Homemade Hunan Salted Chilies

This comes from fuschia dunlops book via barbara fisher. It looks like an amazing condiment to have on hand, the fermenting in salt changes the heat - it sneaks up and bites rather than in your face and a good flavor, tangy salty and hot is how dunlop describes the taste. the process is like kimchee using the lactic acid fermentation Times are guestimates bc i have to pick up the pound to make them myself (or a half lb). Dont forget to let them ferment for 2 weeks.prep includes sterilizing jar in the dishwasher

• Ready In: 35 mins
• Yields: 1 jar

Ingredients

• 1  lb  red hot chili pepper
• 1⁄4 cup kosher salt

Directions

1. Wash chilies thoroughly and discard any that show signs of mold or decay. Dry them thoroughly on a kitchen towel or a pile of paper towels.
2. Sterilize a jar and lid with boiling water or by running it through your dishwasher with a heat dry cycle. Make certain it dries thoroughly either in the air or through the dishwasher dry cycle. Do not use a paper towel or cloth to dry it directly.
3. Discard the stems of the chilies and chop them roughly. Do not remove the seeds. Place the chopped chilies into the jar with three tablespoons of the salt and with a sterilized chopstick or fork, stir thoroughly to combine the salt evenly among the chile bits.
4. When the salt is mixed in, level the top of the chilies, and sprinkle the rest of the salt over them, then tightly cap the jar with the lid and store, unopened, in a cool dark place for two weeks.
5. After opening, keep in the fridge, where it will keep for months.