Fermented hot peppers

[Liam Callaghan]

I knew I wasn't going to get much free time this year and it has panned out just as predicted.  So instead of planting tomatoes and I planted peppers as they take no looking after.  They did really well too, over a metre high from each plant and they have produced a mass of peppers.

So I started to dry them , freeze them, powder them, take them into work in bags...  We are talking a lot of pepper here :p

In the end I asked a question on the cured meat forum I use a bit and they put me onto Louisiana hot sauce - like Tobasco I guess.  Its a fermented sauce using peppers minced up, salt, vinegar and sugar.  The left to ferment for 4-6 weeks.  Tobasco is supposedly fermented for 3 years so I'm guessing it only gets better.

I used a big sink full to overflowing with peppers, mixed Cayenne, Jalapeño, Serrano and some sweet blacks.  Tops snipped off and minced in the food processor.  Wear eye protection and gloves.  Trust me.

2 bulbs of garlic and 3 big onions - also minced.  Then 2% by weight of salt.  Gave this a big old mix up and packed into 2 litre jars with a 2 inch head space and finally topped with a white wine vinegar (over 5%).  

2-3 days and the lactobacilus is starting to grow and fermentation is under way!

If you are conscious of the salt the guys from the states also recommended using whey drawn from natural yoghurt and pitch that in instead which inoculates it.

The high acidity and low oxygen levels will kill the botulism etc.

Making up some fermenting jars this week for the last batch.

Took it over to a mates for tasting after a week, seemed to go down well!

Oh and I made one with fresh smoked peppers, 2% salt and a bit more garlic, freakin' gorgeous!

Smoked over Mangeau wood

[Dougal]

The sauce sounds fantastic Liam. It might be a fitting use for the rest of my jalapenos.

A couple of questions: when you say 2% by weight of salt, is that 2% of the total, or the onions and vinegar? Also, with the 5% vinegar, do you mean 5% of the total volume, or 5% acetic acid solution? Sorry for the dumb questions but important to get these right to avoid wasting chillies. Is there an original recipe you can link to?

Also, a smoking question: I have some Feijoa wood and I'm wondering if it's worth a try in the smoker? They are related to pohutukawa... any experience of this? 

[Liam Callaghan]

no idea what happened to that last reply but will try to write it all again ...

2% by total weight (1kg pepper, onions and garlic = 20g salt)

5% acidity - this is retard the growth of botulism.  Note that rice wine vinegar is usually less acidic

 

Feijoa wood should be good mate, members of the myrtle family which are usually good for burning and smoking.  Note that not all wood is good for smoking, steer away from resinous woods like pine and be aware that some woods are poisonous (walnut for instance).  Good rule of thumb is stick to what you know.  Fruit trees are good (apple, cherry, pear etc.)  Oak, pohutukawa, manuka, mangeau and cherry are my favourites.  Cherry is especially good for red fleshed fish, really sweet finish.

I didn't have a single source recipe I just googled a few from a number of sites over a week or so and made up my own.

Best resource is the hot pepper, under the hot sauce is a pinned thread on how to make it.

www.thehotpepper.com

 

http://thehotpepper.com/forum/91-hot-sauce-making/

 

 

[Dougal]

Thanks. I did some googling around and found that people also use guava wood (another myrtle relative) for smoking, so on the strength of that I'll be smoking some jalapenos with feijoa tonight.

Cheers for the sauce link. Sounds like a plan!

[Liam Callaghan]

No worries and all the best with the sauce!

I am stoked with it so far, especially the smoked one