"Pickled" Peppers

[Yooper]

Just started a new batch of fermented jalapeno slices:

I used a 2% brine. The lid is a cool new thing I recently got- a dry airlock. The fancy weight is a sanitized rock- so I'll still plenty ghetto! I put in a few onion slices, but nothing else. It's already turned cloudy and bubbly. I'm looking forward to this one.

 

[passedpawn]

Looking good. I use pickle pipes for fermenting in mason jars. They make them (now) for wide and narrow-mouthed jars.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01726CJ9Y/?tag=forumyield-20

Here's some of my own peppers fermenting in them (habaneros and cayennes).

 

[passedpawn]

The fancy weight is a sanitized rock- so I'll still plenty ghetto!

Have you tried just using a ziplock filled with water for the weight? I do that for kimchi and it works great.

 

[Kickass]

I fermented some peppers last year that got a funky lily pad on top. I got busy and by the time I got around to researching and figuring out what was going on, they had magically disappeared from the cabinet. This might be the encouragement I need to pursue fermented peppers again!

 

[passedpawn]

I fermented some peppers last year that got a funky lily pad on top. I got busy and by the time I got around to researching and figuring out what was going on, they had magically disappeared from the cabinet. This might be the encouragement I need to pursue fermented peppers again!

Well yea, my wife does not consider this kind of stuff edible. She wouldn't throw it away - she's seen it all at this point.

 

[Kickass]

I think my wife was expecting something that resembled fermenting beer, and well...

Do you scoop the funk off and proceed? I’d like to make hot sauce with fermented chilies.

 

[Yooper]

Have you tried just using a ziplock filled with water for the weight? I do that for kimchi and it works great.

Yes- but I have a weird thing about low pH and plastic touching it so I don't like doing it.
To show you how weird it is- I do use a plastic fermenter fairly often for beer. It's because I can't lift a 6.5 gallon carboy full of beer, so I make allowances there. (Will ferment smaller batches in a corney keg, though!).

 

[Yooper]

I think my wife was expecting something that resembled fermenting beer, and well...

Do you scoop the funk off and proceed? I’d like to make hot sauce with fermented chilies.

You could- but I"ve find that if you get some kahm yeast or mold that even if you scrape it off (it's not harmful), the taste is impacted. @passedpawn will have to let us know what he does, though!

 

[enkamania]

Looking good. I use pickle pipes for fermenting in mason jars. They make them (now) for wide and narrow-mouthed jars.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01726CJ9Y/?tag=forumyield-20

Here's some of my own peppers fermenting in them (habaneros and cayennes).

I use these when I harvest yeast.

 

[bleme]

Any benefit to vacuum sealing jars?

 

[passedpawn]

I think my wife was expecting something that resembled fermenting beer, and well...

Do you scoop the funk off and proceed? I’d like to make hot sauce with fermented chilies.

Yes. I didn't scoop it off and just mixed in It was a little too funky. No ill effect other than that. But you should remove. I probably fermented way too long.

I use these when I harvest yeast.

Me too. Got a bunch of jars of lager yeast in the fridge ready for the ocfest I'm gonna brew soon.

 

[passedpawn]

Yes- but I have a weird thing about low pH and plastic touching it so I don't like doing it.
To show you how weird it is- I do use a plastic fermenter fairly often for beer. It's because I can't lift a 6.5 gallon carboy full of beer, so I make allowances there. (Will ferment smaller batches in a corney keg, though!).

Vinegar comes in a plastic container. Hmmm... but yea, there are different types of plastic.

 

[Yooper]

Any benefit to vacuum sealing jars?

No- because the fermentation produces gas (just like with beer and wine), so you don't want a vacuum or a complete seal- you want the c02 to escape.

 

[bleme]

No- because the fermentation produces gas (just like with beer and wine), so you don't want a vacuum or a complete seal- you want the c02 to escape.

I just noticed that a lot of those lids came with a hand pump to remove air from the headspace.

 

[bernardsmith]

Was watching an interesting Youtube video the other day that recommended that we use 2.5% brine but the 2.5 percent is the percent of total weight (vegetables PLUS water).. and that seems to me to be a very low concentrated brine. Thoughts?
That said, I often add some wine tannin to my pickling cucumbers if I don't have any horseradish leaves. helps keep the cucumbers crisp.

 

[passedpawn]

Was watching an interesting Youtube video the other day that recommended that we use 2.5% brine but the 2.5 percent is the percent of total weight (vegetables PLUS water).. and that seems to me to be a very low concentrated brine. Thoughts?
That said, I often add some wine tannin to my pickling cucumbers if I don't have any horseradish leaves. helps keep the cucumbers crisp.

Picklecrisp, or calcium chloride, is normally added to keep the cucumbers crisp. You'll even see it on the label of commercial pickles.

 

[Miraculix]

Was watching an interesting Youtube video the other day that recommended that we use 2.5% brine but the 2.5 percent is the percent of total weight (vegetables PLUS water).. and that seems to me to be a very low concentrated brine. Thoughts?
That said, I often add some wine tannin to my pickling cucumbers if I don't have any horseradish leaves. helps keep the cucumbers crisp.

It would be way too high!

The amount of salt per amount of water is much higher if you would take vegetables weight into account when calculating the brine as the vegetables are not really diluting as water does.

I ferment a lot of stuff and from my own experience, 2% brine, without taking the whatever you ferment into account, is best.

 

[bernardsmith]

Picklecrisp, or calcium chloride, is normally added to keep the cucumbers crisp. You'll even see it on the label of commercial pickles.

Oh, I was under the strong impression that the problem was a lack of tannin. I have Ca Cl . Will give that a go next time I pickle cucs.

 

[passedpawn]

Oh, I was under the strong impression that the problem was a lack of tannin. I have Ca Cl . Will give that a go next time I pickle cucs.

Well maybe. Try both in separate containers and compare. I'm not expert, I just do what I'm told

 

[bernardsmith]

absolutely - there is really no other viable way to determine what works..

 

[Miraculix]

Raising the salt percentage to 4% also keeps them crisp but inhibits sone of the beneficial organisms from growing there. The variety of mos you'll get from it will be less than with 2% solutions.

 

[bernardsmith]

Raising the salt percentage to 4% also keeps them crisp but inhibits sone of the beneficial organisms from growing there. The variety of mos you'll get from it will be less than with 2% solutions.

So, If I understand you aright, using this high-ball "2.5%" brine means that the shelf life of these pickles is in fact longer than if I use a normal concentration (based on only the weight/volume of the water)

 

[Miraculix]

So, If I understand you aright, using this high-ball "2.5%" brine means that the shelf life of these pickles is in fact longer than if I use a normal concentration (based on only the weight/volume of the water)

No. It just means that the variety of microorganisms fermenting your food is limited as some cannot survive in liquid with higher salt concentrations.

If you would increase the salt percentage even further (which might be the case at this completely unusual way of calculating the salt percentage) the salt would kill everything, becoming a preservative. This would last forever, but obvioulsy also won't ferment at all.

It is not desireable to raise the salt percentage higher than you need as you want a broad spectrum of microorganisms in your wild ferment.

 

[bernardsmith]

Thanks, Miraculix. This is very helpful.

 

[Miraculix]

Thanks, Miraculix. This is very helpful.

No problem.

There is a very good German website getting into more detail... but unfortunately it is in German. www.wildefermente.de

 

[bernardsmith]

Sandor Ellix Katz' Wild Fermentation is a great source (in English) -

 

[Miraculix]

Sandor Ellix Katz' Wild Fermentation is a great source (in English) -

Yes, i had that one! I gave it away when I moved countries... it was too big.

 

[Kickass]

Ok, I just made another attempt. Food processed 1.2 pounds of Hatch chilies and .3 pounds of jalapenos. I really enjoy Hatch chilies and wanted to do a Hatch dominant ferment. Once it finishes I'll make some hot sauce. Thanks for the inspiration!

 

[S-Met]

Pepper season is here!
I posted more detail in another thread already. Chili garlic paste just finished this morning.

 

[bob1852]

Had a few thai chilies. Might as well ferment them...outta toss in some garlic as well.

 

[S-Met]

Another batch of peppers. Whole peppers and garlic cloves, 3% brine.

 

[S-Met]

Pepper season is here!
I posted more detail in another thread already. Chili garlic paste just finished this morning.
View attachment 641567

Packaged. Some for gifts, most for home use.

 

[JAReeves]

Gonna resurrect this thread as well, since I am on a research mission.

How did these fermented chili sauces turn out? Any recipes I can use that any of you trust and repeat? This is my week to do fermented/pickled cukes, chilis, and cabbage.

 

[bracconiere]

so i happened acrost some peppers, but i need to figure out how to make them not spoil......you 2-3% salt water? i assume by weight?

past their prime i know, but it was a hand me down....would it be best to cut the tops off them to let the brine get to the inerds?

 

[Miraculix]

so i happened acrost some peppers, but i need to figure out how to make them not spoil......you 2-3% salt water? i assume by weight?

View attachment 744723

past their prime i know, but it was a hand me down....would it be best to cut the tops off them to let the brine get to the inerds?

I would remove the top, cut them in half, 20g Salt per 1000g water and off you go!

 

[bracconiere]

I would remove the top, cut them in half, 20g Salt per 1000g water and off you go!

all i have is lite salt, 50/50 sodium-potassium chloride....will it work as good, do you think?

 

[Miraculix]

all i have is lite salt, 50/50 sodium-potassium chloride....will it work as good, do you think?

No. Buy real, untreated salt.

 

[bracconiere]

No. Buy real, untreated salt.

pickling salt then....

 

[hottpeper13]

I use the pink Himalayan salt,and do everything with a scale and percentages.

 

[Miraculix]

pickling salt then....

Never heard of it, just buy regular rock salt, like the Himalayan pink salt mentioned above.