these may look innocent enough to you
but that’s because your eyes aren’t watering from the heat.
if you’re a chile head like me, or another person i know
then you might like what i’m about to tell you.
i like my chiles homegrown (or local farmer grown) and i like my chiles all year ’round.
this is how i get both:
fermenting chiles
for every 1/2 pound of chiles (or mild peppers if you’re more of a sweet head) you need 1 pint of water, 1 & 1/4 tablespoons of sea salt, and a 1 quart container.
1. wash and dry the chiles, leave them whole if they are small, cut in pieces if larger. place in the quart container.
2. dissolve the salt in the water and pour over chiles to cover. important: you need to make sure the chiles are completely submerged in the brine. you can see in the photo above that i’ve placed a smaller sized jar on top (inside the larger jar) to help submerge the chiles. i also had brine left over which i sealed in the top jar in case i need more brine once the chiles start to ferment. you can always make more brine if you need, using the ratio above.
you don’t need a jar in a jar, you can put them in a bowl that fits a plate inside, and some kind of weight on top of that. make sure whatever you use is clean of course.
3. keep the chiles at room temperature, checking the next day, and the day after to make sure they are still submerged. add more brine if you need.
4. you may see a bit of something that looks like ‘scum’ form on the top of the brine, and/or the jar or plate you have submerged.
that’s ok.
just skim it off and rinse off the jar or plate and replace it, making sure the chiles are submerged. everything should calm down in a few days. then you can pretty much leave it alone and just check on every 3 days or so to make sure all is in order.
5. in about 3 weeks or so, give them a taste, they should have all of that chile goodness, with an added tang of sour. (yum!) when you deem them ready, drain the brine into a saucepan, bring to the boil and skim off any residue on top. let the brine cool.
6. put the chiles into a clean jar, pour the boiled & cooled brine over, cap the jar and place in fridge.
…that my peeps, is how i enjoy homegrown chiles all year – or at least through the winter months. i use them for cooking all manner of curries and stir-frys, and anywhere fresh chiles are called for in cooking.
i also enjoy these babies fresh from the jar whenever a dish needs a little – or a lot of – heat.
speaking of chiles, peppers and the like: do check back here on wednesday october 27th for the october round-up of the can jam, ’cause there’s going to be a whole lotta chiles getting canned up.
jarring, i know!
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You are reading my mind, sista. I've had bad luck in the past fermenting chiles, but I am determined: THIS IS THE YEAR I succeed at homemade Tabasco. (Once I find enough chiles at the market, that is).
But fridged, fermented whole chiles sound pretty darn good too… and aren't the peppers *crazy* this year? We are getting tons from the CSA. I'm in chile-head heaven.
i can't believe you are saying that the peppers are crazy this year! actually in the berkshires, i, and a lot of the farmers have luscious bushes with hardly any chiles.
what's up with that?? and here you are, an hour & change south and you are loaded! i need to get my butt back up there and see what happened in the week and 1/2 i've been away. maybe it's raining chiles in my garden right now! …and YES try these fermented chiles! ooh, and homemade tabasco sounds *nice*!
I remember in Nicaragua people fermented chiles with vinegar too. Is this considered fermenting or is it pickleling?
julio – while both are considered pickles, technically speaking, pickles without added vinegar are fermented and pickles in vinegar are 'fresh' pickles, as the vegetable don't actually go through a fermenting process. would love to hear exactly how chile pickles were made in nicaragua!
i got TONS of anaheims from my CSA this year, i generally just slice them (rings), pack them in a jar, and cover them with a hot vinegar/water/salt/pinch of sugar solution, and pop them into thefridge. I dont ever process them because a)they get eaten too fast! and b) they dont stay crisp! we love snacking on and using good ole "banana pepper"-type rings on stuff.
i've also taken homegrown hot green chile types and basically pureed them in the food processor with a couple of garlic cloves and lemon zest. Pack it in a 1/2 pint, and also cover with the hot vinegar solution, get out the air bubbles and refrigerate. hot and garlicky and tangy, great condiment!
I'm going to try pickling 'em and fermentin' 'em. Each month your canjam sets me off on an adventure and right now my kitchen is filled to bustin' with chillis that need preserving. I've acquired them all for free, just by being down-right cheeky. Thanks for the inspiration.
vera – thanks for the suggestions, they sound great!
gloria – free chiles! lucky you! yes, do try this, and pickling too. i think mine just froze on the bushes last night…:( i have to remember to look at the weather this time of year. duh!
tigress: Hope this comment gets to you since this is an old post. How long do those chilis stay good in the fridge? I worry that I'll make several jars and they won't keep long enough. I live alone and don't eat them fast enough. I had to throw fresh chili's out last year. I HATE that !
cheryl – they should keep well for up to 6 months. keep them submerged in their brine for best results. for even longer keeping i take these fermented chiles and pickle them in oil, you can see that recipe in the right side bar. enjoy!