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    Lacto-Fermented Jalapeño Peppers

    Dec 13, 2016 · 46 Comments

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Skip the jarred jalapeño slices and make a healthy batch full of beneficial bacteria and vitamins in no time.  Naturally Paleo, GAPS, Whole30 and Keto.

    Lacto-Fermented Jalapeño Peppers - easy recipe with unrefined salt to top your favorite dishes. A great Paleo, GAPS or Whole30 condiment.

    Healthy Fermented Condiment

    Nachos.  Tacos.  Enchiladas.  Sandwiches.   These fiery jalapeño slices are great on just about any dish.  My husband, shamelessly, adds the brine to soups for some extra heat.  In addition to that kick, these peppers also provide naturally occurring probiotics that come with lacto-fermentation.

    Lacto-Fermented Jalapeño Peppers - easy recipe with unrefined salt to top your favorite dishes. A great Paleo, GAPS or Whole30 condiment.

    What is Lacto-Fermentation?

    Lacto-fermentation is the process of preserving food, mainly vegetables with generous amount of unrefined salt. Harmful bacteria cannot tolerate much salt.  The process of lacto-fermentation destroys the bad bacteria in the first phase and produces good bacteria, Lactobacillus in the second phase.

    The good bacteria then consume the carbohydrates naturally found in the vegetables and transforms it to lactic acid which preserves the food as vinegar would. Personally, I prefer lacto-fermentation to any other type of food preservation method because of it's rich content of the friendly bacteria.

    Fermenting jalapeños is truly as easy as fermenting any other vegetable.  The key is to always have enough salt to destroy the bad bacteria and create a brine.  You'll notice the water will begin to change from translucent to cloudy.

    Lacto-Fermented Jalapeño Peppers - easy recipe with unrefined salt to top your favorite dishes. A great Paleo, GAPS or Whole30 condiment.

    Preserving Jalapeños

    These peppers are a staple in our fridge.  My favorite way to eat them is on tacos, nachos, and salads.  I usually buy a large batch of peppers towards the end of their growing season and preserve enough to last us through the next year.  This recipe, keeps them firm, yet tangy and spicy the entire time.

    Lacto-Fermented Jalapeño Peppers - easy recipe with unrefined salt to top your favorite dishes. A great Paleo, GAPS or Whole30 condiment.

    And the best part?  It has only two ingredients, not including water.  Two.  Jalapenos and some healthy salt of your choice.  When fermenting or culturing vegetables including these peppers, I like to alternate between my favorite salts: Celtic Salt, Himalayan Salt and Real Salt as they all contain different mineral content.

    Related: Unrefined Salt Guide - Importance of Mineral-Rich Salts and How to Use

    Lacto-Fermented Jalapeño Peppers

    Lacto-Fermented Sliced Jalapeño Peppers

    Anya @ Prepare & Nourish
    Skip the jarred jalapeño slices and make a healthy batch full of beneficial bacteria and vitamins in no time.  Naturally Paleo, GAPS, Whole30 and Keto.
    4.31 from 13 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 mins
    Cook Time 10 mins
    Total Time 20 mins
    Course Condiment
    Cuisine 5 ingredients, Budget Friendly, Ferments, GAPS, Low Carb, Paleo, Primal, Whole 30
    Servings 24 servings
    Calories 3 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • 20 jalapeno peppers (with pith and seeds), sliced
    • 3 tablespoons sea salt
    • 3 cups warm water

    Instructions
     

    • In a bowl or measuring cup, dissolve salt in warm water. Allow to cool.
    • Rinse and slice jalapeños into ¼" thickness and transfer them to a quart size jar (like this).
    • Pour enough brine into the jar to completely submerge them. Seal the jar and allow to sit at room temperature, away from direct sunlight for 2-4 weeks.
    • Once jalapeños achieved the perfect tang to your liking, transfer the jar to cold storage for up to a year.
    • Enjoy on your favorite Mexican dish or as you please.

    Notes

    Recipe makes 1 quart.
    | Nutrition Information Dislaimer |

    Nutrition

    Calories: 3kcal | Sodium: 872mg | Potassium: 28mg | Vitamin A: 125IU | Vitamin C: 13.9mg | Calcium: 2mg
    Nutrition Information
    The information shown is an estimate provided for your convenience by an online calculator. It should not be considered as a substitute for a professional nutritionist's advice. See our complete Nutritional Information Disclaimer.
    ©Prepare and Nourish • Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is encouraged and appreciated but please do NOT screenshot or copy/paste complete recipes to websites or social media.
    DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?Leave a comment below and share a photo on Instagram. Mention @prepareandnourish and be sure to tag #prepareandnourish!

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    Lacto-Fermented Jalapeño Peppers - Skip the jarred jalapeño and make a healthy batch rich in beneficial probiotics with 2 simple ingredients. Naturally Paleo, GAPS, Whole30 and Keto. #fermented #healthy

    Lacto-Fermented Jalapeño Peppers - Skip the jarred jalapeño and make a healthy batch rich in beneficial probiotics with 2 simple ingredients. Naturally Paleo, GAPS, Whole30 and Keto. #fermented #healthy

     

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    5. Lacto-Fermented Ginger and Garlic Flavored Sauerkraut
    6. Blender Salsa (5 minutes!)
    « Nourishing Pastured Chicken Stew
    Butter and Dill Potato Medley (5-minute Instant Pot dish) »
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    About Anya

    Sharing wholesome recipes using seasonal ingredients and simplified methods since 2014. My hope is you'll feel right at home in this online kitchen, where you'll find real food recipes for real families.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Billy says

      June 05, 2017 at 2:47 pm

      I've never actually seen red jalapenos before! They are such a great contrast when looking at the pictures you've shared of your ferment. I love the way the red shines through all the sea of green jalapenos. Thank you for sharing this recipe! I can't wait to see the flavor fermenting jalapenos adds to them.

      Reply
      • Anya says

        June 05, 2017 at 3:19 pm

        I buy the red jalapenos along with the green at the farmer's markets. They do look pretty. Thanks Billy for your comment. Hope you enjoy these as much as we do.

        Reply
        • Raven says

          March 21, 2018 at 1:10 pm

          We bought some gorgeous big and fat Jalapenos last fall and most were red. The green and red ones had stripes on them. I think the red ones are simply the green ones that have ripened to a degree but they were so pretty. I canned them all but to my dismay they got mushy although I followed the recipe to a T. I will try fermenting some this coming season and I also use the juice for different recipes Anya.

          Reply
          • Anya says

            March 28, 2018 at 9:04 am

            I have not tried canning them but I love this lacto-fermented version of the jalapenos. Enjoy!

            Reply
        • Peggy Smith says

          April 28, 2019 at 10:03 am

          I just read up on red jalapeno because mine turned red in the garden. They are ripe jalapenos. The greens are not ripe so they last longer before the hit the stores. Red have extra nutrition. Interesting read.
          I made a jar today with your recipe. Can't wait to try them.

          Reply
          • Anya says

            May 01, 2019 at 2:18 pm

            That's very interesting. Thank you for sharing, Peggy.

            Reply
    2. Eric L says

      June 08, 2017 at 9:37 am

      Yesterday my step-dad brought over a bag full of peppers from his garden. These are from plants he planted in the spring of 2016. They froze in the winter, then came back this spring!

      Anyway, I'm going to pickle them tonight. In the last month I've made radish pickles, cucumber pickles, and carrot pickles. Definitely looking forward to these!

      With all three of my other ferments, the pickles were ready after 6 days on the counter. Your recipe suggests 2-4 weeks. Why do you think there might be such a difference?

      Reply
      • Anya says

        June 09, 2017 at 10:59 am

        Hi Eric,
        Pickles have a different texture and composition. Most of my vegetable ferments are at about 1 week like you mentioned. You can see the progression of the fermenting process for these peppers in the photo above. Two weeks is when they start to really take on "fermenting." However, I have put the peppers in cold storage after a week on the counter and it continued to ferment there, just takes longer. Hope that helps.

        Reply
        • Eric L. says

          June 22, 2017 at 8:06 pm

          Hi Anya, I realized some of my other pickling was with the AC turned off, so my kitchen was probably hotter than room temp and they may have led to shorter times.

          I just put jar 1 of the jalepenos in the fridge after 7 days. Man are they HOT! I plan to leave jar 2 for a few more days and jar 3 even longer.

          Also pickled some rainbow chard stems at the same time. They taste kind of like salty beets now . . .

          Thanks again for your post!

          Reply
          • Anya says

            June 22, 2017 at 9:30 pm

            Love this little experiment you're doing! So fun! Yes, they are hot - we love to add them to pretty much anything and everything. Thanks for your comment. 🙂

            Reply
    3. Adele says

      June 26, 2017 at 4:20 pm

      This sounds (and looks) intriguing! I am anxious to try these.... I have Himalayan salt... as well as Kosher salt... Both do not seem as "salty" as regular salt does... My question - is the proportion still the same, with either of these salts?

      Thank you, Anya.

      Reply
      • Anya says

        June 27, 2017 at 12:12 pm

        Hi Adele,
        I would probably add slightly more Himalayan salt since it does have less sodium. You want to make sure you have enough sodium to avoid mold - so I always err on the side of caution and go happy with the salt. If anything, you can always dilute it later or rinse if it's too salty. Hope that helps. Enjoy the jalapenos. 🙂

        Reply
    4. Kathleen Griffith says

      October 22, 2017 at 8:57 am

      "Cold storage"...a fridge?

      Reply
      • Anya says

        October 22, 2017 at 9:41 pm

        Yes. 🙂

        Reply
    5. Christy says

      February 01, 2018 at 6:00 pm

      What do you mean by seal the jars?

      Reply
      • Anya says

        February 01, 2018 at 8:57 pm

        Sorry Christy for the confusion - screw the lids on tightly. 🙂

        Reply
    6. Carol says

      February 10, 2018 at 12:43 pm

      I just want to be sure I understand, so after fermenting can I take off the fermenting lid and put on a regular mason jar lid to store in fridge? I want to ferment other things.
      Thanks in advance.

      Reply
      • Anya says

        February 11, 2018 at 8:21 am

        Yes! You can swap the lids (if using a fermenting lid) and transfer to refrigerator. Or you can start with a regular mason jar lid and just "burp" daily to release those gases in order to avoid overflow.

        Reply
    7. Savannah palk says

      May 30, 2018 at 6:30 pm

      Hi I want to make these in a smaller batch do you have a recipe for a smaller batch

      Reply
      • Rebecca says

        August 26, 2018 at 9:05 am

        The salt/water ratio is 1T salt/1C water. Fill your desired container with sliced peppers, cover with proper salinity water, wait. The quantity can be adjusted up or down.

        Reply
    8. Marie says

      August 20, 2018 at 4:42 pm

      This may be a stupid question but do theese taste very salty? We have been cutting down on salt and my husband dont like very salty.
      Thanks

      Reply
      • Anya says

        August 26, 2018 at 11:25 am

        Hi Marie,
        I don't find them very salty -- just enough for fermentation and preservation. However, I prefer unrefined real salt and I love that it contains important trace minerals.

        Reply
    9. Rebecca says

      August 26, 2018 at 10:24 am

      The salt/water ratio is 1T salt/1C water. Fill your desired container with sliced peppers, cover with proper salinity water, wait. The quantity can be adjusted up or down.

      Reply
    10. John says

      December 16, 2018 at 12:47 pm

      I've been making kraut for years. After taking it off, I'm left with lots of extra brine. Have you ever reused it to ferment other things? I m thinking jalapeños next year.

      Reply
      • Anya says

        December 17, 2018 at 4:02 pm

        Yes you can use it as a starter to ferment other veggies.

        Reply
      • Chris says

        August 04, 2019 at 6:15 pm

        I just finished a batch of three 1 quart jars of jalapeños with onions and carrots added for fun. Two jars have fresh brine (I used 3 tablespoons pickling salt to 1 quart non-chlorinated water) and the other had leftover brine from my latest batch of sauerkraut. All three turned out wonderful.

        Reply
    11. Stormi Cannon says

      September 18, 2019 at 9:26 pm

      So… Do you have an extra refrigerator to do all this cold storage? I have about 25 pounds of pickling cucumbers and they will not fit in my refrigerator and advice?

      Reply
      • Anya says

        October 03, 2019 at 12:16 pm

        Hi Stormi,
        I do have an extra fridge in my garage. If you have a basement, perhaps that will work. There are a ton of inexpensive second-hand refrigerators on the market that would be a good option for a storage fridge.

        Reply
    12. Helen says

      September 21, 2019 at 2:56 pm

      How do you keep the jalapeño rings from popping up above the brine?

      Reply
      • Anya says

        September 24, 2019 at 4:52 pm

        That's a good question, Helen. You can place a small weight over them to keep them fully submerged or just push them down with the back of the spoon every so often.

        Reply
        • Jean says

          November 27, 2019 at 3:16 pm

          Take a zip lock bag and add some of your salt water, Work the ZIPPED bag into the jar. This will the peppers {or anything you are fermenting} submerged below the liquid, and keep out air. his works great and is very inexpensive. I love fermenting.

          Reply
          • Anya says

            December 01, 2019 at 8:56 pm

            Thank you Jean for the suggestion!

            Reply
    13. Carol says

      September 11, 2020 at 6:54 pm

      I’m relatively new at fermenting an have a question. I’m 5 days into the ferment and there is a slimy film on top of the brine with some pepper slices affected. I spooned out all that I could and pushed the remaining peppers down in the jar. There seems to be plenty of brine. Does this sound correct? Thanks!

      Reply
      • Anya says

        September 14, 2020 at 8:57 pm

        Hi Carol,
        That's totally normal and is harmless. The white film that commonly grows on the surface is a type of yeast that although unappealing is very much harmless. Simply skim it and carry on. 🙂

        Reply
    14. Toraleonie says

      October 18, 2020 at 1:33 pm

      Delicious! Very easy! Able to save my entire harvest and would be proud to give as gifts because it's so good. Thank you.

      Reply
    15. Mike says

      December 12, 2020 at 9:45 am

      If you don't publish ingredients by weight, you are setting your viewers up for failure! Science!

      Reply
      • Anya says

        December 14, 2020 at 7:00 pm

        Hi Mike,
        Thank you for the suggestion.

        Reply

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