Ingredients:
- 500g mixed fresh chilies (use a variety - say jalapeños, serranos, and a few cayenne or bird's eye for heat)
- 8-10 cloves garlic, peeled and left whole or halved
- 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
- 1 small apple, halved if too big, or full or crab apple (this becomes your follower)
- 3% brine (30g fine sea salt per litre of non-chlorinated water)
Method:
Trim the stems from your chilies and slice any larger ones in half lengthwise so the brine can penetrate. Leave smaller ones whole. Pack them into a clean jar along with the garlic and peppercorns, leaving about 2-3 inches of headspace.
Pour over enough 3% brine to completely submerge everything. Press the apple halves cut-side down on top to hold the chilies below the brine - they should wedge nicely against the jar sides. The pectin in the apple will also add body to your final sauce.
Cover loosely or use an airlock, and ferment at room temperature. You'll see activity within 2-3 days. Taste after a week - you're looking for that pleasant funky acidity to develop. Most wild ferments hit their sweet spot between 2-4 weeks depending on temperature.
When you're happy with the flavor, fish out the apple (it will have given its all), then blend everything - chilies, garlic, peppercorns and some of the brine - until smooth. Adjust consistency with more brine or a splash of vinegar if you want extra tang. Strain if you want it smoother, or leave it rustic.
The sauce will keep in the fridge for months and continue to develop flavor. The apple adds a subtle fruity sweetness that balances the heat beautifully.
Ingredients
Chilli - any variety and enough to fill your jar
Water - enough to cover the chilli's in the jar
Fine sea salt to make a brine of 3%
Garlic
Aromatics can include whatever you have at hand, in the strength you'd like it
Equipment
Jar - 1 or 2 litre flip top is ideal, use the size to suit the amount of chilli's without leaving too much head room
Blender is good to have
HOW TO
Take the chilis, wash them if they need it, and place them in your jar.
Peel garlic, and pop that in too
Mix your water and salt until the salt is dissolved
Weigh down your chilies under the brine
Seal the jar
Put in a room temperature spot for about a month
It may fizz quite a bit so make sure to release that pressure now and then
When the brine tastes good and garlicky and spicy, pop the chillies and some brine into the blender
Blitz this mix, adding more brine depending on the thickness of the sauce you're after
Some people prefer to strain this through cheesecloth to get a smoothe and seedless sauce, others like it all in. Your choice.
Put into clean bottles, lid and refrigerate, (unless you want to pasteurise).
