Lacto fermentation
Enjoy a kick of spice but want to add some depth to your chilli peppers? Meet lacto-fermentation! This ancient preservation technique not only adds extended shelf life to your chillies but also yields incredible new flavours, from bright and snappy to deep and umami. You’ll also get a probiotic-friendly dose of probiotics. Forget bland dried peppers—let’s enter the world of bubbling, funky, and delicious fermented chillies!
If you’ve ever had a traditional fermented hot sauce like Tabasco or a spicy, funky kimchi, then you’ve already experienced the magic of lacto-fermentation. The process takes an unassuming ingredient and transforms it into something much more fascinating and complicated. It’s not so different from brewing beer or aging cheese—you’re working with time and teeny-tiny microbes to create something really, really special. The end result is a tangy, probiotic-laden product that doesn’t taste the same as the raw pepper you started with.
The best part? Lacto-fermentation is a very simple process that requires virtually no specialised gear at all. All you’ll need to get started is a jar, some water, and some salt. If you’ve got a garden full of chillies growing in your backyard, or you’re just curious to try out a new kitchen skill, lacto-fermentation is a great side project that will elevate your cooking. You not only get to keep your harvest but also open a whole new world of flavour that you can apply to so many recipes. Read more