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How to Ferment Chili Peppers (Making Pepper Mash)
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4.91 from 30 votes

How to Ferment Chili Peppers (Pepper Mash Recipe)

Learn how to ferment peppers to make pepper mash at home so you can make your own homemade hot sauces and help preserve your abundant chili pepper harvest. Fermenting chili peppers is a fun, great way to preserve them, and essential for making hot sauces.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time7 days
Course: Condiment
Cuisine: American
Keyword: chili peppers, fermented
Servings: 1 cup
Calories: 181kcal
Author: Mike Hultquist

Ingredients

FOR BASIC PEPPER MASH

  • 1 pound chili peppers stemmed and roughly chopped (cored and seeded, if desired)
  • 1 teaspoon salt

FOR BRINE PEPPER MASH

  • 1 pound chili peppers stemmed and roughly chopped (cored and seeded, if desired)
  • 1.5-3 tablespoons salt (1.5 tablespoon (27 g, for 3% brine) to 3 tablespoons (54 g, for 6% brine))
  • 1 quart unchlorinated water

Instructions

FOR MAKING BASIC PEPPER MASH

  • Finely chop your peppers. You can blend them to fit more into jars, but this can make it harder to keep below the brine.
  • Next, mix in salt. You should use 1 teaspoon salt (5.69 g) per pound (.45 kg) of peppers. 1 pound of peppers should process down to about 1 cup of mash. So, use 1 teaspoon of salt per cup of mash, which is roughly 2.3% salt by weight.
  • The peppers will begin to release their moisture right away.
  • Place your mash into a jar and press it down to remove any air pockets. Leave at least 1 inch (2.54 cm) of headspace. The peppers may rise a bit when fermenting. The brine will rise up and cover the peppers. It is important to keep the peppers covered with brine to avoid spoilage. Check this daily.
  • Screw on the lid and set the jar away from direct sunlight to ferment for at least 1 week. Ideal temperatures are between 55-75 degrees F (12.78-23.89 C). The most active fermentation period is between 1-2 weeks, so be sure to monitor it during this time. “Burp” the jars often by unscrewing the lid a bit to let out some of the accumulating gases. Or, use an airlock or membrane for easier fermenting. See below for what I like to use.
  • After 1-2 weeks, the fermenting activity will diminish. Move it to a pantry where you can let it ferment longer if you’d like, or use it right away. You can ferment for months or even longer to allow the flavors to more fully develop.
  • Once it is ready, store it in the refrigerator where it will last for a year or longer.

FOR MAKING BRINE PEPPER MASH

  • Finely chop your fresh peppers. You can blend them to fit more into jars, but this can make it harder to keep below the brine. Pack them into a jar, leaving at least 1 inch of head space. The peppers may rise a bit when fermenting.
  • Next, mix 1 quart (.95 liter) unchlorinated water with sea salt. Pour just enough brine over the peppers to cover them, pressing them down a bit as you go. It is important to keep the peppers covered with brine to avoid spoilage. Use a glass weight or a baggie filled with water on top if needed to press the peppers down below the brine. Check this daily.
  • Screw on the lid and set the jar away from direct sunlight to ferment for at least 1 week. Ideal temperatures are between 55-75 degrees F (12.78-23.89 C). The most active fermentation period is between 1-2 weeks, so be sure to monitor it during this time. “Burp” the jars often by unscrewing the lid a bit to let out some of the accumulating gases. Or, use an airlock or membrane for easier fermenting.
  • After 1-2 weeks, the fermenting activity will diminish and the brine will turn cloudy and taste acidic. Move it to a pantry where you can let it ferment longer if you’d like, or use it right away. You can ferment for months or even longer to allow the flavors to more fully develop.
  • Once it is ready, process it with a food processor. You can use it right away to make hot sauce or store it in the refrigerator where it will last for a year or longer.
  • I personally like to add a bit of vinegar at this stage before storage.

Notes

A note about salt: Most salts are fine to use, but avoid using salts with additives. Use non-iodized sea salt, kosher salt, or pickling salt.

Nutrition

Calories: 181kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 0.2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Sodium: 2366mg | Potassium: 1461mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 24g | Vitamin A: 4318IU | Vitamin C: 652mg | Calcium: 65mg | Iron: 5mg