Doubanjiang is an indispensable seasoning in our cooking, but commercially available Doubanjiang is not spicy enough, which makes spicy food lovers feel regretful. Therefore, I have searched for information and repeatedly experimented to finally produce a spicy Doubanjiang that is fragrant and delicious, suitable for both commercial and household use. I would like to share the recipe with you below.

Homemade Spicy Doubanjiang

Ingredients:900g Extra Spicy Red Chili Peppers, 1/2 Apple, 45g Salt, 45-72g Sugar, 27g Vinegar Essence (can be purchased online), Appropriate amount of Rice Wine, 300g Soybean Oil, 180g Doubanjiang

Instructions:Made in two stages, the first stage is to ferment chili, the second stage is to make sauce. First, wash and peel the chili peppers. Boil in water to blanch for 8-10 seconds to kill bacteria, then cool.

1. First Stage: Put the chili peppers into a food processor to crush (do not make a paste), add the peeled and seeded apple together to crush, adding apple can enhance the flavor and promote the growth of microorganisms. Because lactic acid bacteria like the xylose in the apple.

2. Put it in a glass jar, add salt, sugar, and vinegar to mix evenly, spray rice wine on the top and sprinkle a little salt to kill bacteria, and seal it tightly.

3. Ferment at room temperature for 3-4 days, then put it in the refrigerator for cold fermentation for 5-6 days, during which time use a clean wooden spoon to press the top layer of chili peppers down once every 1-2 days, so that all the chili peppers are immersed in liquid.

4. Second Stage: When frying, add 300g soybean oil to the pot, add fresh chili flakes to fry into spicy oil, or use soybean oil directly.

5. Pour in the fermented chili to stir-fry, add Doubanjiang, stir until boiling, then continue to cook for a while.

6. After filling eight parts full, pour in fragrant oil until nine parts full, seal the jar, spray alcohol to disinfect the jar lid, flip it over for 10 minutes before placing it upright.

Homemade Spicy Doubanjiang Cooking Notes

I. The chili in the first stage has 3-5% salt (3% in summer, 5% in winter) of the chili weight, sugar is 5-8%, and vinegar (acidity 4.5% vinegar) is 3%.

II. The fermentation time of chili is generally 15 days at room temperature, then put it in 5℃ cold storage for fermentation, fermentation time at least 1 month, can be stored for up to 1 year, this time the weather is very hot and humid, worried about spoilage, so only ferment at room temperature for 3-4 days and then put it in the refrigerator for 4-5 days, the taste is still very good.

III. You can add garlic, fish sauce, etc. according to your preference to increase the richness of the flavor. After fermentation, the original pungent and spicy flavor of the chili becomes mellow and delicious, and there is a rich aroma, and the effect of fermenting with apple is greatly enhanced.

IV. If for commercial use, to ensure long-term preservation, in addition to glass jars need to be disinfected, and hot-sealed jars, the oil poured in should be boiled, when pouring in should have a sizzling sound to disinfect, use oil to seal the sauce, wipe the jar mouth clean immediately, seal the jar within 1 minute, then flip it over to sterilize, 10 minutes and then place it upright. If it is for home use, the amount made will not be very large, and it will be eaten up quickly, so it is not necessary to boil it to avoid the oil quality deteriorating due to high temperature.

I am a sophomore who really likes to cook. My dishes tend to be home-style dishes. I think the principle of modern eating should be simple, delicious and clean. However, I also like to challenge complicated and time-consuming gourmet dishes because time is the key to deliciousness. It's like my cooking notebook, and I'm also happy to share it with everyone.