I have done a few jalapeno ferments before without knowing what I or it was doing. They came out well but I never gave much thought about making sauce and bottling it. I always just blended it up and put it in a mason jar to use as is.
This year, my second in SC, I reaped a fairly large crop of habies and jalpenos. I used most of the jalapenos for general cooking purposes but I still had a bunch left and two plants worth of habies so I thought I might give this a try. I'm used to the clasp jars and the masons for regular canning but I also found these self-burping lids from Ball. Figured I'd give them a try. I like the idea of the airlock but the spring smashed my peppers to the bottom. I guess this is supposed to happen.
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Yesterday I got my pH meter (that
@jcam222 &
@xray recommended) and jars in the mail. Until now I have never tested for pH so now I'm in the learning stage. I calibrated it with 4.0 and it was spot on, tested white vinegar and it read 2.5, hit the top of the jalapenos and it was 3.0. I'm fairly confident everything is good since there's only white fuzz, no green mold and the smell of all containers is sweet and fruity.
My plan is to strain and reserve the brine, puree the fruits with enough of the brine to make the sauce, the n bottle it with basic canning methods for sterility. Reserve the remaining brine for jazzing up anything that I don't want sauce in, i.e. scrambled eggs, bacon cure, who knows.
What are your favorite jars for ferms? I like the clasp type myself but the ball lids are second on my list. I just don't think I'll use the springs next time. I do want to get some glass or ceramic weights though.
I just ordered some Carolina Reaper seeds. Now I'm planning my germination station in my garage for them. My habs and jalapenos grow by themselves in the garden.
-Pete
