Fermented hot sauce and pickles

[jcam222]

Last year xray shared several ferments he was doing. Looked like something to add to the tool belt so I asked for some fermenting lids and air locks for Christmas. Sure enough I got them and they laid in my office for many months. That is until a month ago when my buddy dropped off the mother load of peppers and I remembered them. I have 4 half gallon jar batches fermenting now and one I just processed into sauce yesterday. The one I processed into the pictured sauce was a blend of scotch bonnets, peach habanero, a few cayennes and adobo. I fermented those for 2 weeks. Blended in brine until I got the consistency I wanted. My Vitamix is a beast so I did not have strain. I added just a touch of vinegar along with cumin, garlic, lime and some erythritol for flavor. Threw in a touch of xanthan to help with separation. Yielded 7 bottles, for my first batch I am super pleased and my local buddy samplers loves it. I’ve used up a half bottle on things over the last few days lol. PH is 3.6 so I’d say it’s pretty much shelf stable although I have it in frig. I have two jars of red habanero, one jar of orange habanero and one jar of red scotch bonnets going now and today added these dill pickles to the party. One has a couple ghost peppers in it snd the other just some jalapeños. Thanks to xray for answering my tons of questions!! Thanks for looking.

 

[yankee2bbq]

Wow! So jealous right now! Awesome work bud!

 

[jcam222]

Wow! So jealous right now! Awesome work bud!

Thanks Yank. I’m just scratching the surface on this right now. It’s kind of addictive lol. Every week I think I should get more jars and air locks and start something new lol. I need a couple more jars since I have 8 air locks and 8 ferment weights.

 

[TNJAKE]

Looks awesome Jeff. I got some fermenting lids and weights back in the spring so I could start some stuff like this. I'm a hot sauce junkie and also wanting to make kimchi and kraut

 

[xray]

Hey Jeff the sauce you churned out looks fantastic! It looks like you’ll be turning out fermented goodies left and right.

If you’re looking for ideas with all those jars and airlocks, what about fermented giardiniera? That’s something I wanna try.

 

[jcam222]

Hey Jeff the sauce you churned out looks fantastic! It looks like you’ll be turning out fermented goodies left and right.

If you’re looking for ideas with all those jars and airlocks, what about fermented giardiniera? That’s something I wanna try.

That’s a good idea. Like Jake I want to try kimchi too. Right now I’m most obsessed with hot sauce lol. It’s going to take many batches and possibly some Pepcid to nail down my own recipes haha.

 

[jcam222]

Looks awesome Jeff. I got some fermenting lids and weights back in the spring so I could start some stuff like this. I'm a hot sauce junkie and also wanting to make kimchi and kraut

Man fermenting for the hot sauce is pretty addictive lol!!Im going to save plenty of the next batches brine to use as starter. As we go into winter the peppers I’ll use will be store bought and likely irradiated. The starter will get them rolling.

 

[tropics]

Jeff looks good now you have to get into the fermenting a little deeper,I have some Habs going on two years now

 

[jcam222]

Jeff looks good now you have to get into the fermenting a little deeper,I have some Habs going on two years now

Once I get a good stock of bottled sauce built up for gifts and personal use I want to. I read it tends to sweeten due to the generation of fruity esthers. Do you end up having to refresh the brine at times? How much harder is it to prevent mold or excessive yeast? I read that Tabasco had some reserve stock that was at 10 years aged.

 

[olaf]

The same xray posts got me doing the same, I was somewhat surprised how good my first batch came out albeit a little hot. Are you able to breathe in your house after blending?

 

[jcam222]

The same xray posts got me doing the same, I was somewhat surprised how good my first batch came out albeit a little hot. Are you able to breathe in your house after blending?

It really was not bad. Now when’s I took a big whiff from the blender it was a little breathtaking. I expect my next blends will be hotter so we shall see.

 

[BBQ Bird]

Looks great. I've got a bunch of peppers from the garden and have been making unfermented hot sauces. However, I just got my fermentation lids/weights, so I'll be starting some fermentation batches this week.

 

[bauchjw]

Looks like your set! They look amazing, man I don’t need a new hobby, but your photos s add nd description have me thinking!!!! Great work, thank you for sharing!

 

[jcam222]

Looks like your set! They look amazing, man I don’t need a new hobby, but your photos s add nd description have me thinking!!!! Great work, thank you for sharing!

I have to say it’s been really cool knowing the hot sauce I’m using is from my own ferment.

 

[TNJAKE]

More details about the pickles please.

 

[jcam222]

More details about the pickles please.

I went very basic Jake. I’m the one jar I did 2 ghost peppers cut in half lengthwise and about 2/3 bunch of fresh dill. Brine I’m using is 1 1/4 t sea salt per cup of distilled water. Sliced the pickle cukes into nice thick chips and added about 5 sliced jalapeños. The other jar is the same minus the ghost peppers. I’ll sample them in about 2 weeks. I’ve read anywhere from 2 to 6 weeks depending on personal preference. More sour the longer they go.

 

[Fueling Around]

I have to say it’s been really cool knowing the hot sauce I’m using is from my own ferment.

That is the $1,000 statement Jeff.
I normally make hot sauce from dried chilies. Wife has to be cautious of fermented due to a histamine allergy.

Jealous on the Scotch Bonnet. Don't grow well around here. They have a unique flavor.
I would make a single batch of just Scotch Bonnet to work on a jerk marinade.

 

[Steve H]

Looks great Jeff. I really need to get off my butt. And try this fermenting thing!

 

[tropics]

I have to add some liquid into the air lock only.
Richie

 

[tx smoker]

Wow Jeff, all of that looks absolutely fantastic buddy. Great work all around, especially for it being your first run. I see some (more) great things in your future.

Looks like your set! They look amazing, man I don’t need a new hobby, but your photos s add nd description have me thinking

Ha ha!! This is the exact same thought I had when I started reading his thread: "just what I need....another food related hobby"

Robert