Cooking in Smyrna

This is something I just did myself one day and it worked good. I call it "pepper oil" and it likely is unhealthy and risky as heck.

I had some spare jalapenos and wanted to put them to use. After cleaning and deseeding them I sliced them thin. Like french cut green beans. I then drained off some olive oil from a small bottle I had. I filled it up till the peppers filled it and pushed the oil level to the top. I then capped and set it on the counter.

I figured I would have some oil with pepper "aroma"

Several weeks later I noticed that it looked "bubbly" on the pepper slices, and that the slices looked "soft". I rotated the top to smell it and heard "FZZZZZZ!" like a pop bottle. all of a sudden bubbles started rising like it was carbonated, and oil bubbled out of the top. I recapped it and just stared at it. "what had I done" was all I could think.

All I can figure is that the peppers had fermented in the oil.

I then released pressure every few days over the next couple of weeks and noticed the change to the peppers. They seemed to break apart. The oil took on a thicker look, almost milky.

After a month the peppers had broken/dissolved into little pieces and I found that cooking with this oil was tasty.

I would give the bottle a good shake, to stir up the pepper "glop" on the bottom and season my pan. Frying eggs leaves you with a standard fried egg, with little pieces of red and green pepper in the white, and a nice mellow "warm bite" to the taste. Good for most meats you want to kick the flavor up with.

I've done this three times since and it "ferments" every time. I call it my "pepper oil". Today I noticed that the bubbles were nice and formed. I released pressure and flavored meat I was cooking.

If you don't think it will kill you, you ought to give it a try.

UPDATE:
It was pointed out to me that some people do not recommending the use of fresh peppers in oil as there is a chance of botulism. How big a chance was not said. They recommend dried peppers.