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Hot Sauce from Dried Peppers?

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PaulF

I'm new at trying to make my own hot sauce... (and new at growing peppers, hoping to have a few pods this year...maybe... )
 
I ended up (long story, and boring) with a really BIG bag of dried Tien Tsin chinese dried peppers... the leathery kind you find in szechuan dishes at American Chinese restaurants.
I've made quite a few batches of chilli oil, stir frys, etc, but the level in this bag isn't moving appreciably!
 
So I'm wondering...
Would it be possible to make a fermented hot sauce using these dried chillies as a base? Or would they remain tough and leathery?
 
How would I start? That is, how would the process be different than the excellent FAQ on fermented sauces at the top of this forum that uses fresh peppers.
 
Or should I just make a much bigger batch of chilli oil? LOL.
 
Thanks for the "noob" help!
Paul F.
 
 
 
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PaulF said:
Would it be possible to make a fermented hot sauce using these dried chillies as a base? Or would they remain tough and leathery?
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I think you'll be alright, man. I hope you will, haha. I just started a ferment with dried chipotles a week or two ago :)

I'm no expert, but I would recommend rehydrating them somehow. I rehydrated mine in the same brine I used in the ferment (white wine, in my case). I let them sit in the brine in the fridge overnight, then added them to the fermentation jar just like everything else

Then again, it's entirely possible that you don't have to at all :shrug:

Chances are they'll rehydrate on their own in the jar, if you use a brine. If you're not using a brine, the liquid pulled out from the salt should do the trick just fine
 
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PaulF said:
...So I'm wondering...
Would it be possible to make a fermented hot sauce using these dried chillies as a base? Or would they remain tough and leathery?
 
How would I start? That is, how would the process be different than the excellent FAQ on fermented sauces at the top of this forum that uses fresh peppers.
 
 
Click to expand...
 
I agree with Mike, you should be fine. That doesn't mean you can't fail, like happened here: http://thehotpepper.com/topic/34260-fermenting-dried-chillies/ but I think you'll be ok.
 
Once you re-hydrate the peppers, the process is the same as outlined in the FAQ. For a quick example, check out this website: http://www.growforagecookferment.com/fermented-hot-sauce/.  Now I'd do a few things differently, like mix my brine solution first, then add to the ferment jar. I'd also use a starter. I like using juice from another vegetable ferment, like another hot sauce or kimchi or sauerkraut, but if you don't have any, you can use the whey from yogurt.
 
If you decide to try it, keep us posted on your progress.
 
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Thanks to both of you!
As it happens, I have a batch of sauerkraut that's a few days old (it'll be two weeks before it starts getting good!) that I can skim a little juice from.  In fact, since it's red cabbage, it'll make a nice red color, LOL.
 
Somehow, in my searching, I missed that thread about dried-pepper sauce. I'll be doing more reading before I start!
 
This forum gives me LOTS of material to read, and no excuse to not have read it first :-)
 
Paul F.
 
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Thanks!
Just posted to that thread.  I can see I need to practice my forum searching!  I'm OK with asking dumb questions, I just hate asking the same dumb questions other people have asked when I can read it for myself, LOL.
 
I may have a plan this weekend... 
 
Paul F.
 
 
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The Hot Pepper said:
There's snotty forums that say "let me google that for you" or tell you to use search, and point you to a post from 2009, but here, we welcome your queries. :)
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Hey, pointing to posts from 2009 is just being a jerk... I just strive to not ask questions that were answered last NIGHT! LOL...
 
 
Paul F.
 
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:welcome: to THP PaulF.
 
The Sticky posts answer a lot of questions, but there's always One More ??...it's all good~
 
I'm not familiar with the chile you have, but I'm guessing it is a thin-walled chile, not a lot of "meat on the bones" as they say?
 
For your situation with a  bunch of dried chiles, I'd suggest rehydrating (as Mike~ suggested), definitely use some kind of starter (kraut juice is perfect), and I would also consider adding some other fresh veggies depending on what you might want in your end sauce.
 
If you want just straight peppers, maybe consider adding some red bell peppers.  The fresh bells will give the GoodBugs something to eat while they work on the fermentation.  They won't effect the taste of the dried chilies you are using and will add some bulk to the sauce. 
 
If you want some other flavors in your end sauce, consider adding onion, garlic, even some carrot and apple to add some bulk and again, give the GoodBugs some great sugars to eat. 
 
Also, check out pepperfool.com recipes
while it may not have the exact recipe you are looking for, there's plenty to use for inspiration as basics. 
 
Have Fun and post pics if you can!  We luuuv pics!
 
salsalady
 
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yea, those probiotic whatcha'ma'call 'ems....  lactobascillius or something.... Rocketman and a bunch of others way smarter than me listed them all out somewhere... 
 
....as opposed to BadBugs (aka Nasties) like e-coli, salmonella.... 
 
:) 
 
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Salsalady; many thanks!
I'm working my way through the FAQ thread for basics.
Keeping the "good bugs" going and the "bad bugs" down I'm familiar with... Sourdough starter, mead making, sauerkraut, and curing pork loins (lonzino) has taught me not to get freaked out about mold and bubbles forming in stuff. Kinda freaks you out the firstntime you're hanging meat from your kitchen cieling and trying to ENCOURAGE that "good" mold to grow on it, though... lol.

The peppers I have I've seen called Tian Jin, Tian Tsin, or Tien Tsin. I've you've ever had szechuan chicken and bit into a leathery thing, thats them :-)
I planted a bunch of seeds from the dried pods, and hopefully will have some NOT dried ones by fall... but still have this huge bag of the dried ones!

Paul F.
 
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Well, you are off to a good start by not being freaked out with things 'growing' in your food.  Bubbles, mold and such.  :D 
 
One thing to keep in mind, the dried peppers may have a lot of seeds compared to the amount of flesh.  After it's all been fermented out to where you want, cooked, whatever.....at some stage you may want to run the sauce through a food mill (not food processor, but you may want to processor first then food mill...) to remove some of the seeds.  It's just a preference thing, some like a smoother sauce with less seeds. 
 
SL
 
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Greenguru said:
rehydrate in a liquid that will be in the creation
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^ Yup. That's exactly what I do

D3monic said:
so if i was to do a ferment I could use any ole jared store bought kraut or does it have to be one those fancy ones?
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D3, look at the ingredients on the jar. As long as it contains "active" lactobacillus cultures, you'll be fine. Doesn't necessarily have to be kraut either. You could use the liquid from a tub of sour cream, yogurt, etc. Just make sure that the cultures are "active."

Personally, I use the powdered Culturelle Probiotics single serve (1g) packets. They haven't failed me yet. I mix all of my ingredients in a big mixing bowl (after the food processor to 1/4" dice), then sprinkle on 2 or 3 packets of powder, mix it all up, then into the fermentation jar.

I'm not saying that's the only way to do it, but it works great for me. Hope this helps :)
 
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