Fermentation is a great way to preserve chillies, whether making a hot sauce or Chilli pickles. It is a method that has been used for thousands of years, and was certainly being done before canning and bottling was invented. Recently, there has been renewed interest in this ancient form of preservation. This is because people have realised that the end product tastes great and is also really healthy. What's more, it's really easy to do
To make fermented hot sauce follow the steps below:
- Top and tail ripe Chillies (about 900 grams) Cut them in half lengthwise ( It is essential to only use ripe Chillies)
- Place into a suitable mason jar that can be closed with a fermentation seal. There should be about 25mm headspace once the chillies have been packed into the jar)
- Add any other ingredients like garlic (6 cloves)
- Bring 4 cups of filtered water to the boil in a pot.
- Add 3 tablespoons of salt to the boiling water. Stir until the salt has been dissolved
- Allow the brine to cool until it is just warm.
- Pour the brine over the chillies. Weigh them down with glass weights. (the chillies must be completely submerged)
- Seal the jar and keep it at room temperature. Fermentation will begin in a couple of days. You will notice bubbles beginning to appear.
- "Burp" the jar every other day by opening the fermentation seal. By doing this, you will release built-up gases.
- After two to three weeks, fermentation should have completed. The liquid in the jar should have a pleasantly sour taste.
- Wash the bottles you will use for the hot sauces, their caps, and any funnels you will use in hot soapy water. Once washed, rinse with fresh water until all traces of detergent have been removed.
- Turn upside down to drain
- Place the drained bottles in an oven and heat to 100 degrees Celsius. Allow the bottles to dry in the oven
- in the meantime, pour the fermented chillies and juice into a blender. Blend until smooth
- Remove the bottles from the oven. Allow to cool, and then fill with fermented hot sauce
- Screw on the caps. Use as needed
Image credit
jules / CC BY 2.0 / via Flickr