FERMENTED PEPPER PASTE RECIPES

Steps:

• Dissolve 3 tablespoons salt per quart of water.
• Rinse peppers with water and remove stems and cores. Cut into thin strips or 1/2 to 1-inch squares.
• Place a bit of seasonings, if using, at the bottom of each jar. Fill the jar about halfway with peppers. Add in a bit more seasonings. Fill the rest of the jar with the chopped peppers, leaving 1-2 inches headspace.
• Pour brine over peppers and seasonings until covered.
• If necessary, weigh the peppers down under the brine to keep them submerged. Cover the jar with a tight lid, airlock lid, or coffee filter secured with a rubber band.
• Culture at room temperature (60-70°F is preferred) until desired flavor is achieved. If using a tight lid, burp daily to release excess pressure.
• Once the peppers are finished, put a tight lid on the jar and move to cold storage.

Steps:

• Pull the stems off the peppers and wash. Slice them down the middle with a sharp knife. Pack them into your wide-mouth quart mason jar as tightly as you can. Push the garlic and onions in there.
• Stir the salt into warm water until dissolved. Allow the water to come to room temperature, then pour the water over the contents of the jar, taking care to cover the peppers completely.
• Place a fermentation weight over the chiles and garlic to hold them under the brine. Or push a jelly jar in the mouth of the wide mouth canning jar (removing a bit of brine may be required).
• Place the fermenting lid and airlock on the jar and seal tightly. Allow the jars to sit at room temperature for up to 10 days. The peppers should start to bubble around the end of day 1.
• Transfer the chiles and brine to a high quality blender. Blend like crazy.
• You have two options: strain the pulp through several fine layers of cheesecloth. Then bottle up and store in the refrigerator until ready to use. Or, pour the sauce directly into hot sauce bottles without straining through cheesecloth (it'll be much thicker).