fermenting Fruit addition before or after fermentation?

[airhead314]

Have people had more success adding fruit additions at the end, after fermentation, or before?

 

[Jubnat]

I've always done it before. The extra sugars help with the fermentation.
But I'd like to try out adding it in after, for a fresher flavor maybe.

 

[airhead314]

I've always done it before. The extra sugars help with the fermentation.
But I'd like to try out adding it in after, for a fresher flavor maybe.

 
Do you happen to have any good beginner recipes involving fruits?

 

[Jubnat]

The last one I put together was equal parts red serranos and peaches by weight, a little garlic, ginger, and shallot, and 3.5% salt by weight.
Sorry I don't have specific amounts, but read about the fermentation process, and once you get the basics down its easy to play around and change things.

 

[sirex]

If you add the fruit before, you'll get the deeper, more complex taste but no sweetness. If you add after you get the regular taste and the sweetness.

Try em both out and report back to us!!!

 

[turbo]

I'd say it depends on the fruit.  Apples and cherries work great in a ferment.  Mangos change flavor into something gawd awful during the fermentation process, so if you use that add it after.

 

[oldsalty]

I've made many ferments with fruit it all depends on what your trying to get for a final flavor profile.  As sirex pointed out if you add during fermentation you will get the flavor of the fruit without the sweetness. And at the end you get a very bright fruit flavor and more sweetness. So lets say your making a sauce for more savory style dishes i would use the fruit during fermentation. This keeps the fruit flavor from becoming to prominent and more of an equal partner to your other ingredients such as ginger peppers garlic onion etc. This  works better when using it on beef or duck more savory cuts of meat.
When adding fresh to your finished ferment you get a more prominent fruit flavored sauce with a much sweeter finish. Great for desserts or on fish,chicken etc. 
 
If you have enough i would recommend making two one with fruit added during fermentation and one to be added during processing. Both are excellent and this will help with making your next ferments. Give you a great guidline to follow. 
And please way each ingred as you use them. Nothing worse than making a stellar sauce and not being able to reproduce it. Only take a few seconds more.    Get in the habit of using this method and you wont be bumming if you make the sauce of your dreams and cant repeat it.