Question from 2Green
Hi Debra,
First time post.
My family, every year ferments peppers to make a pepper paste to add to our food as we cook. Because we add salt to the peppers, we use these peppers instead of salt during cooking.
The amount of salt is 1kg per bushel (like the ones you see for sale during the tomatoe season) keep in mind that much of this salt is discarded during the first week as the peppers dry out and water is released. We need to ferment these for 3-4 weeks.
My aunt and uncle always use those buckets you buy at Home Depot (they resemble the buckets used for making wine or for paint). They are new and not used.
I was a little concerned with plastic leaking during fermentation and wanted to know what you recommend for fermenting my peppers. Some have said clay is best (non-lead glaze) or wood barrels. I’ve also found the following research that discuss this subject but I’m still uncertain: http://etd.lsu.edu/docs/available/etd-07122005-142543/unrestricted/Koh_thesis.pdf
Debra’s Answer
Well, first, I didn’t read the entire 78-page report you linked to, so I can’t comment on factors beyond the toxicity of the materials of the various containers you mention.
We have a few of those white 5-gallon buckets around the house because my husband uses them for construction. I’ve also been around commercial food production enough to know that they are commonly used for food preparation and storage.
I looked on the bottom of the bucket and found that these buckets are made from HDPE, which is High Density Polyethylene. This is one of the safest plastics and is considered food-safe. There is a whole discussion about using plastic buckets for brewing beer at http://www.tastybrew.com/forum/thread/52137, in which it says that the buckets sold at Home Depot ARE food grade HDPE. So from a toxicity viewpoint, there would be little, if any, leaching of plastic into your peppers, and if there was, it would be of minimal toxicity.
That said, I have found as a cook that the materials with which food comes in contact during preparation does affect the quality of the food. I soak beans, for example, before cooking, and I always use glass or ceramic bowls. I just keep all my food as far away from plastic as possible, particularly if it is going to sit in the container for any length of time. I know that’s difficult to do 100% if you are buying things like yogurt in plastic containers, but I’m gradually weeding out the plastic wherever I can.
Fermented foods are very traditional, and I think you will find the flavor to be different if you ferment your peppers in wood or crockery. Those would be my best recommendation. I believe Tabasco sauce is aged in wood.
