Salted Chili

Click to Enlarge	Salted Chili China - Hunan
	Serves Effort: Sched: DoAhead:	* 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 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 groceries 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 my Chili Page.
Sea Salt should be used for all salt pickling as table salt lacks minor salts important to fermentation.
U.S. measure: t=teaspoon, T=Tablespoon, c=cup, qt=quart, oz=ounce, #=pound, cl=clove in=inch