Q: Dear Dave,
What is the process for fermenting peppers? I have heard that it is suppose to make them hotter?
Thanks!
–Cecil
A: Hello Cecil:
Chiles are fermented during the process of making mash, a preservation technique. The pods are ground in a hammer mill and placed in vats with 10 to 15 percent salt by weight. They ferment and can be kept quite a while. Eventually, vinegar is added to the mash, and then it is strained. The result is hot sauce. This process does not make the chiles hotter.
–Dave