Lacto-Fermented Roasted Red Peppers
I adore these roasted red peppers! They are so yummy in hummus, diced in a salad, in dips, pureed in salad dressing and in a sandwich or wrap. They really add great flavor to savory dishes. Of course, you'll get more nutrition and beneficial bacteria from them, if you eat them raw, but they can also be used in skillet dishes, in pasta dishes, in an omelet or frittata, in soup; you can even make a quick roasted red pepper soup with these, or use them for a portion of the tomatoes in tomato soup.
Lacto-Fermented Roasted Red Peppers
Organic red bell peppers
Brine: 1 1/2 - 2 1/4 tsp. non-iodized salt, per cup of non-chlorinated water, see notes below.
1. Heat oven to broil.
2. Wash, dry and remove core from the peppers. Cut in half. Cut each half in thirds. Smaller pieces are much easier to peel after roasting. You should have 6 pieces, per pepper.
3. Place peppers skin side up, on a cookie sheet and place in the heated oven.
4. When the pepper skin is charred, remove the peppers from the oven.
5. Place peppers in a paper bag to steam for 10 minutes. This will help in removing the skin.
6. Pull the skin off of each piece of pepper and place peppers in an appropriate size glass canning jar.
7. Cover the peppers with a brine solution, leaving 1 inch of headspace. You'll need to weigh them down with something like this.
8. Put an airtight lid on the jar.
9. Place the jar on the counter with a plate under it, at room temperature. You'll need to burp the jar twice a day to release pressure. To do this, slightly loosen the lid to let off gas and re-tighten.
10. The peppers tend to get oxygen pockets between the layers. Once a day slide a knife down the side to release as many pockets as you are able to.
10. Ferment for 3 to 5 days, or until they are the flavor and texture you desire. Peppers will ferment a bit faster in the summer than in the winter.
11. Store in the refrigerator for up to a year.
Notes
The amount of salt is personal preference in the given range in the recipe. If too little salt is used, it will not discourage the growth of mold. However, if too much salt is used, it can prevent fermentation from occurring. Salt within the given range of 1 1/2- 2 1/4 tsp. per cup of non-chlorinated water will keep your brine in a healthy range; the amount used within that range is personal preference. This may take a bit of trial and error to figure out how much salt you prefer. I generally use towards the higher range of salt with peppers.
If you have any trouble with your fermentations, you can add up to 1 Tbsp. whey, or juice from a previous ferment, per cup of non-chlorinated water, as a starter.
For more information on fermentation, read these links under food based probiotics.