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fermenting Espelette ferment

As posted elsewhere it's Piment Espelette time at this end...
 
So with a nod to SmokenFire for his Newest Ferment - Easy and Fun! recipe, here's what I put together this afternoon using said peppers:
 
Ingredients:
  • 450 g Piment Espelette
  • 240 g Red Habaneros
  • 460 g Carrots
  • 430 g Onions
  • 170 g Garlic
  • 65 g Salt
 
Steps:
  • Sterlise jar
  • Stem / trim everything
  • Blend, a lot
  • Into jar and seal
 
Proof ;) - Day 0 photo:
 
sauce-ferment-espelette-01.jpg

 
 
Indeed it doesn't have an airlock on it, but past experience has been good with the rubber seal letting excess gas out.
(I'm waiting for glass/ceramic drills and airlocks to arrive, because that would be a better approach...)
 
This time I was thinking to follow SmokenFire's recipe pretty closely, so 4-6 weeks.
 
In the past I've often let my ferments run a long time, e.g., 3, 6, 9 months. (I think I still have a sealed jar or two kicking around from 2017(!)...) The main thing I've noticed with a long ferment is the taste becomes: 1. more mellow; 2. more interesting flavour wise. No real head-to-head comparisons done, just what I've observed on a one-off basis.
 
I'm trying to be a little more systematic...
 
For completeness, here is the result:
 
espelette-hot-sauce.jpg

 
 
Comments:
  • Bottled on 14 Oct 2018.
  • As mentioned in a different post the end pH was 3.4 - http://thehotpepper.com/topic/69741-favorite-fermentation-starter/
  • For next time I would drop the quantity of garlic and salt a bit. The garlic flavour is great, but of course if one wants something less garlic influenced then less would be better.
  • I think I need to invest in a food mill. The blender did OK, but straining it was a pain.
 
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