For Salsa:

1. Chop the habaneros and mix them in a bowl with the onion, thyme, and allspice. Sprinkle in the salt and keep mixing. The mixture should become moist quickly.

2. Pack the mixture into a jar, pressing out any air pockets as you go. Press a zip-close bag against the surface of the ferment, fill the bag with water, and zip it closed.

3. Place the jar in a corner of your kitchen to ferment. If you see air pockets, remove the bag, press the ferment back down with a clean utensil, rinse the bag, and replace.

4. Allow to ferment for 7 to 14 days. It’ll be ready when you see the colors of the ferment mute; the brine may become cloudy as well. The ferment will have a pleasing acidic smell and taste pickle-y, and it may have a bit of an effervescent zing. You can let it ferment longer for a more sour punch.

5. Screw on the lid and store in the fridge, where the salsa will keep for up to 12 months.

For Relish:

1. To prepare this pepper relish, follow directions above for Caribbean Salsa.

Find recipes and more about preserving peppers in Fermented Salsas for Preserving Peppers.

Kirsten K. Shockey and co-author Christopher Shockey live on a 40-acre homestead in Oregon, where they’ve created over 40 varieties of cultured vegetables and krauts and have focused their efforts on teaching the art of fermentation. The recipes in this article are excerpted from Fiery Ferments, available in our online store, and are used with permission of Storey Publishing.