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Post by rdback on Oct 16, 2020 8:28:26 GMT -6
Your ferment looks great!
You might want to taste it prior to adding the vinegar and see if you like it. Most folks don't add vinegar to their fermented peppers because the pH is low enough to make the product self-stable. Now, if you like the vinegar flavor, by all means add it. Just letting you know it's not required.
Be sure to post photos when you've finished it!
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Post by glen on Oct 16, 2020 13:33:50 GMT -6
I appreciate the positive comments and tips. Yesterday, I noticed Kahm's yeast growing in the larger, newer batch of mash. The internet says that kahm's yeast is not poisonous and is not an immediate reason to throw away the mash. Actually, I noticed yeast in both mashes. But, much less in the older jar. Bercy rejarred both pepper mashes and put them in the refrigerator, effectively stopping the ferments. The oldest jar smells the best. Still peppery and fragrant. The newer batch has more of a bitter smell now. I am using dry ferment methods so I couldn't just scoop off the kahm's yeast with a spoon. The yeast was growing on the peppers them self. The mash was just stirred up. This Kahm's yeast issue is common but very frustrating. Once it starts it just wants to continue to grow on the peppers. It imparts an unwanted smell. The next time I do a mash my only option is to increase the amount of salt I use. I used a 5% salt to chili pepper ratio by weight this time. I will need to up the percentage significantly maybe to 8%. I don't know exactly what I am going to do yet with the jar of peppers with the bitter smell yet. I will know later when I taste the peppers. I intended to use those peppers to make hot sauce. I am going to wait though. The other container with the older mash still smells good. I will let you know how that tastes fairly soon. I did say that I wasn't out of the woods so this is no surprise. Temperatures have been lower here in Panama so I thought I had a good chance of some yeast and mold free ferments. At least I am not seeing mold.
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Post by glen on Oct 16, 2020 13:40:19 GMT -6
On the bright side, I am already planting new chili peppers so in the months ahead I will have many lbs of fresh chili's to experiment with. Producing chili's is much easier than fermenting them it seems when you live in a warm climate. The ideal temperatures for fermenting chili peppers seems to be 72F to 82F. My Temps never fall into that range. Its 230pm now and its already 91F inside my house which is pretty normal for me. Yes, I know, thats hot. Its going to get much hotter in the next few months. It will be 95F every day in the house during the dry season.
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Post by glen on Oct 16, 2020 16:40:47 GMT -6
Today I used some of the fermented peppers to make a small batch of relish. I just put the peppers in a food processor and chopped them up with vinegar. It just took a minute. The fermented peppers are sour. I was taken aback a little when I tasted it. I had to roll that stuff around in my mouth for awhile to decide whether I liked it or not. I am used to making chili relish with fresh chili's. Complete different flavor. After awhile, the flavor grew on me. I scooped the relish onto sauerkraut and ate it that way. The sauerkraut has the same type of sour flavor. In my opinion, the fermented peppers should mellow more over time however, they might even get more sour as well. Maybe they will grow on me more after I eat it for awhile? The heat is still the same. A much more complex flavor. Those peppers are blistering hot also. My sinus are completely cleared out now. Yes, I highly recommend trying to ferment your peppers.
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Post by glen on Oct 28, 2020 16:55:50 GMT -6
Ok, its been 12 days since I posted about the fermented pepper batches I have. I had to put both ferments in smaller jars and get them in the fridge about 10 days ago. One batch is more fermented than the other. There is a lot of this product in the fridge. I tried making a small portion of relish awhile back that I was just not in love with. I kept both ferments to see if the flavor changes over time. Well, I just tried the first ferment. I used a fork and took a pepper out of the jar and started nibbling on it. Very salty now but less sour tasting. The heat of the pepper is absolutely mind bending. My mouth and lips are on fire and have been for awhile. I have no idea what I will do with either of these ferments. I plan to experiment with them a little more before discarding them. I have never experienced anything like this. Its not really growing on me either. I could make a hot sauce out of this. Not sure I will like the combination of salt flavor and sour flavor. At least some of the yeast smell is beginning to abate. No mold in either jar. I either do not know what I am doing. Or, I just don't like fermented chili's. I will tell ya, the heat of these peppers is extraordinary. www.gardenbetty.com/2014/10/fermented-hot-chile-sauce/This link takes you to a recipe that is very similar to the way I made my fermented chili's.
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Post by rdback on Oct 30, 2020 8:43:03 GMT -6
... I have never experienced anything like this. Its not really growing on me either .... Or, I just don't like fermented chili's...
That just might be the case Glen.
A lot of folks find they simply don't like the unique flavor fermentation imparts on peppers. They either add things (sweetener, fruits, veggies, etc) after the ferment is done or, they return to the traditional "cooked" process and add vinegar to lower the pH.
It's good that you tried fermenting them - now you know!
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Post by glen on Oct 30, 2020 12:39:06 GMT -6
Yesterday I tried mincing up some of the pepper slices and mixing it with sauerkraut. Man, that was sour!! Those peppers have a sour smell worse than kimchee. There is nothing in this ferment other than peppers and salt and garlic and a little bit of water that I added so the recipe is as basic a ferment as you can make. Before throwing this stuff out I need to try adding shredding some more and adding vinegar and boiling it for awhile. I am not sure the word unique is what I would honestly use to describe this fermented ahi. More like sour smelling. And, spicy as hell. I am only guessing but I do not believe too many American's would like this flavor.
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Post by macmex on Oct 30, 2020 14:03:53 GMT -6
I believe you, Glen!
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Post by glen on Oct 31, 2020 17:12:05 GMT -6
In front of our super-market there are card tables set up for a few handicapped individuals to sell things like baked goods or empanada's or now a days, face masks and many different items. Panamanians are very kind hearted and try to buy things from these vendors. One table sells empanada's so I gave the dude a big bag of Chili's a few weeks ago. He made peppa sauce out of the chili's. Ahi's were cut into halves and quarters with chopped onion and garlicd and stuffed into a big squirt bottle filled with white vinegar to be used on the empanada's. The sauce is described as bastante pica!! I gave the man another bag of ahi's today and he was thrilled. He has already planted seed in his yard as well. The name of the ahi's hence forth are Hindu ahi. A general term for any colored hot chili in the bag that is not a chombo. Today, on the way out of the store I noticed the man actually selling the ahi's. So, people like them. Apparently the peppa sauce is very well liked as well. Tomorrow the plan is to make my own peppa sauce!!! Easiest sauce in the world to make. Just soak those ahi's in vinegar with salt. You can't go wrong. The fermented ahi's will be going over the fence.
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Post by heavyhitterokra on Oct 31, 2020 21:17:37 GMT -6
Great story, Glen. I enjoyed reading that. It's always a good feeling to help others. From your words, I could almost see those people smiling!
This year, with Covid putting our Farmers Market out of business, I ended up not selling anything that I planted. I gave everything away instead. What a great feeling that was. Lots of folks have really been enjoying themselves out in my garden this year. Lots of camaraderie with people I otherwise would not have really gotten to know.
I had a lot of things leftover as a result of sporadic harvest days. That's okay though. I'll just sell seeds this winter instead of selling veggies in summer. So far, I've got a little over 42-ponds of okra seed harvested, shelled out, and put into open containers for a 30-day dry-cure.
By Thanksgiving, I ought to have everything ready to go into long-term storage. (That's a very good feeling). That has been a lot of hard work, getting everything to this stage.
The pepper seed harvest will be next. I just needed to get the okra out of the way before I started another project. I'll have the okra knocked out in another 18-pounds or so, then, I can change gears.
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Post by glen on Nov 1, 2020 16:00:21 GMT -6
I sent you some pepper seed the other day so be on the look out for that. I think that's great that you were able to replace the lost veggy market business with the okra seed business this year. No need to put yourself in harm's way working with the public.
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Post by heavyhitterokra on Nov 1, 2020 16:36:42 GMT -6
Glen,
Are there any tricks to saving good pepper seeds?
I need to get some picked and ready to ship to you very soon, as we finally got our killing frost and those things won't be around much longer.
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Post by glen on Nov 1, 2020 17:39:24 GMT -6
The last 2 fermented batches of Bhut Jolokia chili peppers went over the fence. Come to find out, I am fermenting the chili's in temperatures that are much too high. Fermenting chili's requires temperatures between 68 and 72 degree's. My temperatures are between 80 and 90 degree's F right now. I can make sauerkraut in this higher temperatures but not fermented chili's. To make up for what went over the fence I made fresh chili relish using white vinegar as the preservative. I picked several lbs of ahi's yesterday. Today I washed them, split them and deseeded them and then chopped them up in a little electric food processor. I used white vinegar, sugar, salt, garlic, and ginger root in the mash. I jarred up the mash and topped off the vinegar in the jar. I did not heat up this relish on the stove. I will let this sit on the counter top for 2 days before putting it in the fridge. When you make a chili recipe using unfermented chili's this is called a fresh recipe. This jar of relish will last for 3 to 6 months in the fridge-maybe longer. Bercy is pissed at me. I made 2 batches of fermented chili's. She helped me. Then we thru both batches over the fence. I am not mad about it. I learned something. The fresh relish I made today will be delicious.
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Post by glen on Nov 1, 2020 17:49:43 GMT -6
Ron, there are many ways to save chili pepper seeds.
For sweet pepper seeds you just use ripe peppers and dry the seed on a tray. Make sure and mark the variety of the seed. Also, never use hybrid peppers to save seed. For example, your Walmart Jalepeno's? Those are hybrids. The seed is no good.
For juicy hot peppers you should wash the seed. I don't think you have any hot peppers so don't worry about it. I am sending you some though. If you grow them out you need to wash that seed after extracting it. Otherwise you risk mold. Plus, you rinse off the pepper juice which is a good thing. If you touch hot pepper seed that has not been rinsed off then you touch a sensitive place on your body you will be punished.
Its cold now in OK so you don't really have to worry about mold.
So, for you, there are really no tricks to saving pepper seed.
Oh, if you ever get serious about saving pepper seed I would isolate your special plants so they don't cross. Its the Annuums that do most of the crossing. You know, your Jalepeno's?
Also, your black pearl peppers are annuum's. Eventually those black pearls are going to cross with something and all your seeds will have the purple gene. Plant them away from other peppers if you can.
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Post by heavyhitterokra on Dec 22, 2020 17:00:13 GMT -6
Sneaky Dog Today is December 22nd. The shortest day of the year has passed. Christmas is only a few days away, and that means it's time to whip up another batch of Sneaky Dog.
Sneaky Dog is a recipe that I invented about twenty years ago, to be served on Ritz Crackers, at a family Christmas get-together. Mostly, because the peppers were red and green and it just seemed like a Christmas thing to do. My Brother-in-Law was a chili-head and loved anything peppery. Ever since then, it has become a family Christmas tradition.I'll post a recipe below, for a smaller batch than the one I posted back in December of 2018. Back then, I'd make a half-gallon batch of this every year. We have a large extended family, so everything has to be done in large quantities. This year, because of Covid-19, we are not having a big family get-together, so I need to make a smaller batch of Sneaky Dog, just for the immediate family to enjoy.This recipe will make about 2 pounds of the finished cracker spread. Sneaky Dog keeps very well and is designed to be used throughout the entire week-long celebration between Christmas Day and New Year's Day.
This is the recipe:
Two, 8-ounce packages of room temperature cream cheese16-ounces of well-drained, pickled jalapeno peppers (diced)One-half of a yellow onion, finely mincedOne-teaspoon or so of freshly minced garlicOne-half a cup of minced pecansjust a pinch of salt for added flavor(Note) For a little stronger bite, you can substitute about 2-ounces of the pickled jalapeno peppers, for a 2-ounce jar of well-drained, pickled Tabasco peppers, (finely minced).Mix all ingredients into a non-reactive bowl of room temperature cream cheese, stir well and refrigerate over-night. (A glass bowl is best, as the vinegar and peppers are slightly corrosive). Better flavor will occur if left covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated for 2-days to one week before serving. The flavors during the refrigerated curing time will mellow and meld together much better.Any leftover Sneaky Dog, can be mixed with Mayonnaise after the Christmas Holiday, to be used as a sandwich spread that goes really well with ham, roast beef, goose, or duck sandwiches.
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