows the flavor of the sauce to shine through better. There's no vinegary zing to it.
Jupiter said:
I first started out just like you - using corn starch to thicken as I was cooking down my first few hot sauces. After some trial (and error) I got a pretty good few batches. Then I discovered THP and started reading everything I could about hot sauce making. That led me to fermenting, which has really improved my results.
Fermenting is much less of a hassle than most think. And the rewards are truly amazing.
salsalady
Business Member
I just saw this at the local market and snagged one! It looks like a good set up with the grommet in the lid...and more interesting...is the "brine cup" which floats under the lid to keep the pulp away from the bubbler tip.
I haven't had time to get something started, but wanted to share with y'all anyway. Sorry if this is a duplicate.
http://www.perfectpickler.com/
I'll post pics in a few days when I can get something started.
I haven't had time to get something started, but wanted to share with y'all anyway. Sorry if this is a duplicate.
http://www.perfectpickler.com/
I'll post pics in a few days when I can get something started.
salsalady said:
Nice find SL! I'll be ordering one to see how it compares to my current set up. Many thanks
I considered buying the Perfect Pickler, but realized that it was simply an airlock, a plastic mason jar lid with a hole and rubber gasket in the center.
So I made my own.(actually I made 5)
Took about 2 minutes...total cost less than $3.00 ea.
I use a 2 or 3 oz plastic condiment cup as the "brine cup" (which isn't really necessary most the time)
Works like a charm every time.
$3.00 Vs $!9.50
So I made my own.(actually I made 5)
Took about 2 minutes...total cost less than $3.00 ea.
I use a 2 or 3 oz plastic condiment cup as the "brine cup" (which isn't really necessary most the time)
Works like a charm every time.
$3.00 Vs $!9.50
salsalady
Business Member
After looking at it, I realize I could make it also. For those that don't have tools to cleanly drill a plastic lid, find a gasket and grommet, find a restaurant supply store for a SS condiment cup and also get a bubbler...
...the Pickler is a good option as it includes everything and a sample of sea salt.
First quart of red chiles started.....we'll see....
...the Pickler is a good option as it includes everything and a sample of sea salt.
First quart of red chiles started.....we'll see....
Good luck with those red chile's. I have no doubt the perfect pickler will ferment them perfectly.
Mother nature will see to that.
Vegetables and fruits of all varieties have been safely fermented for thousands of years....without airlocks and pricey crocks.
They are truly unnecessary, except for someone's peace of mind that doesn't really understand whats going on when vegetables and fruits ferment.
A "natural airlock" , keeping the ingredients fully submerged in a proper brine solution, is all that is required for safe results.
I seldom use the mason lid airlocks I made (but they do help keep the vinegar flies at bay sometimes)
Just screw the jar lid on snugly and place it inside a shallow dish just in case any brine seeps out.
When there's a lot of activity, just let the gasses out and reseal.
Mother nature will see to that.
Vegetables and fruits of all varieties have been safely fermented for thousands of years....without airlocks and pricey crocks.
They are truly unnecessary, except for someone's peace of mind that doesn't really understand whats going on when vegetables and fruits ferment.
A "natural airlock" , keeping the ingredients fully submerged in a proper brine solution, is all that is required for safe results.
I seldom use the mason lid airlocks I made (but they do help keep the vinegar flies at bay sometimes)
Just screw the jar lid on snugly and place it inside a shallow dish just in case any brine seeps out.
When there's a lot of activity, just let the gasses out and reseal.
I agree with Chuck Wagon. In my experience, there's not enough CO2 released from lactic acid fermentation to require the use of an airlock. In ethanol fermentation (for things like beer/wine) much much more CO2 is usually released so it makes sense to use an airlock for that, but not so much for LB fermentation. Just burp the vessel every so few weeks when the lid puffs up slightly.Chuck Wagon said:
Exactly Pablo.
And thats why even when you don't see many bubbles, the fermentation is still taking place and lactic acid is still being created.
Mother Nature is a pretty slick chic.
Edit:
Whew, I thought I'd read the entire thread. But only made it to page 8 so far.
Still, there is a lot of great information and first hand "knowledgeable" experience. Very Valuable.
But there seems to also be a great deal of over thinking about a basic and simple vegetable preservation process that has been tested and proven by time.
And thats why even when you don't see many bubbles, the fermentation is still taking place and lactic acid is still being created.
Mother Nature is a pretty slick chic.
Edit:
Whew, I thought I'd read the entire thread. But only made it to page 8 so far.
Still, there is a lot of great information and first hand "knowledgeable" experience. Very Valuable.
But there seems to also be a great deal of over thinking about a basic and simple vegetable preservation process that has been tested and proven by time.