fermenting Opinions on first fermentation recipe

[HeirloomChef]

I'm going to try two types of traditional Caribbean style peppa sauces this year. The first one I want to do is fermented, and this will be my first effort at fermentation. I wanted to have someone do a sanity check before starting the chopping.

This is based on memory of a basic recipe told to me nearly 20 years ago by a coworker, and some reading to verify that it might actually work and to science things out. At the time I just remember it seemed deadly hot and made even the 95 degree Florida breeze seem refreshingly cool.

2 lb hot peppers.  (Seed if you want it less hot.)  I will use Black Congo for the first attempt.
1/2 lb onions
1/2 lb peeled carrots
1/2 lb peeled white sweet potato
1/4 lb peeled and seeded tomato

Chop all the vegetables very fine (food processor for me, getting lazy in my advancing years).  
Put in a jar and add water to just cover a bit.  
The original instructions were to use clean rainwater, I believe as a way to avoid the clorine and other stuff in tap water.

Add:
2 tablespoons pure sea salt
5-6 cloves of garlic, crushed
5-6 Cuban oregano leaves
A handful of culantro leaves
1/4 cup raisins.

I know I've got to weigh the vegetable and water mix and make sure that's enough salt. I will add 2 packages of Kefir starter to make sure it kicks.

Let it ferment for 4-6 weeks or more, shaking it every day to keep everything submerged (I will use something to keep the solids submerged and an airlock) and puree it in a blender.

My admittedly less than perfect memory puts this as a thin smooth hot sauce with no sweetness, just the pepper flavor and heat that they put on nearly everything they ate. I believe the other vegetables were just to tone down the heat a bit and provide some body to the sauce.

Am I going to kill myself or will this ferment safely?

 

[rmardis]

Looks insane To be on the safe side, you may wanna keep an eye on your ph when you are done. Other than that, looks awesome.

 

[HeirloomChef]

Looks insane To be on the safe side, you may wanna keep an eye on your ph when you are done. Other than that, looks awesome.

Yep, I'm ordering a PH meter today, no more test strips! If I have to add vinegar at the end to get it to be shelf stable I'll use either malt or cane vinegar, but hopefully it won't be needed. As I recall, he said they'd just leave jars of it out in the sun after fermentation had stopped, 'ain't nothing bad gonna grow in that!"

My thoughts from the traditional recipe was that the sugars in the carrots and sweet potatoes were to feed the lacto bacteria to make sure they got going well enough to ensure a complete fermentation. I grew 5 different klnds of heirloom white sweet potatoes this year to be sure I found one that would give me tubers here to make this recipe.

 

[RocketMan]

I see CM is on here too so I will keep to my expierence with my Jamaica Me Hot Sauce. First off with all the sugars in there, sweet potato, rasins, carrots and tomatoes, it's going to be a very aggressive fermentation. You'll also want to let it age for a period. I typically le tmy Jamaica sauce ferment and age for 90 days. Now your using a good bit of starter and like I said you have alot of sugars in it. I don't think you have alot to worry about with the amount of salt your using. My usual amount fills a gallon jar and I only use 2 tablespoons of salt in the whole thing. Also, I have yet to have to add anything to a fermented sauce to bring down the ph. When the fermentation stops the ph is usually around 2.4 but you'll still want to check it and not just go off the fact that I said it will be good. Good luck with the sauce and let me know when your ready to send me a bottle

Cheers,
RM

 

[HeirloomChef]

Thanks! I've got a gallon jar set up for it waiting on an opportunity.

Do you think that's too much starter?

I'm guessing the setting it out in the sun to 'come together' that I remember might have let it finish off naturally at about the 90 day mark. I've got scribbled notes about it in one of my binder cookbooks where I jotted down ideas and recipes we came up with but there is little info beyond the ingredients and a couple of notes. I doubt at the time I thought I'd be trying to make it 20 years later and would need to write down more details.

I'll have to make the vinegar and mustard based recipe to get me through until this one is done.

I'll keep that bottle in mind. You know I'm impressed with what you're coming up with in your sauces, your opinion would be a good one to get.

 

[Chili Monsta]

+1 Rm....
When I saw sweet potato on the list...I immediately thought of your sauce recipe.

HeirLoom...when this batch get working (which shouldn't take long)Katie bar the door.
I'd just make sure to allow substantial space at the top of your ferment jar...and put a pan underneath, just in case you get any leakage. Because my guess is you'll see plenty of action.
Keep us posted on the progress....sounds like an interesting recipe to start off with.
Enjoy the process.
CM

 

[RocketMan]

Thanks! I've got a gallon jar set up for it waiting on an opportunity.

Do you think that's too much starter?
Not at all, there's alot of sugars in that mix so you'll get a better start.

I'm guessing the setting it out in the sun to 'come together' that I remember might have let it finish off naturally at about the 90 day mark. I've got scribbled notes about it in one of my binder cookbooks where I jotted down ideas and recipes we came up with but there is little info beyond the ingredients and a couple of notes. I doubt at the time I thought I'd be trying to make it 20 years later and would need to write down more details.
Your not going to want to leave it out in the sun. That may ba something that they do but the best place will be dark and around 65 degrees F. Also as CM said above, your going to want to put something under it like a Tupperware bowl, because your going to get run off. I used to have to wipe the jar down daily. Oh and don't leave the run off setting out either as it attracts insects. I keep very good notes on ingredients and how I processed a batch so I can repeat it again.


I'll have to make the vinegar and mustard based recipe to get me through until this one is done.

I'll keep that bottle in mind. You know I'm impressed with what you're coming up with in your sauces, your opinion would be a good one to get.

Your going to need to look areound for a source of Woozies to bottle it in too.

Have fun with it but don't go crazy with it. Once it's made put it away and forget about it till it's ready to finalize. If you leave it where you see it every day your going to want to open the jar for a taste.

NOW, for the most important part. When you start making it your going to need to take a copious amount of pictures and when you post making it post the pics. We love pepper porn around here.

Cheers,
RM

 

[HeirloomChef]

Have fun with it but don't go crazy with it. Once it's made put it away and forget about it till it's ready to finalize. If you leave it where you see it every day your going to want to open the jar for a taste.

NOW, for the most important part. When you start making it your going to need to take a copious amount of pictures and when you post making it post the pics. We love pepper porn around here.

Cheers,
RM

I'll be making it in the winter in Wisconsin, we don't see the sun for months at a time so leaving it out isn't an option for me. The basement storeroom stays about 55-60 degrees, I'm figuring that's where I have to stash it once it's doing it's thing for a couple of weeks and I can quit worrying about it burping over.

No problem on the pepper porn; I'm a photo hound, the camera bag stays out all the time. I've been taking pictures of everything I bring in this year assuming that eventually I'll get someone good with graphics to put them together for a website.

Oh, and WB Bottle is in Milwaukee and I have to go there on business frequently so I can save on shipping. I'm going to place an order and pick it up next week when I'm down there to demo a new product.