Fermenting.

[Worth1]

Originally Posted by Father'sDaughter

Took the plunge (or at least the peppers did) and am trying fermenting. I have a large jar of stemmed and cored peppers now sitting in a jar of brine with Italian seasonings.

These were from a Franchi seed pack labeled "Calabrese" and were supposed to be hot cherry peppers. What I got were short, fat peppers with a pointed tip. Fresh they are very thick walled and crunchy so I figured they would be a good candidate for fermenting.

Glad to see you joined.
Keep us updated and give the time.

Here are the pickles from yesterday you can see the difference already from one day to the next.
Also some onions garlic and assorted hot peppers I just started today picked fresh.
I poured the brine in and then tamped the split peppers down real good and added more brine.
Worth

20161013_122835.jpg

[Worth1]

While making the above fermented peppers one had a bug bite on it.
It was a red habanero.
Like a fool I ate the thing.
The outside portion wasn't very hot and had a sweet taste then I got to the seed section.

[Nematode]

Ok this has gone on long enough without stating the truth about fermenting.

All the best things are fermented!

Coffee
Chocolate
Beer/wine/liquor
Bread
Pickles
Hot sauce
Sauerkraut.
Yogurt
Sour cream
Soy sauce
Real sausage/pepperoni
Tofu (not sure this is in the best category, but yup its fermented)


Probly more but thats all off the top.

[Father'sDaughter]

I do know that if I do this again, it will be in a jar with a drilled lid and airlock. Fermenting these peppers was a spur of the moment decision and all I had was half gallon mason jar, a two-part lid, and a small glass bowl that just fist in the mouth of the jar to keep the peppers under the surface.

It did very little on day one, started building a bit of pressure by the end of day two, and is now on day three and going to town! The jar has been burped three times today, and I will probably do it again before I head off to bed.

The peppers have started to turn an olive green hue, and my husband, who did the second burping, said the smell is already amazing. Since these are an Italian variety, I went with garlic, basil and oregano for seasonings.

The three plants made it through two light frosts and are still loaded with not quite mature peppers. If they survive tonight's predicted freeze and manage to mature during the next few sunny days, I think I know what I'm doing with the rest of the peppers!

[peppero]

And the seed section said "I am so happy you dropped by, I have a surprise for you"!



Jon

[zipcode]

I see many people mentioning about maturing peppers for pickling and I don't understand why. The best pickles are with small ones (not yet full size). Just like it's better to use small cucumbers, it's better to use small peppers. Especially if you pickle them whole.

[Father'sDaughter]

I will wait because I want the full flavor (and heat) that truly develops when these peppers I'm using are mature.

[Shrinkrap]

I like to think mature peppers benefit from the added sugars, and in my opinion, fruitier (vs vegetal) flavors. Mine are STILL pretty small.

[Worth1]

Depends on the peppers as far as size goes.
If you will notice the cucumbers in the jar I let them get to the size I needed for them to fit in a quart jar.
I had one for breakfast this morning after the jar cooled in the refrigerator over night.
Deli pickle and coffee for breakfast.
You cant buy this in any store I know of in town.
But they wont keep because they are still active so in time they will get soft but they wont last that long.
Worth

[clkeiper]

So, I didn't read every last post here because I just don't have time right now... but back to the cabbage into kraut... I saw your "stomper" thingy... how much stomping smashing or pre masticating does the cabbage need before the actual process of jar-ing and salting it? I made some a few weeks ago and it isn't anything special to me. I thought maybe it would be soo much better than anything I have ever had for saurkraut (which wouldn't take much as I haven't found any I think is worth eating) and was I sorely disappointed. I see no bubbles although the airlock had the juice from the jar in it but it just tastes like salty cabbage to me. sigh.

[Worth1]

Originally Posted by clkeiper

So, I didn't read every last post here because I just don't have time right now... but back to the cabbage into kraut... I saw your "stomper" thingy... how much stomping smashing or pre masticating does the cabbage need before the actual process of jar-ing and salting it? I made some a few weeks ago and it isn't anything special to me. I thought maybe it would be soo much better than anything I have ever had for saurkraut (which wouldn't take much as I haven't found any I think is worth eating) and was I sorely disappointed. I see no bubbles although the airlock had the juice from the jar in it but it just tastes like salty cabbage to me. sigh.

I have questions to ask but first the salt needs to be mixed with the cabbage before it goes in the jar and mix it up.
Then just let it sweat for about 30 minutes or so.
Then put the cabbage in the jar and tamp down until you have water on top of the cabbage.
Now for the questions.
If you use any excess brine it needs to come from non chlorinated water did you do this?
Next how long did you let it ferment?
Did you wash the cabbage too much, I dont wash it at all?
At what room temperature was the cabbage at?
And how much salt and what kind.
Salty cabbage sounds to me that it never started to ferment and you didn't see any bubbles.
At two weeks fermenting right should give you something besides salty cabbage.
3 weeks is better.

Worth

[clkeiper]

Originally Posted by Worth1

I have questions to ask but first the salt needs to be mixed with the cabbage before it goes in the jar and mix it up.
Then just let it sweat for about 30 minutes or so.
Then put the cabbage in the jar and tamp down until you have water on top of the cabbage.
Now for the questions.
If you use any excess brine it needs to come from non chlorinated water did you do this?
Next how long did you let it ferment?
Did you wash the cabbage too much, I dont wash it at all?
At what room temperature was the cabbage at?
And how much salt and what kind.
Salty cabbage sounds to me that it never started to ferment and you didn't see any bubbles.
At two weeks fermenting right should give you something besides salty cabbage.
3 weeks is better.

Worth

I bought lids for fermenting. with the lids were instructions to cut the cabbage into thin slices. I would need 2 pounds for a 1 qt jar.

4 t non iodized salt
layer salt and cabbage in bowl until it is all in the bowl. mix well all while squeezing the cabbage as you mix. let sit 10 min and repeat squeezing hard and pushing down on the cabbage.It will start making lots of juice.
prepare jar by sterilizing it and making sure there is no soap residue left in it.
Pack cabbage into jar as tight as possible. (with the juice it is making) fill jar to the 1/2 " head room. cover with the outer leaf from the head..
place the lid on the jar and tighten firmly.
place airlock on lid and fill with 1/2 " of salty water.
set in dark space at 65 to 75 degree for 2 weeks.

no chlorine water, sea salt.
we have well water with a softener and iron filter.
I did not wash the cabbage, just rinsed and peeled off the outer leaves and cored it.
it has been about 3 weeks now since I started this. I used red cabbage because that was what I had in the garden. This has been in the cabinet in the kitchen relatively temperate. not above 75 at any given time. Maybe I will try it again when we get back. We are leaving on Monday but I have a huge church project that I am working on right now and don't have time to do more before leaving. sigh. I am disappointed to say the least. maybe it needs more smashing than I did.

[Worth1]

Just give it time it will kick off sooner or later.
Might not have been any bacteria around to start it off fast.
The peppers I started yesterday are already fermenting and putting out gas.


Worth

[mcool61]

I'm not sure it helps but I grate some of the cabbage with the same size grater I use for hash browns & also grind finer some of the core. I use an old hoe handle I cut off about 1.5 ft long & mash the heck out of it in the jar.

[clkeiper]

Originally Posted by mcool61

I'm not sure it helps but I grate some of the cabbage with the same size grater I use for hash browns & also grind finer some of the core. I use an old hoe handle I cut off about 1.5 ft long & mash the heck out of it in the jar.

I would break the jar... my luck.