Fermented Jalapeno Peppers

Jalapenos have a wonderful flavor as well as some nice heat making them a great addition to Taco salad, chili, sandwiches, scrambled eggs or any other recipe you want to spice up a bit. 

This recipe is for naturally brined jalapeno peppers which makes them not only flavorful but also good for you as well.  The fermentation process here uses lactic acid bacteria which acidifies the peppers while preserving them.  The lactic acid bacteria are known for their health giving properties as well as bringing out the flavors of the food they are fermenting.

Equipment:

Ingredients:

Instructions:

Cut the jalapenos into slices of your choice of thickness

Jam them into the jar

Make a brine of about 2% (two parts salt to 100 parts water by weight)

Pour the brine into the jar until the jalapenos are covered

Place the lid on the jar and put somewhere out of the sun

Burp the jar daily for about a week and to prevent mold or other unwanted growth tip the jar upside down daily to break the surface of the liquid and spread the brine around the inside of the jar

In about a week try a jalapeno slice.  If it is to your liking then place the jar in the fridge. 

I like the swing top jars depicted in the picture as I don’t have to burp these jars.  They have a rubber seal which lets pressure out of the jar when it gets high enough but will not let any air into the jar. 

This prevents any spoilage bacteria or mold from getting into the jar before the LAB have had a chance to acidify the environment.  I still tip the jar upside down daily for a week to ensure the salt and lactic acid bacteria are spread around killing any spoilage organisms which may be present in the jar prior to closing the lid.

Note:

If you like to flavor of jalapenos but not the heat then slice the peppers lengthwise and remove the white pith which the seeds are attached to as this is where most of the heat of the pepper is.  Once the pith is removed ferment the peppers as usual.