Is this safe to eat?

[Shiles]

Hi, I'm new to fermentation. I made fermented hot sauce last year. I'm trying another batch now. I've noticed something in the jar that I don't remember last year. All that is in the jar is cayenne peppers (top removed with "ribs" and seeds mostly removed), sliced garlic, spring water, kosher salt and about a tablespoon or two of white pickling vinegar. I'm not sure if it's from the garlic or what. If someone could tell me what this is, if its safe to make hot sauce with this still or what causes it that be much appreciated. I see it all throughout the jar but is most prevalent on the bottom. Picture attatched. Thanks!

[Christopher Weeks]

I can't tell anything useful from your picture. But if you're seeing an off-white sediment, it's perfectly normal and you're good to go.

I'm curious for what purpose the vinegar is included.

[Shiles]

Hmmm, if I click on the picture I can see what I'm talking about. I believe it is an off white sediment though. Thanks for the help. According to the video I watched on how to make fermented hot sauce, an optional 1 or 2 tablespoons of vinegar can be added to help get the fermentation started. Maybe that's not actually true? Should I filter the sediment out when I go to make hot sauce out of it?
Thanks again for the help.

[Christopher Weeks]

Lots of people add some vinegar at the end of a hot-sauce operation to either lower the pH further, for shelf-stability, or because they like the flavor. But I think the only thing it's going to do up front is slightly retard the fermentation process, I think. The culture brought in with some live vinegar might help convert alcohol to vinegar in a fruity sauce.

The sediment is quite small and hard to filter -- it's just dead bacteria. A coffee filter will get it out, I think, but it would be a bother. There's no real reason to do that. Taste it and see if you object. It's like tasting silt -- not exactly good and maybe a little gross to think about, but not really off-putting.

I assume you're going to blend the chiles and garlic, only adding in enough of the brine as needed for the blender. So, you won't end up with much of the sediment anyway. Once your sauce is made, it will have vanished.