Fermented Pepperoncini Peppers Recipe • Cultured Guru (2024)

FAQs

What is the ratio of brine to fermented peppers? ›

For chile peppers, it's best to use a 3–5% brine. To figure out this percentage, weigh your water and then add between 3% and 5% of that weight in salt. I use a 3.5% mixture. You'll want enough brine to cover the peppers and fill the vessel to the brim.

Culture at room temperature until the color of the peppers changes and dulls, usually 5-7 days. If you like, this ferment continue to ferment at room temperature for many months. We like it best after at least 3 months; the flavors become more complex and rich, the longer it ferments.

Salt Concentration

For most pepper fermentations, there seems to be a sweet spot between 2% and 4%.

They both produce a sour flavor, but pickles are sour because they are soaked in an acidic, vinegar-based brine, while fermented foods are sour because of a chemical reaction between naturally present sugars and bacteria known as lacto-fermentation.

Salt in fermentation encourages the growth of healthy bacteria, while at the same time kills off bad bacteria. We need to be precise when measuring the salt and water, especially when fermenting vegetables that will be submerged in brine. Too much salt may kill off all the bacteria, thus preventing fermentation.

We like ours best when we refrigerate at about five weeks, but they are also good at around 30 days. The longer the peppers ferment, the more the flavors develop.

Over-fermentation:

If fermented vegetables are left to ferment for too long, the texture can become overly soft and mushy.

Add some sort of weight to make sure your peppers stay submerged. A plastic bag full of quarters or rocks works well, but make sure to sanitize the bag before placing it on top of your peppers. Let your peppers ferment for 1-2 weeks. Make sure to burp daily to avoid a messy explosion.

A Small Ceramic or Glass Dish. Mini jelly jars, condiment dishes or small dessert ramekins that fit inside the mouth of the jar work very well to weigh down fermenting veggies. Partially fill the jar with water to create extra weight or add these jars on top of fermentation weights to help keep vegetables submerged.

Plain spring water is excellent, except “sparkling” or those with higher or added mineral content. Water labeled “drinking” is usually okay, but always read the ingredient label for additives.

What is the best salt for fermentation? ›

Pink Himalayan salt, sea salt, fleur de sel, and grey salt are ideal for vegetable fermentation.

One of the most common visible contaminations is a white, cloudy substance called Kahm Yeast. While Kahm yeast isn't harmful it can indicate that there is a problem with your ferment. Kahm yeast is actually safe to eat as long as there are no molds present and the ferment tests at a pH of 4 or lower.

Too much salt will kill all the bacteria and the chilies won't ferment. If you need to add more water to the jar, then add salt accordingly. Use 1 1/4 teaspoons fine sea salt per 1 cup of water. This is roughly a 3% Brine (3 grams of salt per 100g of water).

Too much salt will kill all the bacteria and the chilies won't ferment. If you need to add more water to the jar, then add salt accordingly. Use 1 1/4 teaspoons fine sea salt per 1 cup of water. This is roughly a 3% Brine (3 grams of salt per 100g of water).

Basic Brine

Place that volume of water in a container large enough to hold the brine and the meat. Add 1 tablespoon of salt for every cup of water you used and mix until the salt is completely dissolved. For example, if you are using 1 gallon (16 cups) of water, add 16 tablespoons (1 cup) of salt.

For the lacto-fermented pickles, you want to make a simple salt-water brine that's approximately 3.5% salinity, which is 35 grams of salt per liter of water.

To get a liter of 2% brine, fill a pitcher with 1000 ml. of water (1 liter), multiplying by . 02, which equals 20, which is the amount of salt to add (in grams) to the water.