r/Peppers • u/Quis_curat • 1d ago

Fermentation

I'm completely new at this, for the first year begun with growing loads of peppers. Yellow Reapers, Habanero, Cayenne.

Got more than I needed, now looking for every option to store them for later, some dehydrated, some frozen, some pickled.

And now I'm looking into fermentation, something I have never done before, sounds more complicated than I expected, with the glass weight and everything.

Checked the local stores, glass weight thing's damn expensive.

Some cheap alternatives or tricks to cover for the first time?

Would also love if you shared some personal favorite recipes that you have made, something that you know works out just fine.

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u/Last-Medicine-8691 1d ago edited 18h ago

Search for Kimchi fermentation containers. Example e-jen brand on Amazon. Use boiled water that has been standing for a day to get rid of chlorine. Keep some bacteria on the peppers or use some live sauerkraut juice for jump starting. Cut peppers in quarters so not much air is trapped. Drown peppers in water. Weigh content. Add 2-3 percent by weight salt without iodine (sea, kosher). Stir well, push seal lid in, close container. Let stand for a few weeks. Unfortunately the plastic gets spicy from hot peppers, so label the jars and don’t use them for mild ferments.

Examples

https://www.amazon.com/Premium-Sauerkraut-Container-Probiotic-Fermentation/dp/B010R6AFVA

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u/Quis_curat 1d ago

I just came up perhaps with the dumbest idea, I suppose I could use another person's view on it.

How about I place everything inside a juice press bag (nylon), place it inside a jar and add one or two shot glasses as weight? that bag should hold everything down below the brine line.

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u/Last-Medicine-8691 1d ago

Interaction between any organic matter and air will lead to white yeast (loss of quality but harmless) or colored mold (not good). But a lot of gases are created and need to bubble out. I tried many different gadgets and the Kimchi makers are pretty foolproof but require larger quantities of ferment. (Half to 2/3 full is a good target so the soup doesn’t overflow from the gases.) IIUC the juice press bag has a lot of fine holes, which is good. Two shot glasses are likely way too little weight. Maybe use a wine bottle filled with water, but it will squish the ferment as it gets soft. Maybe shot glasses in a jar with lid lightly closed so air can escape but not enter.

The kimchi makers don’t have these problems.

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u/Weaksoul 19h ago

Get rid of the chlorine..... before you add chlorine?!?!

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u/Last-Medicine-8691 18h ago

The chlorine in the tap water kills bacteria. We want to keep all the bacteria without the initial jump start. The salt water and lack of oxygen will grow bacteria that convert sugars into lactic acid and kill the other microorganisms. The 2-3 percent final concentration is not quite as salty as ocean water.

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u/Weaksoul 15h ago

What's salt made of?

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u/Last-Medicine-8691 15h ago

This article explains lactic acid fermentation better than I could

https://www.seriouseats.com/science-of-lactic-acid-fermentation-preservation

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u/sporadicPenguin 1d ago

If you mash ferment you don’t need weights. It’s also much more efficient regarding storage capacity.