Spicy Fermented Tomatoes
Traditional lacto-fermentation gives these spicy tomatoes a tangy kick. Perfect for salads, salsa, gazpacho, soups, and more!
Equipment
- 1 3/4 quart jar 700ml
- 1 fermentation weight or baggie of brine
Ingredients
- 3 large tomatoes or 2 pints cherry tomatoes
- 1.5 tbsp kosher salt
- 2.5 cups filtered water
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 bay leaf
- chili pepper to taste, you can start with 1
- 1 tbsp white vinegar see notes
Instructions
- Contamination is rare in these ferments, but wash your equipment with hot soapy water or water with a splash of bleach anyway. Rinse well.
- Prepare the brine by mixing the salt and water together until the salt has dissolved.
- Place the tomatoes in the jar. If you're using them whole, poke a few holes in them with a toothpick so they can absorb the brine. Also add the garlic cloves, peppers, and bay leaf.
- Pour in the brine and then place the weight or baggie on top. Make sure all the ingredients are fully submerged and there are no air pockets.
- Screw the lid on the ferment and place it in a room temperature area that gets no direct sun. Wait five days, opening the jar to release built-up gases daily (see notes).
- On day 5, try your ferment. It may be slightly cloudy (see notes). If you're happy about the flavor, add in the tbsp of vinegar (optional) and pop the jar in the fridge.
- Enjoy your fermented spicy tomatoes straight from the jar or use them for your favorite recipe that calls for fresh toms!
Notes
1. I know folks complain about recipe bloggers putting their entire life stories in their posts, but if this is your first time working with a lacto-ferment, I do recommend reading everything I've discussed above. No ravings about the weather or the state of the world, I promise!
2. If you have a jar that comes with a fermentation lid, use it. You'll be able to skip opening the ferment daily to release gas build-up, as the lid takes care of that.
3. If it's quite chilly (below 65 °F/18 °C), your ferment may need an extra day or two to develop. If it's hot, like 80 °F/26.5 °C or up, it may be done quicker. You may want to unscrew the lid to release gases twice a day rather than once in the latter case; it's likely not necessary, but better safe than sorry (when fermenting food, "sorry" can mean an explosion of brine and veggie bits).
4. I know that just leaving food out on the counter can seem really counterintuitive, and you may worry. If you followed all the guidelines, it should be 100% safe, but here are some ways you can confirm this:
- When you open your ferment, give it a good sniff first: you'll want a slightly sour scent (like yogurt, for example).
- Then, analyze the tomatoes visually. After 5 days, your ferment may look cloudy, especially at the bottom. Those are just innocent dead bacteria that gave their lives to make your tomatoes taste good.
- There may also be a slightly bubbly, non-fuzzy(!) film at the top. This is called kahm yeast; it can affect the flavor, but it's not mold and therefore not dangerous.
- If there is any fuzz or colored stuff on top, your ferment likely failed due to the tomatoes not being fully submerged. Unfortunately, you'll need to start over and try again if this happens.