• If you have a question about commercial production or the hot sauce business, please post in The Food Biz.

fermenting Newest Ferment - Easy and Fun!

SmokenFire

Staff Member
Moderator
Business Member
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!
 
SmokenFire said:
 
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.   :)

 
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...
Update:
As far as sending canned sauces on a plane-no problem. I sent a couple jars to family in Florida and Washington and they got it intact. then I got some from PIC1 perfectly intact and realized I needed to work on my recipes a bit more. his sauces are awesome!!
 
Back to my ferment....I let it go for 2 months and decided to give it a shot. Sorry no pics. Took out a couple spoonfuls to put in the fridge just to keep for future ferments. Began by cooking down on the stove, it was a little thick but after using my hand blender in the pot it began to thin out some. Cooked it for about 20 minutes and then ran it through a food mill just to smooth it out more. Tasted good but VERY salty. Back on the stove, throw in a peeled potato, 15 minutes later tasted again. Still VERY salty. repeat with another potato, less salty but still too much for me.
 
At this point it was getting late so I just covered everything up and went to bed. Next morning, tasted again...Perfect!!!!
I think my taste buds were shot for the night. The heat level was nowhere near what I like but flavor was very sriracha-ish. Mission accomplished!!
 
I'm getting a digital scale because I think the spring loaded one is off. Also, my next batch is going to be with habs and ghosts. Will let you know once I get enough from my plants and can do it again.
 
Hybrid Mode 01 said:
 
     If this is the recipe for that one sauce you just sent me, kickass is right! I'm going to try a batch of this soon and hope it turns out half as good as yours!
 
This is the basic recipe for Lava Lips - with only a few minor changes.  I encourage you to try it - it really is easy and fun :D
 
Im low on pods right now, only have a handful of dried stuff from 2013 ive kept sealed up.... a random mix of santa fe grandes, yellow fatali and some unnamed pods that grew from a mystery mix of seed from ajijoe and store-bought dried pequin pods.... ill be scaling it down to accommodate the pods I have and plan to get it started within the week or so....
will post updates on it throughout....
 
rhm3769 said:
Im low on pods right now, only have a handful of dried stuff from 2013 ive kept sealed up.... a random mix of santa fe grandes, yellow fatali and some unnamed pods that grew from a mystery mix of seed from ajijoe and store-bought dried pequin pods.... ill be scaling it down to accommodate the pods I have and plan to get it started within the week or so....
will post updates on it throughout....
 
Sounds awesome rhm3769! I look forward to your updates :)
 
I'm bumping this thread with a new addition - a pepper only ferment.  Same weights as before: 1900 total grams peppers, stemmed and put through the food processor, mixed with 50 grams sea salt. 
 
The players:
 
2lc0k6b.jpg

 
Getting Spun Up:
 
29ol4z9.jpg

 
In the jar - already seeing some action on day two! :D
 
ws1zb8.jpg

 
Going to let this run for about a month and then see what we're working with.  
 
Thanks for looking. :)
 
Sounds like something I could do. Could one use frozen pods, or is this a fresh pods only project? How can one get and accurate ph test on ferments. Test strips?

Thanks for the info. The pics are cool as well.
 
OCD Chilehead said:
Sounds like something I could do. Could one use frozen pods, or is this a fresh pods only project? How can one get and accurate ph test on ferments. Test strips?

Thanks for the info. The pics are cool as well.
 
I used fresh.  I've heard others using frozen pods for ferments but I have little experience doing so, though a couple batches I have made had frozen pods added to them.
 
For pH testing I did initially use test strips because that's what I had.  Later on I got a pH meter off Amazon, works way better.  Be sure to get the buffer solutions to calibrate it.  Best of luck and please follow up with how it goes!  :)
 
Back
Top