Hi C-H's, Mark Ellis asked: > 1. How long should I ferment it out for , has now been going for six > months? 2. How do I best process it all - strain, puree etc?? And Kristofer Blennow replied: >20% salt with vinegar? Hmmm... not sure what you mean by that. For >fermentation usually 2-3% salt content is required to select the >bacteria wanted. As I have indicated in the past, according to a member of the food industry who spent many years manufacturing fermented chile pepper sauces, a salt concentration (by weight) of 15-20% is necessary. The hypothesis is that there ARE a few organisms capable of sustaining life at these concentrations and these are in fact the desireable ones. Notwithstanding, my tabasco mash with 18% NaCl is growing a white mould. Does anyone know if there are any potentially dangerous moulds (to humans) which can tolerate these conditions? (If there are any mycologists on the list I could provide pictures at any useful magnification.) The question is, should I : 1 Try to pick out the mould and then treat the mash with something. 2 Simply shake it up. 3 Throw it all out. 4 ???? Any comments gratefully received - this is my entire '98 tabasco crop! Regards, Cameron.