OT- Lacto Fermentation Fun- Peppers and Sriracha

vb4677

I Kickstarted this project a few years back.  Thought I'd use it for experimenting on beer... but instead I've used it to lacto ferment food!  I winged a srirachi-style sauce that my son mentioned last weekend - fermented those small Asian style peppers from the farmer's market, with several garlic cloves.  Then blended all that with some fresh carrots and red bell peppers and added back some of the brine.  Worked well!

https://www.amazon.com/HOPTOP-Mason-Jar-Fermenting-Lid/dp/B01KPE5XJS/ref=olp_product_details?_encoding=UTF8&me=

caliking

Imma jumping on this bandwagon!

set up one jar with some random things - cauliflower, japs, garlic, habaneros, onions, a fresh bay leaf, and 2 sprigs of dill in 2% brine.  It’s getting a bit bubbly, so I assume it’s working. 



Have the groceries for the papaya hot sauce I want to make, and will probably set that up tonight. 

lkapigian

caliking said:

Imma jumping on this bandwagon!

set up one jar with some random things - cauliflower, japs, garlic, habaneros, onions, a fresh bay leaf, and 2 sprigs of dill in 2% brine.  It’s getting a bit bubbly, so I assume it’s working. 



Have the groceries for the papaya hot sauce I want to make, and will probably set that up tonight. 

Awesome- yes on bay leaf, keeps things crunchy! ,make sure you burp that thing ( or is that a vent in the top?) daily I'd check it after a week or two, when it is to your liking, put it in the fridge to slow down the ferment...I will use a bit of the brine to start my next ferment !

lkapigian

Starting up Half Sour Pickle Spears 
2.5% brine 1 head of garlic 3 tbs pickling spice 1 bunch of fresh dill, planning 7 to 10 days 

lkapigian

This was a very quick ferment, 7 days..thinking it was the weather..not perfectly crunchy, but crunchy...taste was spot on, better than the store . note to self, don't buy cucumbers when its 105 and they have been setting out...i may try fermenting in the fridge next time...still very happy

lkapigian

@caliking how is your ferment going

WesJohnson

My wife suffered from lacto fermenation when she were breast feedin. baby once burped up a 2 inch bubble that floated away swear to god.

caliking

@lkapigian - i've been meaning to check in here for a few days. I'm not entirely sure things are progressing quite as desired.

The jar with the jalapenos, garlic, onions, and jalapenos looks slightly turbid, and there is a bit of white stuff at the bottom of the jar. Doesn't smell putrid, so it may be okay? It'll be going for 2 weeks tomorrow, so I'll crack it open and taste. Unless advised not to.

The other jar with (over-ripe) papaya, carrots, chiles, garlic, etc for hot sauce, seems to be doing better. It got kinda cloudy after a few days, but then cleared up. Seems to smell decent when I take a whiff of it. Its been going since 7/13, so I will take a gamble and see what its like at the 2 week mark. 

Basically, one jar may be ok, one may not be.

lkapigian

caliking said:

@lkapigian - i've been meaning to check in here for a few days. I'm not entirely sure things are progressing quite as desired.

The jar with the jalapenos, garlic, onions, and jalapenos looks slightly turbid, and there is a bit of white stuff at the bottom of the jar. Doesn't smell putrid, so it may be okay? It'll be going for 2 weeks tomorrow, so I'll crack it open and taste. Unless advised not to.

The other jar with (over-ripe) papaya, carrots, chiles, garlic, etc for hot sauce, seems to be doing better. It got kinda cloudy after a few days, but then cleared up. Seems to smell decent when I take a whiff of it. Its been going since 7/13, so I will take a gamble and see what its like at the 2 week mark. 

Basically, one jar may be ok, one may not be.

@caliking White stuff on the bottom is totally normal and the white stuff on top is Kahm Yeast and is totally normal- I'd say you are on target

caliking

lkapigian said:

@caliking White stuff on the bottom is totally normal and the white stuff on top is Kahm Yeast and is totally normal- I'd say you are on target

Woohoo! I'll crack them open tomorrow then and see what's up. 

It seems that the brine can be re-used? 

womaus

For those of you agonizing over the 2% brine solution...salt is cheap.
To a gallon of filtered water add 3oz of salt, that will give you a bit more than a 2%.
Gallon of water = 8.34 lbs, X 16 (ounces in a gallon) = 133.44 ounces, 2% of that is 2.67 ounces.
Make too much? Toss it in the ocean.

lkapigian

caliking said:

lkapigian said:

@caliking White stuff on the bottom is totally normal and the white stuff on top is Kahm Yeast and is totally normal- I'd say you are on target

Woohoo! I'll crack them open tomorrow then and see what's up. 

It seems that the brine can be re-used? 

I have used the brine as a starter in my other ferments, it does speed the process up, I have never measured the amount I add to a new ferment, but those beats multiply fast..........FWIW, makes a great dirty Martini and great in Bloody Mary's

lkapigian

womaus said:

For those of you agonizing over the 2% brine solution...salt is cheap.
To a gallon of filtered water add 3oz of salt, that will give you a bit more than a 2%.
Gallon of water = 8.34 lbs, X 16 (ounces in a gallon) = 133.44 ounces, 2% of that is 2.67 ounces.
Make too much? Toss it in the ocean.

I just fill a container with filtered water,weigh it , add 2-3% of weight ( I find grams easier ),if there is a lot I toss it,but save some to top off the water lock in my crock if needed 

BigGreenBean

lkapigian said:

FWIW, makes a great dirty Martini and great in Bloody Mary's

Oh, hell yes.  

caliking

womaus said:

For those of you agonizing over the 2% brine solution...salt is cheap.
To a gallon of filtered water add 3oz of salt, that will give you a bit more than a 2%.
Gallon of water = 8.34 lbs, X 16 (ounces in a gallon) = 133.44 ounces, 2% of that is 2.67 ounces.
Make too much? Toss it in the ocean.

Metric. It's way easier if you work in metric units

FanOfFanboys

can I use pickling salt or should I use regular salt?

make sure  have this right:

peppers, onion, and garlic in pot
2% brine
submerge for 3 weeks
throw in a blender
strain
add x gum
enjoy

you mentioned adding vinegar. what kind and how much? and am I wrong on any of the above steps?

lkapigian

@FanOfFanboys usy any salt that is not iodized, also use filtered water unless you know your water is not chlorinated ............Otherwise, yes- 2% Salt to the weight of the water..You may want to poke holes in the peppers ( I don't always ) to get the Brine inside quicker.........And yes, for Sriracha , that is how I do it, works like a champ- keep us posted 

FanOfFanboys

lkapigian said:

@FanOfFanboys usy any salt that is not iodized, also use filtered water unless you know your water is not chlorinated ............Otherwise, yes- 2% Salt to the weight of the water..You may want to poke holes in the peppers ( I don't always ) to get the Brine inside quicker.........And yes, for Sriracha , that is how I do it, works like a champ- keep us posted 

Distilled water, pickling salt. Used advanced Google techniques to come up with 2%

FanOfFanboys

FanOfFanboys

Submerged. Will check back in 3 weeks

lkapigian

FanOfFanboys said:

Submerged. Will check back in 3 weeks

That is an interesting way of doing it--Make Sure All the veggies are below water or the exposed will mold--Looks like it will vent ok- it will produce carbon Dioxide and belch all day

IF all the veggies are not under water invert a Plate on top and that should do the trick

FanOfFanboys

lkapigian said:

FanOfFanboys said:

Submerged. Will check back in 3 weeks

That is an interesting way of doing it--Make Sure All the veggies are below water or the exposed will mold--Looks like it will vent ok- it will produce carbon Dioxide and belch all day

IF all the veggies are not under water invert a Plate on top and that should do the trick

only thing I had available ha. I think they're submerged but will double check

once 3 weeks up do you strain then add vinegar? or blend then strain then vinegar?

white vinegar? and approximately how much?

fishlessman

i have not added vinegar to mine, try some with and without

lkapigian

@FanOfFanboys I blend, press the pulp through a strainer. Take strained brine and add to blender  ( 64 oz capacity) 1/2 cup cider vinegar 2 TBS salt and Xanthan Gum Blend Brine until thick, 1-2 tablespoons of the gum start with 1---I will add -Do Not Fill The Blender Past 2/3 Full It Will Expand ( don;t ask me how I know this )

lkapigian

baychilla said:

lkapigian said:

@baychilla weigh the water ( filtered ) 2% of the water weight , can go as high as 3

So weigh container
Toss item in and fill with water to cover
Remove item
Weigh container with water and subtract container weight
Figure the resulting amount is water 
Calculate 2% of that - then add/brine overnight?

I dump all my veggies in a crock - In a separate container I weigh it and zero it out ( If your scale does not zero just add that to the 2%) Fill with water say its 1000 litres of water you would add 20 Grams of salt  ( why metric is easier ) - dissolve the salt and poor it into the container of veggies--You can fill a container with salt water and add the veggies, I find it easier the other way- Brine depends upon a lot of factors, my pickles were ready in a few days , eating peppers about 2 weeks hot sauce I go three---I take a taste of the brine after a few days if its still salty,not ready...you will know when it starts to get that Vinegar tatse

buzd504

My chili peppers are starting to ripen, so I am going to try this fermentation thing.

Question - can I continue to add peppers to the fermentation as I harvest them?  And if it takes 2-3 weeks for the last pepper to ferment, will being in the brine for 4-5 weeks hurt the original peppers?

(Cayenne and Thai peppers, if it matters.  And Goat habeneros, soon)

lkapigian

buzd504 said:

My chili peppers are starting to ripen, so I am going to try this fermentation thing.

Question - can I continue to add peppers to the fermentation as I harvest them?  And if it takes 2-3 weeks for the last pepper to ferment, will being in the brine for 4-5 weeks hurt the original peppers?

(Cayenne and Thai peppers, if it matters.  And Goat habeneros, soon)

@buzzed I would not, just start another ferment...not going to hurt anything but you will be hunting and pecking through what is fermented and what is not 

buzd504

@lkapigian

Cool, thanks

fishlessman

buzd504 said:

My chili peppers are starting to ripen, so I am going to try this fermentation thing.

Question - can I continue to add peppers to the fermentation as I harvest them?  And if it takes 2-3 weeks for the last pepper to ferment, will being in the brine for 4-5 weeks hurt the original peppers?

(Cayenne and Thai peppers, if it matters.  And Goat habeneros, soon)

i have so many thai peppers getting ready that i think im going to freeze them and spread out the ferments this year. the plants are huge and falling over, i put tomato cages around them last weekend

buzd504

fishlessman said:

buzd504 said:

My chili peppers are starting to ripen, so I am going to try this fermentation thing.

Question - can I continue to add peppers to the fermentation as I harvest them?  And if it takes 2-3 weeks for the last pepper to ferment, will being in the brine for 4-5 weeks hurt the original peppers?

(Cayenne and Thai peppers, if it matters.  And Goat habeneros, soon)

i have so many thai peppers getting ready that i think im going to freeze them and spread out the ferments this year. the plants are huge and falling over, i put tomato cages around them last weekend

Yeah, my thai pepper plant has been going crazy.  I have a nice crop of cayennes that haven't ripened yet, and the Goat peppers are just starting to fruit.