Re: [CH] Fermented Mash Sauce Questions

Cameron Begg (begg.4@osu.edu)
Wed, 06 Jan 1999 08:49:15 -0600

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.