Tomato Sauce

Fermented with chilli and peppers

Tomatoes are one of the few ingredients that need very little interference, however there is one preparation I think brings the freshness to life… fermenting. 

This fresh, rather than cooked, sauce has a deeper savoury dimension to it. Fermenting uses the natural sugars to feed the bacteria while also taking away a lot of the acidic nature of tomatoes. This leaves a flavourful and unique tomatoyness.

Late summer also sees sweet peppers and chillies at their prime, which make perfect partners to this sauce, offering a way to personalise the flavour intensity. For a thicker sweeter sauce increase the amount of pepper and for a hot sauce simply add more chilli. Make it your own.

Makes approximately 2 small bottles
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Fermenting time: 5 – 7 days

Ingredients:
Sea salt flakes
6 beef tomatoes
2 – 6 sweet peppers (optional)
2 – 6 chillies(optional)
1 – 6 cloves of garlic (optional)
Basil or marjoram (optional)

1.                There are two ways to make this ferment, with a wet or a dry brine. Both require a concentration of 2% salt. This is either to water for a wet or to the weight of ingredients for a dry brine. I like the wet brine method as I like to control the consistency with the left over liquid, and it is delicious in salad dressings.

2.               Begin by making a litre of 2% brine, which is 40g of salt dissolved in 200g hot water, then cooled with 800g of cold water. Leave this to sit for a moment.

3.               Preparing the vegetables is very straightforward, simply dice the tomatoes and peppers and slice the chilli. For a hot sauce leave the chilli seeds in or remove for a milder result. Leave the herbs whole and on their stems, and peel the garlic cloves.

4.               Cram all the ingredients into a jar or jars leaving a couple of fingers widths spare at the top for a weight of some kind. 

5.               Top the jar up with brine, using enough to submerge the ingredients. As the fermentation takes hold the liquid will release and pulp will float, so a weight is necessary to prevent the veg from spoiling. A glass fermentation weight or bag filled with water are my preferred weights, but anything you have that is inert is great. 

6.               Cover the jars with a cloth (muslin is ideal), securing with an elastic band or string and leave in a warm cupboard until you notice a few bubbles and a slightly fermented smell. This will take around 3 days. 

7.               Once the ferment has taken hold, secure the lid and burp every morning for a further 2 to 4 days. Taste the liquid to judge how strong the ferment is and stop when you are happy with the intensity.

8.               Strain the ferment, keeping the liquid, and liquidise. Use the reserved brine to adjust the consistency of the finished sauce. Any brine left over is delicious in salad dressings or in baking so don’t throw the flavour away. The sauce will keep for up to 3 months in the fridge. 

Serve with absolutely anything! 


Chef Notes:
1.                White powder like mould can develop on the surface during fermentation, this is just natural yeasts. Either skim them off or leave them be.
2.               If there is any sign of coloured mould, a nasty smell or anything at all unpleasant, this is a likely sign of spoilage so discard the ferment.