Salted Red Chili

(click to enlarge)	Salted Red Chili China - Hunan
(click to enlarge)	Makes: Effort: Sched: DoAhead:	8 oz * 2 week Must		Essential to Hunan cooking, this distinctive seasoning and condiment is easy to make. I also mash it up to use for Sichuan pickled chili paste and other applications calling for Sichuan pickled chili.

1
1/4

#
c

Chili, Red Fresno (1)
Sea Salt (2)

See that the CHILIS are very fresh and bright red. Cut off the cap and chop coarsely, including the seeds.
Mix 3-1/2 T Sea Salt with the Chilis. Pack Chilis into a clean glass jar and pour the rest of the Salt in on top of them. Cover with a tight fitting lid and keep in a cool place to ferment for 2 weeks before using.
Once opened, keep refrigerated and they'll be good for months.

NOTES:

Chili:
Fresno Chilis are the hot red ripe chili of choice in all the ethnic markets in Southern California. Apparently they are so widely satisfactory no others are being marketed, though many varieties of green chilis are. Of course many tons of red ripe jalapenos are also grown but I think every last one goes to Huy Fong Foods for their famous sauces. Jalapenos are less authentic in flavor anyway. For more information see our Chilis page.
Sea Salt
Only natural sea salt should be used for salt pickling. I emphasize "natural", because many major brands of "sea salt" are highly refined. If it doesn't seem a little moist, it's not natural. Various pundits tell you that "salt is salt, it's nearly all sodium chloride", but some of the trace salts in sea salt are very important to proper fermentation. Of course you can buy sea salt from gourmet outlets for astounding prices, but if you find a Korean market you can buy big sacks of it for very little. For details see our Salt page.
U.S. measure: t=teaspoon, T=Tablespoon, c=cup, qt=quart, oz=ounce, #=pound, cl=clove in=inch, ar=as required tt=to taste

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