Lacto fermentation
- Thread starter Gary Knowels
- Start date
That sounds delicious! I really like the recipes in Trejos Tacos. Here's his recipe that I use (I forgot to list salt in my post above):
I picked the remaining peppers from my garden this week. It's a mixture of serano and tabasco peppers at various ripenesses.
Then I added some other vegetables and seasonings I had on hand.
And chucked it all in a vacuum bag to rock for a couple of weeks before getting blitzed up and refrigerated.
I have no idea how hot it's going to be. If it's too hot I'll ferment more vegetables and mix in to bring the heat down.
Then I added some other vegetables and seasonings I had on hand.
And chucked it all in a vacuum bag to rock for a couple of weeks before getting blitzed up and refrigerated.
I have no idea how hot it's going to be. If it's too hot I'll ferment more vegetables and mix in to bring the heat down.
Let us know how that works for you Gary. I have the same book and I’ve wondered about the vacuum bag method but have never tried it. Just got a new chamber vacuum sealer so I’ve been inclined to give it a shot.
First go in the bag for me. I've done lots on crocks and Mason jars
I'm a huge fan of the chamber vac method. I keep meaning to post up some of my ferments but life has been so busy lately.
I've done a few pepper ferments this fall so far. Typically 3% salt brine and let it go for like two weeks.
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The bag technique worked pretty slick for me. I should have taken a picture before I opened the bag today, but I forgot. It was puffed up pretty good, not quite full. The veggies were soft to the touch so I dumped everything into a container and hit it with the stick blender. I added some raw tomatoes, lime juice, and apple cider to adjust the flavor and thickness.
A FULL quart of hot sauce. Consistency is similar to Melinda's Extra Hot, but a bit hotter. Flavor is giving off taco truck carrot and jalapeno escabeche vibes.
Mmmm. I love hot sauce. I have a full half shelf in my fridge door full of them.
So with the raw tomato added do you figure that affects shelf-stability?
I don't think so, the tomatoes only increased volume ~10% and this was 2.5% salt before starting. I figure we're still above 2% salt and plenty acidic. It'll continue to ferment in the fridge.
Back in the day in Hawaii, i had Hawaiian chili’s (a bird chili, hot), jalapeños & habaneros growing in my backyard…with the birth of my first child, i pulled all of the plants…i made various hot sauces, usually with limes, garlic & salt… miss mKing them nowFirst go in the bag for me. I've done lots on crocks and Mason jars
MarlinMark
Smolt
Gary - in your ingredients you said apple cider. Was this apple cider vinegar? That would boost shelf life as well.
Mark
Mark
Do you prefer your hot sauces with the mash and everything all together? I used to make them like that but kind of transitioned to straining the pulp out and haven't gone back to leaving the solids in.
I do like them chunky/pulpy instead of just liquidy. Ideally this sauce would be finer, but I only have cheap blenders...
No, home pressed apple cider. I only added about 2 ounces, but the hot of sweetness was nice against the acid and fermented funk.
Nothin wrong with a pulpy sauce. Are you able to get the ph low enough to be shelf stable-ish?
My full method is straining off the solids, then returning the liquid to the pan, heating back up, and blending in a bit of xanthan gum to help the consistency. Otherwise it's just thin, hot vinegar. Giving it a bit of body makes all the difference.
Then I take the solids, spread them out, and run in my dehydrator for a few hours. Take the dehydrated mat of pepper and veggie solids, put in food processor or spice grinder, and make the most bitchenest pepper flakes. When they're pre-fermented and have bits of onion, garlic, carrot and other things, it really makes for an awesome spice.
The most awesome batch of pepper flakes I made this year was a mash of mostly jalapenos and serranos that I smoked, then fermented with onion, garlic and carrot. Made my sauce and dehydrated the smokey pulp and pulverized into a smokey, firey spice blend.
Ok sorry to pile on post after post... but it's relevant!
This is the sauce I made this past weekend. Currently having it with my lunch and it may be my favorite this year.
Nothing super crazy about the mash - almost entirely habanero and bahamian goat with a few thai chillis. My usual mix of garlic and onion in the ferment as well.
After ferment, I did a quick food processor chop, then heated it all up with some blueberries. Actually added a few more blueberries after straining the pulp and used the immersion blender to get it all properly mixed in.
Not a strong blueberry flavor, but it added a very pleasant, fruity, slightly sweet flavor layer that's quite nice.
This is the sauce I made this past weekend. Currently having it with my lunch and it may be my favorite this year.
Nothing super crazy about the mash - almost entirely habanero and bahamian goat with a few thai chillis. My usual mix of garlic and onion in the ferment as well.
After ferment, I did a quick food processor chop, then heated it all up with some blueberries. Actually added a few more blueberries after straining the pulp and used the immersion blender to get it all properly mixed in.
Not a strong blueberry flavor, but it added a very pleasant, fruity, slightly sweet flavor layer that's quite nice.
I haven't tested the pH, but it's on par with sauerkraut I typically make and I like sour things. I just consider it an active ferment and therefore "fridge stable". I just monitor for mold or off smells, which has never happened on a hot sauce for me.
That pepper powder trick sounds awesome. The wife would surely be irritated if I brought a dehydrator home though.
That sauce looks cool and tasty!