Lacto Fermentation and Pickling then canning
 

I am at a quandary and was hoping you guys could help.

I am growing Pepperoncini and Hungarian wax peppers for pickling and may try some Okra.

My dilemma is that, my produce is coming off slowly, not enough to pickle and can, so I was looking for an alternative method. I wont freeze the peppers so that option is out.

My plan is to start the peppers off Lacto Fermenting and add to the jar as I harvest more peppers. I would start the Lacto Peppers in quart jars then after I get 2 or three going, transfer to half pint mason jars and can.
I was hoping to get a few jars ready this way then water bath can for stable shelf storage, that is if I accumulate enough.

I have already been harvesting then doing a quick blanch and dropping in some pickle brine leftover from some store bought dills.



Would I need citric acid when canning?

any tips or advice?

I would get a really big jar and add them all to the Lacto Ferment, then when they taste good, can them. You'll kill all the good bacteria when you can them so a better solution might be to put the jar in the fridge when they are ready. Peppers don't create a super active ferment like other veggies and they can ferment for a long time without adverse effects. I'm not sure if you could do that with okra.

You could always lacto-ferment them in smaller than quart jars, if you have small amounts of peppers. Then you don't need as many, and you can flavor them each however.

Thanks for the feedback, I now have a gameplan.
Got my glass pucks coming in next week so I'll start a batch with a basic brine.



Mix salt and water heat to dissolve, and divide over two jars, cool
[LIST][*]4 cups water, chlorine removed[*]2.5 tablespoons canning salt[/LIST]

To each jar add
[LIST][*]teaspoon starter for each jar (from yogurt)[*]2 cloves garlic each jar[*]1 bay leaf each jar[*]1 grape leaf for tannin each jar[/LIST]I'll start off with two 32 oz. jars, one for my Hungarian Wax and one for my Pepperoncini


Refrigerate when satisfied with taste
Transfer to 8 oz jars, when I have enough to can 6 jars.


Waterbath can 20 minutes with a 1/4 teaspoon citric acid ????
I'm still unsure on this, I really hate to pressure can these and cook them to death.

You dont need to boil the water to dissolve the salt.

Just make up more brine than you need and dump what you dont use.

Next once the jars are full of peppers you need to let them ferment from the date of the last peppers for a good long time.
I ferment them for months.
Remember once you water bath it is game over.
No more safety because you killed the bacteria.
If I were you I would just keep them refrigerated.
Just a few points to ponder.

[QUOTE=Worth1;742779]You dont need to boil the water to dissolve the salt.

Just make up more brine than you need and dump what you dont use.

Next once the jars are full of peppers you need to let them ferment from the date of the last peppers for a good long time.
I ferment them for months.
Remember once you water bath it is game over.
No more safety because you killed the bacteria.
If I were you I would just keep them refrigerated.
Just a few points to ponder.[/QUOTE]


Got it, Thanks

Started a batch


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the ends of those air traps aren't in the brine are they? hard to tell from pic. they should'nt be, i barely have mine sticking into the rubber gasket in top, you want gases to go up the trap not brine. ---tom

SQWIBB Awesome. Thanks for the update.

How do you like those airlocks? I've only used Fermilids, as far as airlocks go, so far. However, I've discovered that I prefer burping the jar with a tight lid for some ferments, including longer ones. The reason for this is that it's more air tight, and resilient. The Fermilids can suck down, sometimes, which can get oxygen on the food, and cause mold. That limits how long I can ferment with those without opening it. Plus, building pressure is important if you want a carbonated ferment. I'm still curious what carbonated cucumber pickles taste like.

If you do ever open the jar, stir the contents, every time. It helps prevent mold. Never turn your ferment upside down (it can cause the lid to mold).

I've also discovered that if I add distilled white vinegar to a ferment, then the jar doesn't seem to need to be burped very often, if at all—it still ferments, though. It seems that it creates a vaccuum instead of pressure, if the vinegar is there.

I have carbonated pickles in the refrigerator, Lots of them.
Not bad at all.
Hard and crunchy.

I like these airlocks a lot.

When I do my hot pepper sauces, I go vinegar and more salt