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With fermentation, you can acidify any combination of peppers, spices, herbs, and other vegetables to make chutneys, condiments, pickles, and more.
Photo by Storey Publishing/Lara Ferroni
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Fiery Ferments features a wide variety of pepper ferments that feature a variety of peppers. From Storey Publishing, it's available in our online store
Photo by Storey Publishing/Lara Ferroni
Ingredients
- 2 large golden beets, sliced very thin
- 5 to 6 chiles of your choice, sliced
- 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric or
- 2 teaspoons fresh
- 1/2 teaspoon fenugreek seeds, soaked in just-boiled water for 5 minutes
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1 scant tablespoon salt
- 2 tablespoons goldenberries
- 1 tablespoon dried cranberries
- 1 to 2 tablespoon sliced candied ginger
- Zest and juice of 1 lemon
- 1 teaspoon salt
Directions
- Combine the beets, chiles, black peppercorns, turmeric, fenugreek seeds, and cardamom in a bowl and mix well. Sprinkle in the salt. The mixture should become moist as you start massaging everything together.
- Pack the mixture into a jar, pressing out any air pockets as you go.
- Press a zip-lock bag against the surface of the ferment, fill the bag with water, and zip it closed.
- Place the ferment in a corner of the kitchen to cure. If you see air pockets, remove the bag, press the ferment back down with a clean utensil, rinse the bag, and replace.
- Allow to ferment for 10 to 21 days. The colors of the ferment will mute, and the brine will become cloudy. The ferment is ready when it smells pleasingly acidic and tastes pickle-y, and it may have a bit of an effervescent zing.
- Screw on the jar lid and store in the refrigerator, where this ferment will keep for 10 to 12 months.
- Learn more about lacto-fermenting in How to Ferment Hot Peppers.
