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My improvised sauce - is it safe?

L

Lorli

i'm on my 3rd batch of pepper sauce now using an improvised method that I came up with after reading various recipes on the internet.  
 
I use a mix of hot peppers (mostly Scotch bonnet) and add another kind of pepper for flavor (a bit of red bell pepper or seasoning peppers).
 
I cut off the stems but leave the little crowns and grind them, seeds and all, in the food processor with some organic apple cider vinegar.
 
Pour it into a jar and cover with a coffee filter and leave it in the cupboard for a couple of weeks, stirring with a wooden chopstick whenever I remember.  
 
Then grind it in the processor again and put into jars.  I kept the first batch in the fridge and the second in the cupboard until opening.
 
The first 2 batches came out great.  They got used up fast, so I don't know how long it would last.
 
This last batch is still in the cupboard.  When I went to stir it last night, there was some white stuff on top, looked a little like mold.  I took it off with a spoon and stirred the rest and put it back.  It still smells good.
 
Is it still safe to eat or should I throw it away and start over?   
 
 
 
 
 
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G'day and welcome to THP. 
 
To be able to be stored at room temperature, hot sauce needs to be acidic, with a pH reading of at least 4 or below.
 
A pepper "mash" which is to be fermented, needs an appropriate vessel and an airlock so no nasties can grow inside once the ferment starts producing carbon dioxide. 
 
I'm not sure which method you were aiming for, but they are two totally different processes.
 
I'd suggest having a good read here: http://thehotpepper.com/topic/29501-making-hot-sauce-101/
 
It should answer many of your questions, and is a valuable resource. The white growth could possibly be Kahm yeast.
 
SR.
 
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Thanks.  Do I need to throw away what I have?  I have to say that I improvise most of my cooking - I wouldn't have worried except for the white stuff.  I figure I would store it in the refrigerator.
 
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Well, personally I would throw it out and start fresh. Then decide on which type of sauce you want to make.
 
A non-fermented sauce with all acid coming from the ingredients like vinegar and citrus juice. As a beginner, I would recommend this method.
 
Or
 
A fermented sauce where the good bacteria provide the acid, in most cases vinegar and/or citrus juice is still added after fermentation.
 
Weigh ingredients, take notes, experiment and have fun.
 
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Yep, weigh everything and write it down. Anything not weighed like vinegar. make sure is measured accurately. It totally sucks to make something you loved and have difficulty recreating it again later.
 
If you want to practice with ferments, start with sauerkraut. Homemade is way better than the crap at the stores and its pretty simple to make. You only need canning salt and cabbage. It will keep for months in the fridge after it turns sour and a tbs or two of the "brine" is great for kick starting other ferments.
 
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You're living dangerously with the open air fermentation...I would be concerned with food poisoning with this method. If you want to ferment you should sanitize, use a starter such as yogurt / kefir or yeast, and use an airlock to keep out baddies. Or just go with fresh sauce w/ no fermentation. Either way you're going to want to get the ph down nice and low to keep it from growing nasty stuff...either get a ph pen, ph testing strips, or just closely follow an existing recipe that is proven to have sufficient lemon juice or vinegar to keep it sterile. 
 
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I tried making sauerkraut a few years ago.  I followed the recipe and instructions really carefully but when I opened the crock, there were about 1 million fruit flies in there...reminded me of the Genetics lab in college.  You always knew when the genetics course was in session.
 
I.m thinking I will start over with yogurt whey.  The stuff I have is still in  the cabinet and it smells really good every time I open the door.
 
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I use this for kraut and kimchi. Ive also used it before for peppers. Ive only seen them at Korean markets. Mine was about $14 for NiceLok brand. E-Jen brand is more expensive and its available in way more sizes. The inner lid holds the mash down.
 
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ShowMeDaSauce said:
I use this for kraut and kimchi. Ive also used it before for peppers. Ive only seen them at Korean markets. Mine was about $14 for NiceLok brand. E-Jen brand is more expensive and its available in way more sizes. The inner lid holds the mash down.
 
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Nice Container! 
 
I was going to be a smart a$$ and ask if they came in a 5 gallon size...until I checked their website and They DO!!!  and larger!  :eek:
http://crazykoreancooking.com/products/kimchi-fermenter
 
The 5.8gal/22L is $40 and the 11.8g/45L is $70.
 
https://www.amazon.com/Crazy-Korean-Cooking-Sauerkraut-Fermentation/dp/B00M40ANMO/ref=sr_1_5?m=A2I4DV9T61III8&s=merchant-items&ie=UTF8&qid=1525120020&sr=1-5
 
 
 
 
 
 
shoot, now I'm hankering for some fresh kimchee....
 
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MAFWIZ said:
You're living dangerously with the open air fermentation...I would be concerned with food poisoning with this method. 
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"Food poisoning" due to which microbes? Specifically? That you can link specifically to open air fermentation.
 
Thanks in advance.
 
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Early on I tried a few open air ferments (covered with a cheese cloth) and lost a couple batches to molds.  They were peppers I really wanted to make into sauces so the disappointment was real.  After that I switched to airlocks and have not had another issue with molds.
 
You're making a pepper mash and adding vinegar Lorli, but I do not know what other ingredients (garlic, salt, etc) you may or may not be using.  As mentioned the pH of the mash is important for preservation, as a highly acidic environment in your mash will keep the bad bugs (mold, botulism) away.  If you're currently using just peppers and vinegar you should make sure you have enough vinegar to lower the pH of your mash.  You won't be fermenting at that point, rather you'll be aging the mash as the acid of the vinegar inhibits the lacto's ability to multiply quickly enough to add any significant amount of lactic acid for preservation purposes.
 
Though many use them with great success I feel some starters can add different flavor profiles to the final product, so I run salt only ferments most of the time these days.  If you're interested in fermenting pepper mash here is a link to a tutorial I did a while back on fermenting peppers that may be of some use.  Alternately you can bring your existing recipe to a boil in a small sauce pan, turn it out into jars and refrigerate until using - and that would be perfectly fine as well.
 
Glad you found us Lorli.  This forum is an amazing resource for all things pepper.  :)
 
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Thanks for your advice (everyone else, too).  I put some salt into the last batch but apart from that, use only peppers and apple cider vinegar.  No other ingrediants, but I use several different types of pepper.
 
I am going to send away for an airlocked container and start over again, after reading the tutorials here (again).
 
This forum is amazing.
 
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My supplies are here!  I ended up with the Picklemeister, inexpensive at Wisementrading.com.  I just have to get some more peppers before I start, as the plants are only seedlings now.   I also hope to try making Kimchi and Sauerkraut - I've never tasted either, and found recipes for fermented pickled cranberries.  
 
Thanks again.  I will be able to serve and give away bottles of pepper sauce without having to call the recipients afterwards to ask if they are okay.
 
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Sauerkraut is ridiculously easy to make. Weigh out some sliced cabbage. I would go for around 2-3lbs for a trial run. Add 2-2.5% sea salt or canning salt by weight so weighing in grams might be easier. Mix it all up in a bowl. Let it weep for 2 hours exposed to the air. You can cover it with a towel if you wish. Every 30min or so mix it up again. After 2hours pack it tight into your fermenter. Dont leave a lot of air space though. The more air space the greater chance of yeast forming. Yeast love oxygen, lacto bacteria dont need oxygen. If you need additional liquid (although i really never do) just add some 2% salt/water brine on top. Anything glass to hold the cabbage down will help too.
 
You can other things to the mix if you wish like carrot threads, garlic, dill or even pepper flakes. Standard kraut though is nothing more than salt and cabbage. Some people like to add caraway seeds too.
 
Put the fermenter in a dark area since yours is clear. Try to shoot for around 70-80F for at least the first few days. In a cabinet over the refrigerator is usually a great spot. Once it smells sour you can move it to a slightly cooler spot if you really want too. When there is no doubt its sour put it in the fridge and leave it alone for a couple weeks. Fermentation will slow down in the cold but IMO you end up with a better product.
 
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Great, thanks!  I will give it a try, then will try to properly ferment hot peppers.
I read that you can make pickled cranberries, similar to sauerkraut...I would like to try that, too.
 
 
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