My first pepper sauce - help?

[PepperMike]

Would appreciate help if someone could critique my recipe/approach.  Got this from reading about 10 articles and blending steps.
 
1. Sliced and pureed 2 dozen washed large red Jalapenos (with part of the stems), 2 tablespoons chopped garlic, 1 tablespoon active-culture yogurt, and 1 tablespoon lemon juice to retard mold.
2. Resulting mash was 45 liquid ounces....added 1.5 ounces Kosher salt and blended again.  (goal was a 30:1 ratio of mash to salt)
3. Poured into 3 sterile mason jars, approximately half filled each to allow for expansion of the mash during fermentation.
4. Covered the mash in each jar with about 1/3 inch 6% salt solution.
5. Covered the mason jar tops with cheesecloth and a rubberband.
6. Put it in the pantry (constant 75 degrees F) and waiting for it to start fermenting.
7. Plan to let it ferment at least a month.
8. Pastuerize.
9. Add white vinegar to taste (how much should I add?).
10. Bottle and let it sit another month.
11. Hopefully start using it at this point.
 
Did I miss something?  Will this approach work?
 
Thanks for helping the new guy,
 
Mike

Hi PepperMike,
 
I see you have no replies, so I'll critique your recipe.  I am my own worst critic, so be advised if I sound a little frank.  Here goes.
 
Your recipe looks basically correct, but you could use the whey from yogurt and not the yogurt itself for the starter culture.  Also, why are you pastuerizing?  Concerned about botulism, etc?
 
Why did you use Mason jars and not a crock? One final question.  Why did you use red Jalapenos, and not green.  Red is not as hot as green.
 
PepperMike

 

[salsalady]

Hey Mike-
to THP
 
 
There's a lot of activity so don't be worried if your post doesn't get a response in 20 minutes. 
 
First thing is to read the thread about fermented hot sauces which is here-
 
http://thehotpepper.com/topic/23146-fermenting-peppers-101/
 
 
 
other than that, the 2 things I see are-
Why are the stems only partially trimmed?  Stems don't add anything and should be removed....  Unless you like to eat the stem of an apple or bell pepper...remove all of the stem.
 
The other thing is the cheesecloth.  The goal when fermenting is to create an oxygen free zone in the jar.  Using air locks and burping jars will maintain the oxygen-free zone needed for fermentation.  Cheese cloth is permeable and will allow oxygen into the jar.  I'm not a fermentation expert, but I'm pretty sure you will not get a good fermentation with cheese cloth.  It sounds like your fermentation is early on and you can transfer to another vessel that will have an airlock or put lids with airlocks on the jars you have. 
 
have fun with your fermentation!
 
Welcome~
Salsalady
 
OH, and don't worry about the whey.  It's a kick starter but chiles with salt will ferment just fine. 

 

[RocketMan]

Hey Mike and Welcome to THP
 
There are a couple of things that concern me here.

Would appreciate help if someone could critique my recipe/approach.  Got this from reading about 10 articles and blending steps.
 
1. Sliced and pureed 2 dozen washed large red Jalapenos (with part of the stems), 2 tablespoons chopped garlic, 1 tablespoon active-culture yogurt, and 1 tablespoon lemon juice to retard mold.
2. Resulting mash was 45 liquid ounces....added 1.5 ounces Kosher salt and blended again.  (goal was a 30:1 ratio of mash to salt)
3. Poured into 3 sterile mason jars, approximately half filled each to allow for expansion of the mash during fermentation.
 
    With your jars only half full your leaving too much air space at the top for the Co2 from the mash to try and displace. Pepper mashes are not aggressive enough to    
    displace that much volume very quickly. It's better to fill your jars to within an inch to an inch and a half of the top.
 
4. Covered the mash in each jar with about 1/3 inch 6% salt solution.
5. Covered the mason jar tops with cheesecloth and a rubberband.
   
   This is called an Open Fermentation in the brewing world and should not be used for pepper mashes. As with all things there are going to be those who will say that it's
    fine so long as you keep everything below the water but as Salsa lady said you need that Co2 layer to create a anaerobic environment and ensure that your mash is
    safe. The last thing you or anybody wants is to have someone get sick off your sauce. We just want to burn their face off
 
6. Put it in the pantry (constant 75 degrees F) and waiting for it to start fermenting.
 
   75 dF is a little cool for a Lacto Fermentation. They prefer a temp between 85 and 95 dF
 
7. Plan to let it ferment at least a month.
8. Pastuerize.
9. Add white vinegar to taste (how much should I add?).
 
    Unless you want to add some for a flavor you wont need any. Every mash I have ever done has come out below Ph 4.0
 
10. Bottle and let it sit another month.
 
    You'll really only need to let it sit a week and really not even that long. Fermented sauces have already had a month or longer to get all happy.
 
11. Hopefully start using it at this point.
 
Did I miss something?  Will this approach work?
 
Thanks for helping the new guy,
 
Mike

Hi PepperMike,
 
I see you have no replies, so I'll critique your recipe.  I am my own worst critic, so be advised if I sound a little frank.  Here goes.
 
Your recipe looks basically correct, but you could use the whey from yogurt and not the yogurt itself for the starter culture.  Also, why are you pastuerizing?  Concerned about botulism, etc?
 
Why did you use Mason jars and not a crock? One final question.  Why did you use red Jalapenos, and not green.  Red is not as hot as green.
 
PepperMike

 
Change Pasteurize to Properly Hot Pack Sauce. See the Hot Sauce Making 101 for tips on proper and safe bottling methods.
 
cheers and have fun with it.

 

[PepperMike]

Thanks Rocketman (and Salsa Lady),
 
I scraped off what I think was a fine layer of salt off the top of each of my three jars of mash and put them into two jars filled 1.5 Inches from the top.  I put on loose fitting screw lids so the C02 can get out.  That should give me the anerobic environment.  Also going to put them higher up on the shelf ....should be about 80-85 degrees.  That sound better?
 
Thanks,
PepperMike

 

[RocketMan]

Much, now go take some pictures and post them up here. This place is all about Pepper Porn

 

[PepperMike]

Well I was a happy camper last night when I left the mash up on the top shelf in the pantry, 2 mason jars filled to 1.5 inches from the top with a loose fitting screw lid..........but when I got home I discovered they both oozed about 1/3 their contents on the shelf and dripped down the other 3 shelves in the pantry.  My wife was not happy to put it mildly.  My career with pepper sauce is endangered now.
 
Is this unusual?  Why did it blow off so much? If I had known that I would not have filled them so full. What is an alternative approach to filling the jars so full (1.5 inches from the top is not a good idea I think).

 

[RocketMan]

Yes, that's kind of normal, though not to have 1/3 of the contents leak out.  I always place mine in an old Tupperware container so I didn't even think to warn you about it. Hopefully  your wife is a fan of spicy foods and will be happy when she gets a taste of your sauce. 

 

[PIC 1]

Well I was a happy camper last night when I left the mash up on the top shelf in the pantry, 2 mason jars filled to 1.5 inches from the top with a loose fitting screw lid..........but when I got home I discovered they both oozed about 1/3 their contents on the shelf and dripped down the other 3 shelves in the pantry.  My wife was not happy to put it mildly.  My career with pepper sauce is endangered now.
 
Is this unusual?  Why did it blow off so much? If I had known that I would not have filled them so full. What is an alternative approach to filling the jars so full (1.5 inches from the top is not a good idea I think).

  80 to 85 is high..even the starters and poolish I use for bread making will run under 80. Any higher and the lid will blow off !
 
 
 What a gas........literally
 
 

 

[PepperMike]

Thanks Rocketman.  A few questions. 
 
1. So I'll keep the mash between 70-80 degrees and it will be ok.......no major blowoff?
2. What is up with the mash floating to the top of the mason jar and the liquid at the bottom?  Is that OK/normal?
3. Should I puree or chop?  Does it matter?
4. I understand the mash should be BELOW the brine line, but how to do that in a mason jar?  The stuff FLOATS!
 
Thanks again,
Mike

 

[PepperMike]

Oh, one more thing.  There is a white film on top of the mash in one of the two jars......I originally thought it was salt and am wondering if it is a mold.

 

[RocketMan]

Thanks Rocketman.  A few questions. 
 
1. So I'll keep the mash between 70-80 degrees and it will be ok.......no major blowoff?
 
    It will ferment just fine there but a bit slower so let it run a little longer.
 
2. What is up with the mash floating to the top of the mason jar and the liquid at the bottom?  Is that OK/normal?
 
    It floats because the bubbles trapped in the mash cant get to the surface and yes it's normal
 
3. Should I puree or chop?  Does it matter?
 
    Either way, I've done both but prefer to puree
 
4. I understand the mash should be BELOW the brine line, but how to do that in a mason jar?  The stuff FLOATS!
 
    Get some glass stones like used in flower arrangements, Walmart, and put them into a Ziploc bag. Place the bag on top of the mash to weigh it down.
 
Thanks again,
Mike

 
Answers in BLUE
 

Oh, one more thing.  There is a white film on top of the mash in one of the two jars......I originally thought it was salt and am wondering if it is a mold.

 
Most likely a Kahm yeast, it gets on the peppers, got in there. Leave it till your ready to process and then let  your nose lead you. If it smells like the other jars your good to go. If the local dump on a hot humid summer day smells better....

 

[PepperMike]

So in my jar of fermenting Jalapeno peppers, just above the brine line, is a spot or two of black mold.........at least I think it is mold.  I opened the jar, wiped it off, and added some salt.  Anybody got any suggestions on what this black mold looking stuff is and if I am going to get botulism from it?
 
Thanks,
Mike