Background
This experiment is a wild-fermented strawberry beverage utilizing fresh strawberries and a house-foraged Sichuan peppercorn honey. The goal is to capture the bright, fresh fruit notes of the strawberry alongside the numbing, citrusy heat of the fresh Sichuan peppercorn.
Recipe
Ingredients
- 475 g fresh strawberries
- 150 g sichuan peppercorn honey (made with foraged fresh sichuan peppercorns)
- 1200 g water
- 15% starter culture (calculated based on total weight)
Method
- Combine the fresh strawberries, Sichuan peppercorn honey, and water in a blender.
- Blend the mixture until smooth.
- Stir in the starter culture.
- Strain the blended liquid through a cheesecloth to remove the fine pulp.
- Ferment at room temperature, monitoring the activity and flavor development.
Notes and Observations
- Sugar Levels: The 150 g of honey brings the mixture to approximately 8% Brix, discounting the sugars naturally present in the strawberries. With the fruit factored in, the total sugar level is closer to the 10–12% Brix range.
- Tasting Notes: The final flavor profile is pleasant and distinctly strawberry-forward, but the characteristic heat and numbing quality of the Sichuan peppercorn does not come through strongly enough.
Future Adjustments
- Increase the ratio of Sichuan peppercorn in the honey infusion, or steep additional fresh peppercorns directly in the liquid prior to fermentation to boost the spice profile.