ThaJoker said:
Hi everyone,
Long time lover of chillies first time poster.
I have been reading through the posts on the site and have a somewhat unclear view of how to ferment. The OPs guide was good but I'm after a few more specifics.
For instance,
I have 3 Kg of Trinidad, Naga and Bhut combined and would like to make a sauce. My question is, how much (ratio)salt, vineger, garlic, onion and citric acid etc do I need for my batch according to the volume of chillies I have.
Greetings ThaJoker
The amount of garlic and onion depends on your personal taste/preference.
I personally don't add vinegar very often,and have never used citric acid.... as the "lacto fermentation" process normally produces adequate pH levels.
As for the amount of salt to use:
Salt
Historically, salt was used to preserve foods before refrigeration. Vegetables ferment better under the protection of salt dissolved in water or brine. Salt pulls out the moisture in food, denying bacteria the aqueous solution they need to live and grow except for the desired salt-tolerant
Lactobacilli strains. By suppressing the growth of other bacteria and mold, salt provides a slower fermentation process that is perfect for cultured vegetables that are to be stored for longer periods of time. When using salt without a starter, you are allowing the natural bacteria that exist on the vegetables to do the fermenting.
A benefit of salt is that it hardens the pectins in the vegetables leaving them crunchy and enhancing the flavor. The more salt you use, the slower the fermentation process and the saltier the taste. It is easy to salt too much, so we recommend salting to taste unless you want a longer storage time. (Please note, excessive use of salt can halt the culturing process by killing virtually all the microorganisms.) Many people prefer to use more salt with some ferments such as pickles and sauerkraut and less with ferments like ketchup, mayonnaise, or fruit.
Preparations with less salt will ferment faster and you will be more likely to see some white film on the surface that you can simply scrape off. It is likely to be an accumulation of yeast bodies. If some gets into your batch of vegetables, it won’t hurt to eat it. Salt-free ferments are actually more biodiverse but can result in mushy vegetables. For a salt-free ferment you can substitute celery juice or seaweed, but they will not prevent the mushy texture.
Source:
http://www.culturesforhealth.com/compare-salt-whey-starter-culture-ferment-vegetables-fruits-condiments
And here's a couple posts from earlier discussions on this topic that might be helpful in answering your question regarding salt...
Measurement my volume:
http://thehotpepper.com/topic/23146-fermenting-peppers-101/page-2#entry481755
And by weight:
http://thehotpepper.com/topic/23146-fermenting-peppers-101/page-2#entry481769
Good luck
CM