Oxygen: Is it bad for lacto-fermentation? Or not?
October 14, 2021 4:42 PM Subscribe
I have a bunch of hot peppers, and I want to make fermented hot sauce. I'm getting conflicting information on whether I need to keep oxygen out of the fermentation vessel.
This website came up as one of the top hits when I did a Google search on fermenting hot peppers. The author recommends grinding the peppers into a mash, and then fermenting them in a Mason jar covered with cheesecloth. A number of people have left good reviews, saying that they obtained good results when they followed the recipe. I found a few other recipes that show Mason jars that are less than half full of pepper mash, with a lot of air space on the top (though the jar might be sealed with a lid).
I'm certainly no expert in fermenting vegetables, but I've always been led to believe that oxygen is the enemy. In fact, Amazon sells all sorts of devices that are designed to keep the air out of fermentation vessels. So what gives? Are hot peppers some kind of special case, or is oxygen not really as bad as I thought?
This website came up as one of the top hits when I did a Google search on fermenting hot peppers. The author recommends grinding the peppers into a mash, and then fermenting them in a Mason jar covered with cheesecloth. A number of people have left good reviews, saying that they obtained good results when they followed the recipe. I found a few other recipes that show Mason jars that are less than half full of pepper mash, with a lot of air space on the top (though the jar might be sealed with a lid).
I'm certainly no expert in fermenting vegetables, but I've always been led to believe that oxygen is the enemy. In fact, Amazon sells all sorts of devices that are designed to keep the air out of fermentation vessels. So what gives? Are hot peppers some kind of special case, or is oxygen not really as bad as I thought?
Best answer: Lactobacillic fermentation occurs just fine in the presence of air. While the process is anaerobic, it's only in contact with air at the surface. The bacilli you want for your hot sauce can grow throughout the rest of the liquid, no airlock needed.
The undesirable thing about air is that it's conducive to the growth of mold. The main benefit of an airlock is that it reduces mold growth on the surface of your ferment. So does pushing any solids below the surface of the liquid with a weight.
posted by ottereroticist at 4:53 PM on October 14, 2021 [3 favorites]
The undesirable thing about air is that it's conducive to the growth of mold. The main benefit of an airlock is that it reduces mold growth on the surface of your ferment. So does pushing any solids below the surface of the liquid with a weight.
posted by ottereroticist at 4:53 PM on October 14, 2021 [3 favorites]
The lacto-fermentation recipes I am familiar with (sauerkraut, pickles, sourdough starter) all have continual contact with the air. Sometimes you skim the top of the fermentation vessel to remove any mold.
On the other hand, I do know that the folks on Avery Island cap the tabasco sauce barrels with salt as they ferment.
posted by goingonit at 5:26 PM on October 14, 2021
On the other hand, I do know that the folks on Avery Island cap the tabasco sauce barrels with salt as they ferment.
posted by goingonit at 5:26 PM on October 14, 2021
Best answer: As long as it's got enough salt, and you stir the mash every day or so (so that the surface layer is replaced), it will be fine. I've fermented chilli pepper mash in half-empty mason jars for up to six months, and not only have they not killed me, they have tasted amazing.
Fermenting with brine is slightly different, insofar as you want to keep everything submerged beneath the brine. Stuff that bobs up can get infected (and carry that infection to the rest of the ferment). Why it's different - the ingredients that bob up have brine residue, which carries a bunch of salt, after all - I have no idea. But that's just the nature of the way things are.
Either way, fermenting your own chilli sauce is hella fun, easy after the initial day of prepping, and very rewarding! I add apple cider vinegar to the final blend before bottling and I've had stuff last for ages in the fridge.
Once you get comfortable with it, I recommending experimenting by adding different fruits to your mash (I once did a mash with yellow chillies [superhots, but I forget what kind exactly], yellow capsicums, and banana, because I wanted a yellow hot sauce, and it worked great and tasted good too!) Making your own sauerkraut is great as well.
posted by turbid dahlia at 5:58 PM on October 14, 2021 [2 favorites]
Fermenting with brine is slightly different, insofar as you want to keep everything submerged beneath the brine. Stuff that bobs up can get infected (and carry that infection to the rest of the ferment). Why it's different - the ingredients that bob up have brine residue, which carries a bunch of salt, after all - I have no idea. But that's just the nature of the way things are.
Either way, fermenting your own chilli sauce is hella fun, easy after the initial day of prepping, and very rewarding! I add apple cider vinegar to the final blend before bottling and I've had stuff last for ages in the fridge.
Once you get comfortable with it, I recommending experimenting by adding different fruits to your mash (I once did a mash with yellow chillies [superhots, but I forget what kind exactly], yellow capsicums, and banana, because I wanted a yellow hot sauce, and it worked great and tasted good too!) Making your own sauerkraut is great as well.
posted by turbid dahlia at 5:58 PM on October 14, 2021 [2 favorites]
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I can certainly attest from personal experience that making hot sauce without a good airlock and without adding vinegar can result in mold — but with a good airlock, you don't need to add any vinegar (the mixture will of course produce its own acid in the process of fermentation). You don't need any oxygen for lacto-fermentation, so why not reduce it and the risk?
posted by ssg at 4:50 PM on October 14, 2021