A great way to add tons of flavor and probiotic rich foods to your meals, these fermented jalapenos are so simple and delicious. An easy way to preserve your summer harvest, learn how to make fermented jalapeños with just two ingredients.
Ingredients you will need: jalapeños, salt, water, and a little time.
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Lacto-fermented veggies are one my most served easy side dish. You prepare them ahead of time, and then they are always ready to pull out of the fridge right before dinner time. With nearly every meal, there are at least two options available to everyone for fermented vegetables. The kids always choose between pickles and sauerkraut, Luke and I go for the jalapeños.
If you like spicy, fermented jalapeños go with nearly everything. Pop one in your mouth with a bite of tender pot roast, or add them to a fresh greens salad piled high with chicken and bacon. Oh my word, I know what I want for lunch now!
We love jalapeños, but I never want to prepare anything with them, because the kids wouldn’t be able to eat it. These fermented jalapeños are the perfect solution, because Luke and I can enjoy them, while eating the same foods as the kids. We just top our dinner with a few fermented jalapeños.
They are definitely VERY spicy, but we love them!
Health benefits of fermented foods?
Eating fermented foods is eating your probiotics rather than taking a pill. Not only are you getting your boost of healthy vegetables, but since they have been fermented your already healthy vegetables now contain healthy probiotics which helps gut bacteria.
Healthy gut bacteria has been shown to help your immune system, decrease inflammation and can help decrease certain diseases. (source)
How do you tell if peppers are fermenting?
After a few days of fermentation they will begin to change color from vibrant green to a dull green. They will also start to have a tangy taste to them.
How long do fermented foods last?
Fermented foods that are properly prepared and stored in a cool dark place can last between 4-18 months, possibly longer. Look for any signs of mold, an even color throughout, and it still looks edible.
Use your nose to see if it still smells as it should and doesn’t have a bad smell. Is the texture still good and crispy, rather than mushy. You can always taste it to make sure it still tastes good.
Tips for making fermented jalapenos:
- One of the most important things you need to do when fermenting, is keeping everything submerged in the brine so bacteria can’t grow.
- Use weights to hold the peppers down, or use cabbage leave.
- Allow brine to cool a bit before pouring over the sliced jalapeños because pouring hot water could potentially kill any of the good bacteria.
- If you have any, add a little brine leftover from a previous batch as a starter to help get the good bacteria growing.
Tools you may need:
- Mason Jars
- Weights – these are my favorite.
- Fermenting lids.
- Pot
- Measuring Spoon
- Cutting board
- Knife
How to make fermented jalapenos:
- In a medium sized saucepan over medium heat, add 1 quart of water and 2.5 tablespoons of salt. Stir and allow to dissolve.
- Slice jalapeños and add to a clean mason jar. Always be careful not to touch your face or eyes when slicing spicy peppers.
- Take brine off heat and to cool down for a few minutes and then pour over jalapeños. If you have any leftover brine from a previous ferment add it to the peppers.
- Place weight on top, to submerge the peppers in the brine.
- Place a fermenting lid on top and leave at room temperature for 5 days. Check if the fermentation is to your liking. If it has not, leave it at room temperature for another 5 days. Checking the rate of fermentation daily.
- Place a lid on the jar and store in the fridge. This will keep in the fridge for a few months.
Want more fermented and probiotic rich recipes? Check out our favorite:
- Fermented pickles
- How to make sauerkraut
- Fermented kimchi
- How to make yogurt in the instant pot
- Homemade Sour Cream
- How to make a sourdough starter
How To Make Fermented Jalapenos Video
Fermented Jalapeños Recipe Card
How To Make Fermented Jalapeños
Video
Ingredients
- 1 quart water
- 2 1/2 tablespoons salt
- 2 cups jalapeños, sliced
Instructions
- In a medium sized saucepan over medium heat, add 1 quart of water and 2.5 tablespoons of salt. Stir and allow to dissolve. Set aside to cool.
- Slice jalapeños and add to a clean mason jar.
- Once the brine has cooled down for a few minutes then pour over jalapeños.
- If you have any leftover brine from a previous ferment, add a tablespoon or so to the jar of peppers.
- Place weight on top to submerge the jalapeño peppers in the brine, Make sure all of the peppers are completely submerged. Place a fermenting lid on top and leave at room temperature for at least 5 days.
- Check at day 3 if the fermentation is to your liking. Check again at day 5. If it is to your liking place a lid on it and store it in the fridge. If it has not, than leave it at room temperature for another 5 days. Checking the rate of fermentation daily.
Notes
- Fermented foods that are properly prepared and stored in a cool dark place can last between 4-18 months, possibly longer. Look for any signs of mold, an even color throughout, and it still looks edible.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Hi Lisa
Do you have to slice the chillies to ferment them, or can you do them whole. If you can, do you have to cut the stems off or can you leave them on.
Jenny
You can leave them whole! I like to cut them up for what we use them for though.
Lisa, I make this recipe all the time and always have some of these in my fridge. Do you use table salt or kosher salt? I went to culinary school and they always yelled at us to use kosher salt for everything but the density of the flake is different than that of table salt. If your recipe is for table salt I would need to adjust the amount of kosher or flake salt to compensate. Thank you kindly.
Hi there. If I am using salt, I typically use Redmond’s Real Salt. Hope this helps.
Can I water bath can these after fermentation? Looking for a long term way to store and lacking space in the fridge
You can water bath these for storage, but the heat will kill the beneficial bacteria from the fermentation.
I did this and put in a Ball jar with the Ball fermenting lid and let sit for about 20 days. There is a little mold around the top of the liquid. Do I have to discard and start over. The pepppers did turn dull and they smell fine, but concerned about the mold. What did I do wrong?
My guess is that it fermented too long. Usually with jalapeños I only ferment 3-7 days, checking daily to see how they taste. If there is mold, you will need to start over. You don’t want to be eating mold.
There are different types of mold.
If the mold is the stringy type floating on the surface, wipe the rim and add brine to overflow the rest from the surface.
I s small blueish mold, scoop out and smell the jar.
If it smells bad toss it.
Ensure all jars and anything that touches the jalapenos has been washed.
will this work for banana peppers too? We have two plants that are giving so many we can’t eat them fast enough.
Yes, it will work with nearly anything.
I have my first jar fermenting today. I hope they come out good , I’m surprising Hubby with some. Going to get some weights next payday and ask for mason jars too for my birthday in 2 weeks. So excited about this. 😁 I put a rock with a storage bag like you suggestedif you didn’t have weights.
How do you keep fruit flies away? They are everywhere!
used this recipe finally Sunday evening and am testing them today again. MMMMMMMM, good!
Hi Lisa! Just a quick question. Other recipes I’ve looked at include vinegar for fermenting vegetables. What are your thoughts on this. Also, I fermented some jalapeño last summer that also added a little bit of maple syrup to the brine. They were wonderful!
fermenting and pickling are not the same. Fermenting does *not use vinegar; pickling does use vinegar.
Do the weights always stay in the jar or do they come out at some point?
either way. You can take them out once in the fridge, but its okay if they stay.