Lacto-Fermented Chiles

Bright & Crunchy Salmon with Frizzled Shallots
Photo: Linda Pugliese
Prep Time:
10 mins
Total Time:
10 mins
Yield:
2 cups

These hot and tangy chiles are the perfect topping for a Bright and Crunchy Salmon Salad. This recipe is featured in the cookbook Salad Freak: Recipes to Feed a Healthy Obsession ($26.99, amazon.com).

Ingredients

  • 1 pound Fresno chiles, sliced (preferably on a mandoline)

  • 1 cup warm water

  • 1 ½ tablespoons kosher salt

Directions

  1. Put chiles in a sterilized pint jar. Whisk together warm water and salt until salt is completely dissolved. Pour over chiles and top with a fermenting weight (so chiles don't float to the surface). Seal jar tightly, making sure there is absolutely no way air can get in there.

  2. Let the jar sit in a cool, dark place 4 weeks. You might notice a few small bubbles in the jar; at this point, taste a chile—it should be wonderfully tangy and bright. Then store in refrigerator, covered, about 3 months.

Cook's Notes

Wear gloves while you cut the peppers so you don't accidentally rub the oils into your eye later in the day.

Excerpted from the new book Salad Freak: Recipes to Feed a Healthy Obsession ($26.99, amazon.com), by Jess Damuck, published by Abrams. Text © 2022 by Jess Damuck. Photography by Linda Pugliese.

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