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fermenting Newest Ferment - Easy and Fun!

SmokenFire

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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!
 
JoeFish said:
Looks awesome!  Where is the best place to buy the airlocks?
 
JF - I bought a three pack of them from amazon a while back.  Link to the one I have is here.  You can purchase the airlocks and grommets separately and then get handy with a drill on a regular mason jar lid for far cheaper.  I paid $30 or so for the 3 pack about 2 years ago and have been completely happy though, through many batches of kraut, kimchee, pickle and pepper ferments.
 
edit:  Our local Brew & Grow also has them.
 
SmokenFire said:
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!

Is it really that easy? I have looked through a bunch of the fermenting threads and I am still hesitant to try. I think I would definitely cook and bottle it after the ferment. Would you add any vinegar when you cook or just as is?
 
SmokenFire said:
 
JF - I bought a three pack of them from amazon a while back.  Link to the one I have is here.  You can purchase the airlocks and grommets separately and then get handy with a drill on a regular mason jar lid for far cheaper.  I paid $30 or so for the 3 pack about 2 years ago and have been completely happy though, through many batches of kraut, kimchee, pickle and pepper ferments.
 
edit:  Our local Brew & Grow also has them.
 
Alright then!  I can get handy.  Thanks for the info.
 
tctenten said:
Is it really that easy? I have looked through a bunch of the fermenting threads and I am still hesitant to try. I think I would definitely cook and bottle it after the ferment. Would you add any vinegar when you cook or just as is?
 
I unabashedly tell you now and forever; it really IS that easy.  Do it just like you saw it.  I'm going on 2 years with this time tested base as 'go to' recipe.   Pull it 4 - 6 weeks in, process and be amazed.  Put it through the larger grates on your food mill and immediately recognize what Hoy Fung is doing w their sriracha. Put through the fine mesh disc of the food mill and the result is part Cholula and part Texas Pete. You might want to add a bit of vinegar for taste which will take it into Tabasco or Louisiana Hot Sauce territory.  Generally I don't add vinegar to this recipe because the ferment means you're already getting that tang and don't need to worry about ph.           
 
edit: when I do choose to cook it after initial fermentation I just pour our the mash into a suitable vessel and simmer for about 20 mins.  Then I blend it well with an immersion blender before hot packing the jars or sauce bottles.   
 
neoguy said:
any updates?
 
Indeed!  I just processed this ferment today!  Here we go:
 
Final Mash
 
25t99c0.jpg

 
Just opened the jar, smells good!
 
x2uctg.jpg

 
Close up of mash (I filled this container and will keep it in the fridge uncooked):
 
35k4g0n.jpg

 
Into the pot for cook down!
 
2wd7ek0.jpg

 
We're a bubblin'
 
2czwr2w.jpg

 
Gettin the food mill ready:
 
30c6qro.jpg

 
Into the mill for grindage!
 
iekzh3.jpg

 
Don't forget to scrape the under side of the food mill - thar's gold undaneeth!
 
2s7jdog.jpg

 
The milled mash is back to a simmer:
 
5mmsur.jpg

 
 
Next post time!
 
SmokenFire said:
Indeed!  I just processed this ferment today!  Here we go:
 
Final Mash
 
25t99c0.jpg

 
Just opened the jar, smells good!
 
x2uctg.jpg

 
Close up of mash (I filled this container and will keep it in the fridge uncooked):
 
35k4g0n.jpg

 
Into the pot for cook down!
 
2wd7ek0.jpg

 
We're a bubblin'
 
2czwr2w.jpg

 
Gettin the food mill ready:
 
30c6qro.jpg

 
Into the mill for grindage!
 
iekzh3.jpg

 
Don't forget to scrape the under side of the food mill - thar's gold undaneeth!
 
2s7jdog.jpg

 
The milled mash is back to a simmer:
 
5mmsur.jpg

 
 
Next post time!Sorry guys - I seem to be having issues posting the rest of this thread. I'll get some help and be back to finish later.
I love this...fermentation for dummies...just what I needed. How long do you cook the mash before the food mill, and how long after the food mill? Thanks for the tutorial.
 
OK - Trying again!  Picking up from where I left off:
 
AND NOW ZEE BOAT MOTOR!
 
aebnt0.jpg

 
 
Nice and smooth after blending
 
282nyq0.jpg

 
 
Bottles and caps and just clap ya hands:
 
2aew48w.jpg

 
 
Filled bottles inverted to sterilize:
 
mukivm.jpg

 
 
Money shot of Finished Sauce!
 
 
2jb2zi9.jpg

 
Final pH @ 3.6.  All told I got seven 5oz woozies out of this batch, plus 2 cups of uncooked mash for the fridge.  I put 2/3 of the batch through the fine screen of the food mill and the last 1/3 through the middle screen - gives me a consistency between Cholula and Sriacha.  Cook down and process time took me 40 minutes from cracking the jar to filling the woozies.  So one hour of total work for enough hot sauce and mash for myself for a couple months plus a few to give away to friends.  Thanks for reading!

 

tctenten said:
I love this...fermentation for dummies...just what I needed. How long do you cook the mash before the food mill, and how long after the food mill? Thanks for the tutorial.
 
Mash cooked for about 20 mins on high heat - enough to get a good simmer but not a boil.  Then food mill - after the mill it was a good thickness so I just re-heated to fill the bottles - maybe 5-10 mins -  and kept it at low heat while bottling.
Roguejim said:
One of the few who does not use whey/lacto. Interesting. I'm still working up the nads to give it a go. How do you determine the salt quantity?
 
Salt ratio by weight of ingredients = I'm shooting for around 4% salt by weight of mash, so almost a tablespoon of salt per pint.  
boostdemon said:
or any added water as well.
 
No water added, as this recipe is meant to be a thicker hot sauce.  No orifice reducer needed :)
 
SmokenFire said:
SF...good info, pictures tell the story. Great consistancy on the sauce.  Looks great! 
 
Roguejim said:
One of the few who does not use whey/lacto. Interesting. I'm still working up the nads to give it a go. How do you determine the salt quantity?
If you dont have a scale...like me you can use this brine recipe too. Chilimonsta pinned it in the fermenting 101 thread
 
Ive never done any my ferments by the weight method (no scale). Cover all your stuff with this formula and you good to go!
 
A strong brine(5.4%) is generally recommended for fermenting cucumbers/pickles as they are prone to mold growth.
A 3.6% brine should be used for all other vegetable lacto-fermentation recipes, such as:
peppers, carrots, garlic, mixed vegetables, sauerkraut, beets, green beans, broccoli

Brine Formulas (by volume measurements):

5.4% brine formula = 6 tablespoons salt to 8 cups water.
3.6% brine formula = 4 tablespoons salt to 8 cups water.
2.5% brine formula = 1 teaspoon salt to 1 cup water
(use 2.5% for supplementing sauerkraut & beets which are considered self -brining)
 
Almost forgot!  The spent mash is reserved and then put on the fruit leather trays of my dehydrator.  This completes the circle and means zero waste for your entire batch of mash!  CAPTAIN TASTY!!
 
collected:
 
pviq9.jpg

 
Then onto the screen:
 
2cqi2cx.jpg

 
This final step results in a chili powder that is quite unusual and tasty.  This exact powder blend is my secret ingredient for my version of Nashville 'Hot' Chicken.  Thanks for reading :)
 
I copied this recipe for my first two mashes. One using scotch bonnets/ hungarian hot wax , the other using yellow habs/hungarian hot wax Added mango/pineapple to both. It's a week tomorrow and both have some bubbles visible so guessing the fermenting is happening. This really has been as easy as described....
 
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