How I Make Fermented Peppers from My Own Garden

By late summer, I always end up with more peppers than I can use, sweet bells, jalapeños, even a few fiery ones that sneak in from the garden. Instead of letting them wrinkle up, I ferment them. Fermentation keeps the peppers alive in a way, the good bacteria do the work, creating lactic acid that safely preserves the batch while giving it a tangy, deep taste.

I learned this method after watching a video on YouTube about making fermented pepper. I tried it here at the farm with my own mix of peppers, and it’s now something I make every season. Ingredients

• Around 430g of fresh peppers (any kind you grow or have on hand)

• ½ of a sweet onion

• 1 large clove of garlic

• 2 small carrots 

• 9g non-iodized sea salt (this equals about 2% of total weight)

• A clean glass jar with lid (airlock if you have one)

• A kitchen scale

• Food processor or a sharp knife

• A piece of parchment paper or a grape leaf

• Water

How I Do It

1. Clean and chop I rinse the peppers, carrots, onion, and garlic in cool water, not hot, since that can kill the natural bacteria you actually need for fermentation. Then I sliced the jalapenos and carrots into coin shape and cut garlic cloves in half. I sliced the onion into rings and cut those in half. 

2. Measure the salt  I weigh the mixture and add 2% salt by weight. Mine came out to 430g total, so I mixed in 9g of salt. This small step matters, it creates the right environment for fermentation and keeps the bad bacteria out.

3. Pack the jar I spoon the mix into a clean jar and press it down to remove air pockets. Add water to the bottom of the rim of a quart mason jar. Leave ½ inch head space.  You want everything below the liquid line, that’s how it stays safe. Place a glass fermentation weight on top making sure some of the brine reaches the top of the weight.  

4. Seal and store If you have an airlock lid, great, it lets gas escape without letting air in. If not, just use a regular lid and “burp” it daily for the first week (open it slightly to release pressure, then close again). Keep the jar somewhere dark and steady, around 70–75°F.

5. Wait and taste You’ll see bubbles after a few days, that’s the good bacteria working. I leave mine for about 2 weeks, and taste it and see how you like it. If you like it, you can transfer it to your refrigerator. If you want it more tangy, then you can leave it for another 2 weeks then check the pH. Below 4.0 means it’s ready and safe. The smell should be tangy and slightly sour, not rotten.

Fermenting peppers has become one of my favorite ways to stretch what the garden gives. It’s slow, but it feels right, kind of like how everything grows around here. The lavender takes its time, the trees grow at their own pace, and the peppers quietly turn into something special in a jar on the counter.

While many people like pickle peppers, fermented pepper is so much better and healthier for you. It helps your gut bacteria. Some research has shown that having proper gut bacteria can also affect your mood. When I consume my fermented pepper, I feel good knowing that I created something that is not only tasty but also good for my health. 

When I taste a spoonful of these fermented peppers, it feels like I’ve bottled a bit of the farm, the soil, the sun, and all the care that went into growing them. That’s what keeps me doing it year after year. Simple food, made the right way, has a way of reminding me what matters.