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fermenting Newest Ferment - Easy and Fun!

SmokenFire

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Here is the ferment I finished yesterday.
 
Recipe step by step:
 
You need:
 
1 half gallon (64oz) mason jar, airlock, large mouth band and,
 
1 pound red ripe jalas or fresnos or hungarian finger hots (this batch done w jalapenos) - stemmed
8 ounces habaneros - stemmed
1 pound carrots - trimmed
1 pound onions - quartered
6 ounces of garlic cloves - skinned
40 grams of canning or pickling salt (my scale does both grams and ounces.  40 grams = 1.41 ounces)
 
1. Trim and stem your ingredients.  Be smart and wear gloves.  I use our meat scissors to stem the peppers and cut them into smaller pieces.
2, Throw everything into the food processor and press play (note this recipe amount requires 2 batches in normal sized food processor)
3. Add salt while machine is running
4. Pour out mash into large bowl and mix well - look for any larger chunks and grind em up fine
5. Spoon into sanitized jar and seal with airlock
6. Wait about 4 weeks.  Monitor mash throughout that time period to make sure its doing all the right things.
 
Total time needed: About 10 minutes to stem and trim, about 10 minutes to process and jar.  Zero to kickass in 20 minutes!
 
Provided everything went right* this fermented mash can then be moved to the fridge as is after 4 weeks.  You can spoon pure lovely joy outta the jar for however long it takes you to finish it OR you can take the whole batch and cook/food mill/cook/blend/bottle into hot sauce as so many around here like to do (myself included).  This recipe usually makes about 70 or so ounces, which will fill one 1/2 gallon mason jar all the way with a little left over to enjoy until the batch is ready.  Enjoy!
 
Photos:
 
The players:
 
x0wtq8.jpg

 
the blended mash after food processor:
 
33ojxvk.jpg

 
jarred up and ready to chill:
 
i422jb.jpg

 
In four or so weeks this will be a complex and wonderful product with nice immediate hit of heat followed by some sweetness from the carrot and savory from the garlic and onion - with a good lasting burn.  I'd say non chile heads will think this is just about fire, whereas we'd call it a 4 or 5 on a ten point scale.  Feel free to substitute your favorite peppers but try to keep the ratios roughly the same as the recipe is well balanced as is.  
 
*Save yourself some frustration and read up on the fermenting thread before you start in order to keep your ferments from going south.  The info here on THP helped me immensely when I was first starting out.  Always use common sense and good sanitation along with your eyes and nose!
 
Thanks, had been reading just that but was freaking out to see my first kham. I had put the mashes in the cupboard above the fridge as it's getting cold here and the rest of the house is cool most of the time. Moving them to a warmer environment either kicked off the ferment(and yeast) or it was coincidence, cuz it was the following day everything started to happen.
 
I'm a newbie to peppers, computers, this forum... and fermented hot sauce. I'd been fascinated by the other threads on this topic ( i studied microbiology in college 30 years ago ), but also daunted. The data from everyone has been fascinating, but...

...Picture me as a kitchen klutz who's trying to bake a cake from scratch. You're the kind neighbor who just handed me a box of cake mix, and showed me how to crack an egg.

For all this recipe's simplicity, i suspect it's taste is purely gourmet. Thanks for sharing.
 
mikeg said:
I'm a newbie to peppers, computers, this forum... and fermented hot sauce. I'd been fascinated by the other threads on this topic ( i studied microbiology in college 30 years ago ), but also daunted. The data from everyone has been fascinating, but...

...Picture me as a kitchen klutz who's trying to bake a cake from scratch. You're the kind neighbor who just handed me a box of cake mix, and showed me how to crack an egg.

For all this recipe's simplicity, i suspect it's taste is purely gourmet. Thanks for sharing.
 
Thanks mikeg and Fireman Smith!   Hope you guys love the results :D  
 
OK Used your recipe but had to cut it in half. Only used Hawaiian chili pepper and Thai dragons in this recipe since it's my first one and I have the most of these types to play with. 
 
The ingredients:
12oz peppers
1/2 lb carrot
1/2 lb onion
3oz garlic
20g salt
Bottom line, looks good.
 
RWOOvNT.jpg

 
 
The mash after mixing
mk4jl23.jpg

 
 
Done Deal!!! Only thing to do now is Wait :P
nAm9wFr.jpg

 
There was a little more than a quarts worth so I stuck what couldn't fit into another jar for the fridge. It's already very tasty :drooling:
 
SmokenFire said:
Looking great Hawaiianero and Fireman Smith!  Can't wait to hear what you guys think after processing.   :)
Update:
It's been a little over a month now, the jar I put in the fridge I dip into almost every day for adding to whatever I eat. Not really fermenting but it tastes good and pretty much gone.
The jar that is fermenting, I keep at my work because temperature is stable at 78 degrees. It doesn't look much different mainly because there's not a whole lot of liquid in it so there's no separation going on. Got no yeast or any uglies growing on the top and I do see a few bubble formations in there. I think it must be gassing out because there's a wonderful aroma coming out of the air lock, faint but noticeable. I think I'm ready to cook down and process.
I want to can some by hot water bath to send overseas to family but am afraid that the low air pressure in an airplane at high altitudes might make the lids pop off.
Any input/suggestions to that?
 
cypresshill1973 said:
Very well explained!

You do not use the starter?
I followed smokenfires recipe posted at the beginning of this thread. I just cut it in half and used different peppers. Other threads talk about not needing starters but it would take longer to ferment. That's why I went for a month. I'm thinking of using a spoonful of this stuff in my next ferment to help that one along. If I understand things right, that's an acceptable way to kickstart a new ferment.
 
cypresshill1973 said:
Very well explained!

You do not use the starter?
 
No starter my friend - all natural with what's present on the peppers.  Note:  Do not cut the salt levels for this ferment - the salt is the sentinel that keeps everything safe.  :)
Hawaiianero said:
Update:
It's been a little over a month now, the jar I put in the fridge I dip into almost every day for adding to whatever I eat. Not really fermenting but it tastes good and pretty much gone.
The jar that is fermenting, I keep at my work because temperature is stable at 78 degrees. It doesn't look much different mainly because there's not a whole lot of liquid in it so there's no separation going on. Got no yeast or any uglies growing on the top and I do see a few bubble formations in there. I think it must be gassing out because there's a wonderful aroma coming out of the air lock, faint but noticeable. I think I'm ready to cook down and process.
I want to can some by hot water bath to send overseas to family but am afraid that the low air pressure in an airplane at high altitudes might make the lids pop off.
Any input/suggestions to that?
 
Glad you like it Hawaiianero!  I can't speak to how it might fare on a plane - the cargo area not being pressurized makes me leery too.  I'd say throw it in your carry on for a trip when you're out visiting, but the damn TSA would probably confiscate it!   Were I set on sending some I think I'd freeze it and mail it overnight in a styro or other insulating container.  I've done the same with multiple other foodstuffs with good results.  Spendy though...
 
FiremanSmith said:
Just processed my first two ferments and they turned out well. I did add vinegar to get the flavour i wanted and pressure canned the entire lot in pint jars.

Putting on a couple more red hab ferments today.....
 
Great to hear FiremanSmith!  Glad you liked the results.  
 
Hey SF... thanks for the recipe.  Disclaimer... new at this (fourth ferment underway).  Have a question about garlic and onion.
 
So my first ferment was a verde with green jalapenos and serranos using about 1.5 pounds total of peppers with a medium sized sweet onion, a head of garlic and a carrot.  I halved the peppers and coarse chopped the rest then ran it through the viatamix after the ferment. 
 
The result was an overwhelming "raw" onion and garlic flavor.  I ended up cooking it to mellow those flavors then added it to a second ferment with Thai chili and tomatillos.  (Didn't have enough heat.)  Now I'm happy with it.  Lot's of flavor and just a bit more heat than Green Tabasco (and way better IMO).  
 
What's your thoughts on the "raw" (bitter) notes I had from the original ferment?  Too much onion and garlic to the amount of mild peppers?  Or maybe did it have to do with not mashing first?  The veggies were mush when I pulled them out after 2 weeks at 78-80 degrees.  In hind sight I should have tasted the onion to see what kind of flavor it was going to add then keep adding to the blender until I had the profile that was right.  
 
Thanks in advance for any input.
 
Hey shortbus! Hard to know what happened for sure, but I think it has to do with lack of fermentable sugars.  The ratio of ingredients also seems off; green peppers instead of red, not certain equal amounts of onion/carrot were used, peppers halved but the rest was coarse chopped, ferment only went two weeks, etc.  
 
My original recipe as written will definitely have a good amount of garlic/onion notes in the finished product, but it's not overwhelming or raw in my opinion. Every palate is different. :)  I'm glad your final result after mixing with the thai/tomatillos is good though!    
 
If you have the ingredients I do encourage you to make the recipe as written when you get time.  You're currently 4 ferments in, so all I can say is keep going!  With time and practice you'll be able to alter recipes to suit your individual tastes.  
 
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