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fermenting Fermented Hot Chili Sauce

Chili Monsta

Chili Monsta

After being inspired recently by fellow THP member RocketMan, I made my first fermented batch of peppers of the 2011 season. And while I was at it, decided to assemble a simple step by step pictorial of the process.
I used the Nourished Kitchen recipe found at:
http://nourishedkitchen.com/fermented-hot-chili-sauce-recipe/
.....substituting peppers from my plants along with a few Hab's I purchased.
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I hope others find this helpful and realize how relatively easy, along with healthy and safe fermentation can be.

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(Pepper and salt measurements by weight rather than volume)

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I prefer to use air locks rather than needing to monitor the sealed jar and release pressure when required. However, both methods will achieve successful results.

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Note:
Since the room temperature is 80 degrees, this batch should be ready for the fridge after about 5 days, where as with cooler temps the initial fermentation might take a full 7 days.

Nourished kitchens also has an excellent resource e-book titled "Get Cultured" which can be downloaded free at:

http://nourishedkitchen.com/get-cultured/

Get Cultured contains helpful techniques and instructions in addition some great fermenting recipes for vegetables and peppers.
Enjoy!
EDIT: for typo's
 
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Excellent tutorial!

The only thing I do differently is add a weight above the mash and top off with brine or unsweetened pineapple juice. I place a small floating cup below the airlock...that way there's no place for mold or yeast to easily develop.


~Dig
 
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I made my first mash last night following the steps in this thread. I probably used too much salt since I don't have a kitchen scale yet. I also didn't add any additional sugar. I can see plenty of bubbles and things look good. I was wondering what are my options for storing the mash. After a week of fermenting can I add an airtight lid and store in the fridge? Is there any way to store a mash at room temperature?
 
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Depending on the particular food being fermented, most foods will need refrigeration after the desired fermentation is complete.

The reason is, there is always another microbe(bacteria-yeast-mold) ready and willing to keep the ferment going.
By carefully controlling and manipulating the moisture, oxygen, temperature, nutrients and pH, the foods are preserved and protected for later use.

During the primary/desired ferment the environment is not suitable for toxic microbes to grow and compete.
As the sugars and starches are used up,the by-products increase and change the pH,then the ability of the desirable microbes (ie. friendly and non-toxic) to survive decreases,while the ability of the undesirable microbes(ie. toxic) increases.
Refrigeration severely slows the growth of all microbes.
It puts the fermented food into a sort of suspended animation where all the microbes,(both toxic and non-toxic ), stop nearly all their growth (although eventually it will still spoil even in the fridge).

Our ancestors used a root cellar,while the Koreans buried their pickled veggies in the ground.
In addition to my regular one,I keep a small (dorm room sized) fridge to store my ferments at around 45 degrees.
I dip into my assortment of hot pepper mashes throughout the year whenever I need to replenish a hot sauce or try a new recipe.
Sometimes I will cook some mash with my sauce ingredients and then bottle or pressure can for storage.
But by cooking the mash, all the beneficial... healthy...friendly bacteria and nutrients created by the fermenting process are destroyed.
So more often, I cook the sauce ingredients, and after it cools a bit, I add the desired amount of a pepper mash.Then put the sauce in sterilized jars or bottles and refrigerate.

I hope this helps you out Zander.
Granted, its a rather long winded answer to your question...but it's pretty much the why and how of my approach in a nutshell.
And thanks to the lessons learned from my Grand Ma and a Korean family member, I enjoy my home made fermented foods nearly every day.
CM
EDIT to add link.
Here is a link to and excellent article titled:
"Storage Stability of Vegetables Fermented with pH Control"
http://www.ncsu.edu/foodscience/USDAARS/Acrobatpubs/P151-189/p164.pdf
 
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I did a small batch of hot peppers a few days ago. I did not use a starter, just a 5.4% salt/water brine. I also used a airlock. And the same thing hapened to me last year, it has already got the white stuff on top. Granted the mash did come up out of the water some. It does not smell bad or anything. Any tips? I figure the prob is i need to keep it all under the brine. So, any tips on what i can use to keep it all under the brine if that is my prob?
 
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rmardis said:
I did a small batch of hot peppers a few days ago. I did not use a starter, just a 5.4% salt/water brine. I also used a airlock. And the same thing hapened to me last year, it has already got the white stuff on top. Granted the mash did come up out of the water some. It does not smell bad or anything. Any tips? I figure the prob is i need to keep it all under the brine. So, any tips on what i can use to keep it all under the brine if that is my prob?
Click to expand...

The white growth is probably kahm yeast. Yeasts play an important roll during lacto-fermentation,and while kahm yeast looks kinda scary, don’t worry.
It's white, velvety, and powdery, and is harmless,but it's something you DON’T want to let continue to grow since it affects the flavor of what you are fermenting.
It's usually caused by under salting, and/or exposure to air, and is very common when using an open crock method when fermenting. Your 5.4% brine solution is plenty , but it can still grow on the surface if oxygen is present.
My guess is the ferment process(creation of lactic acid and C02)was slower to begin than the yeast.
Therefore any residual oxygen was not forced out of the environment inside the ferment container.That's why optional starters are sometimes used, especially this time of the year when the ambient temperatures (like in West Ky) are conducive to mold and yeast growth.

I always make sure my jars (and all utensils)are very clean...(almost to the point of being compulsive)
Use enough salt so the ferment is sufficiently acid (especially when it’s started)
Ensure the jars and air locks you use are air tight.
Keeping the ingredients submerged beneath the surface of the brine solution

When you notice the yeast growth,just scoop it off the surface and add some more brine solution to cover the surface.Any small particles can be stirred back into the ferment, where it can't survive.

Another approach,(which I use most often) is to do what is called a Dry-Brine.
This alternative is where you add salt to each layer of the peppers, pound/press the ingredients at each layer to help the peppers release their moisture and force out any residual oxygen..
Then you add only enough water to cover the ferment.
The amount of salt used (ie. 6%-10%) is proportional to the weight of the prepared peppers or vegetables.
CM
EDIT:
somewhere on here, I posted a pic of me removing some kahm yeast from a small open crock.
I went on to finish the fermented pepper mash,which has long since been consumed.
 
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Thanks for the infor. I am going to strain some of my kefir i make to use the whey from it as a starter. I am now looking for things in the house to use as weight to hold down my mash under the brine. I washed and clean everything good, but next time i will boil everything to stay on the safe side. Everything should be air tight-check. The reason i do not layer with salt is bc i do not have scales, so i thought it would be better for me to make a brine mixture. I still have lots of peppers that are not mature yet, so this was just a small batch. still waiting for more of my peppers to mature. thanks agian CM. Next time with a bigger batch i will load my pics. do you have any tips on what you use as weights? As of now i am just using quart size mason jars with the wide mouth. Soon to prob be scattered all over our home. I am sure the wife is going to just love it :lol:
 
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If you've got some kefir already going....you're set. I'd just add some starter with any additional water you need to cover the mash....and stir it in. Be aware that salt can slow down the action of the starter somewhat, but once the favorable "critters" in the starter get a foot hold, the yeast should be history.

As for the weights....you can use anything that is non-metallic.

Possibly the easiest and most readily available...is a double zip-lock bag filled with some of your brine solution.
You can either place it directly on top of the mash, or cut a lid off of a cottage cheese to the diameter of the inside of your container, and put the bag of brine on top of the lid.
The "cut to size" lid really helps keep small pieces from floating to the surface of the brine and dis-coloring or developing some yeast growth. (this really works well with wide-mouth jars)

I've used plastic baggies filled with some of those decorative glass disks.

I also have a couple granite rocks that I picked up along the coast of Maine several years ago that work very well in a 2 gallon pickle jar that I use for sauerkraut.

Last year I even scavenged the glass tops that go on those scented jug candles(ie Yankee Candle)..and found that they fit perfectly inside some small pint sized open crocks I use sometimes for small batches of "what ever"....and they work like a charm.

I've even seen some folks that simply fill another jar(smaller in diameter than the ferment vessel opening)with water and then set in on top of the veggies....(essentially an open crock approach)
 
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Thanks CM. I intend to use a fridge for storage at least getting started. My last question is whether I need the airlock after primary fermentation is complete?

Great info in that pH control article too!
 
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Chili Monsta said:
I always make sure my jars (and all utensils)are very clean...(almost to the point of being compulsive)
Use enough salt so the ferment is sufficiently acid (especially when itÂ’s started)
Ensure the jars and air locks you use are air tight.
Keeping the ingredients submerged beneath the surface of the brine solution
Click to expand...

You can get a no rinse sanitizer through every homebrew shop if you want to go that far. I find the running my fermenter through the dishwasher with the heated dry cycle on is enough to steam sanatize all my equipment. So, before I start processing my mash I run everything I can through it.

Cheers

RM
 
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Glad you found the article helpful....IMO it touches on most of the critical points and removes a lot of the mystique.

Personally, I try to leave the airlock in place whenever possible.
Case in point...the mash shown here was on the counter for 14 days, and is now in the fridge with the air lock intact.
I'm gonna let it ferment/age for another 4-6 weeks and then give it a taste.

My logic is that maintaining the oxygen free environment I've created serves to keep any toxic or ugly(ie.kahm yeast) microbes at bay as long as possible.
But some of my containers just won't fit in my fridge(s) with the airlocks in place.
Now,with that being said...I can't recall a time when I've had anything mold or spoil after I've removed the airlocks and put it in the fridge.
 
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It is already starting to ferment with the whey i used from my kefir. Has a good smell to it as well. I went and put more whey up i strained off my kefir in the fridge for my next bigger batch. now waiting to get more mature hot peppers. question...since i am using a good starter, should i still use a 5.4% brine mixture or use less salt? Since it may slow things down
 
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rmardis said:
It is already starting to ferment with the whey i used from my kefir.
question...since i am using a good starter, should i still use a 5.4% brine mixture or use less salt? Since it may slow things down
Click to expand...
Sound like you've got a potent batch of kefir going...
Generally speaking...the fermentation guru's suggest more salt in the summer and less salt in the winter due to the temps.However, most of the tested fermenting recipes out there, allow for less salt when using a starter.
I always try to keep the amount of salt I use as low possible without jeopardizing the ferment.And by adding the whey you kick start the LAB process.

That being said... a 3.6% brine should work fine IMO.
(4 tablespoons "pickling" salt to 8 cups water)
 
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CM...yea, i keep my kefir going so i always have some on hand to drink. I ferment it every 48 hours. I drank it for the health benefits and i like the taste. Been doing it for a few years now. I will take a break every now and then. Just store it in the freezer to stop the process, then start it back up once i get ready.........I think i will start doing the 3.6% brine since i am using an active starter, plus to cut down on the salt in my peppers.
 
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>>>>>>UPDATE<<<<<<<<
After 13 days of fermenting at room temperature, I put it into the refrigerator where it continued to slowly ferment/age for an additional 43 days.
The peppers bright green color had become less vivid, and upon opening the container the unique fermented fragrance was clearly evident which was the first indication that all went well during the past 8 weeks.
There was absolutely no yeast growth and the pH measured 3.4
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So I made an eight ounce batch of Green Monsta hot sauce:

6 TBS mash
6 peach slices
2 oz. peach juice

The pureed sauce measured 3.7 pH (at room temp),it has a nice heat level(6)that lasts about 6-7 minutes and a very pleasing mildly sweet flavor. The habanero taste/aroma is very subtle/mellow and blends well with the other pepper varieties.
Overall I am quite pleased with the Nourished Kitchen recipe.
It wasn't complicated,worked like a charm,and resulted in a rather tasty pepper mash.
CM
 
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