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preservation Preserving my 2011 harvest

This past weekend was a busy one around my place.
I had about 40 plants needing to be picked before the rain and cooler weather sets in later this week.
In addition to a couple fermenting projects I wanted to get under way,I decided to also try a somewhat experimental approach.
Namely...pickling some peppers along with some other veggies and a variety of spices, for use as the base of a hot sauce sometime in the future.
I'm hoping that by pickling the peppers and veggies, they will become infused with the flavors of the spices and result in a unique and complex base to build a sauce upon.
Don't have a clue if it will make any difference at all or be worth eating let alone be worth the effort.
But the worst case I see...is that I'll have a bunch of pickled peppers throughout the winter months.

So after picking around (9) pounds of peppers...
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I made up a couple fermented batches...
One using a 3.6% brine solution with assorted peppers,garlic and adding some dried kefir starter,



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...and the other, an Aji Limon mash.(detailed on another thread)
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Then I mixed up a couple quarts of Peppers,Cauliflower, Carrots, Garlic cloves(whole), Turmeric powder, white vinegar, water and sugar.
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These go directly into the fridge for a 6-8 week aging period.


And finally, I canned(hot water bath)5 pints of whole pods(mostly)....


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..along with Juniper berries, Coriander seed, Mustard seed, Cumin seed, Cinnamon stick, Cloves (whole), Allspice (whole), Bay leaf, white vinegar, water, salt, sugar.
Now comes the tough part....waiting and wondering until I get to do a taste test.
 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>UPDATE BELOW<<<<<<<<<<<
One using a 3.6% brine solution with assorted peppers,garlic and adding some dried kefir starter,

IMG_1150.jpg

...and the other, an Aji Limon mash.(detailed on another thread)
IMG_1149.jpg


>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>UPDATE<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
After 20 days all airlock activity ceased in both the assorted pepper slices and Aji Limon mash.
I allowed them to ferment an additional 5 day at room temperature, before I then opened,stirred and did pH tests.
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The assorted pepper slices (3.6 brine and dried kefir starter) measured 3.4 pH.
And the Aji Limon mash (dry brine and kim chi juice starter) measured 3.6 pH.
I re-sealed the Aji Limon mash(w/o airlock) and will allow it to ferment at room temp(78 degrees)for a few more days before refrigerating.
Before moving them to the fridge...I taste tested the assorted slices...and found them to be a perfect balance of salt and sour while maintaining a very crisp and crunchy texture.
These will quickly become history...most likely tonight..as I watch the Texas Rangers clinch their second consecutive trip to the World Series !!
 
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