PING George Shirley
 

I am starting to ferment some peppers to make hot sauce per your
instructions. Do you cover them peppers to keep the submerged like
you do kraut? Wonder how a wine cooler would work? Too humid?
--
Susan N.

There are 10 types of people in the world. Those who understand binary and those who do not.

The Cook wrote:
> I am starting to ferment some peppers to make hot sauce per your
> instructions. Do you cover them peppers to keep the submerged like
> you do kraut? Wonder how a wine cooler would work? Too humid?

I grind up the chiles, put them in the crock and then cover with an
appropriate amount of pickling salt, ie 1/3 cup per gallon. Put the lid
on the crock, monitor frequently, and they will start to "sweat" out the
juices themselves. They're fermented by the action of the salt and time.
Keep an eye on them for mold or mildew, scoop that out and toss it. If
necesary you can add up to a third of a cup of 5% vinegar per gallon of
mash to combat mold. Here in SouthWet Louisiana I generally have to add
the vinegar to them before they're finished. While Tabasco leaves theirs
for 3 years in the barrel mine are usually done in one to three months
since I don't own a salt mine with the constant temperature. Good luck.

George

The Cook wrote:
> I am starting to ferment some peppers to make hot sauce per your
> instructions. Do you cover them peppers to keep the submerged like
> you do kraut? Wonder how a wine cooler would work? Too humid?

I grind up the chiles, put them in the crock and then cover with an
appropriate amount of pickling salt, ie 1/3 cup per gallon. Put the lid
on the crock, monitor frequently, and they will start to "sweat" out the
juices themselves. They're fermented by the action of the salt and time.
Keep an eye on them for mold or mildew, scoop that out and toss it. If
necesary you can add up to a third of a cup of 5% vinegar per gallon of
mash to combat mold. Here in SouthWet Louisiana I generally have to add
the vinegar to them before they're finished. While Tabasco leaves theirs
for 3 years in the barrel mine are usually done in one to three months
since I don't own a salt mine with the constant temperature. Good luck.

George