Fermented Hot Sauce
Make a tangy and sweet fermented hot sauce using this customizable recipe!
Ingredients
- 1 quart water
- 3 Tbsp. sea salt
- 2 lbs. chili peppers
- 4 to 6 cloves garlic
- OPTIONAL: carrots onion, garlic, herbs, white vinegar
Instructions
- Wash chili peppers and remove tops. Using a sharp knife, chop the peppers into pieces roughly 1-inch in length. If including carrots and onion, cut them into similar-sized pieces and keep separate from the peppers.
- Add chopper peppers to the half-gallon jar, packing them tightly to fill the jar. Add carrots and onion if using; place garlic cloves on top of chopped vegetables. Leave 1-inch headspace at the top.
- Mix together lukewarm water and salt, stirring until the salt has dissolved completely. Pour brine over the pepper mixture.
- Place fermentation weights in the brine and on top of vegetables — they should be completely submerged.
- Cover and seal the jar with an airlock lid.*
- Give the chili peppers 1 to 2 weeks to ferment.
- When the peppers are ready, carefully strain the fermented peppers and add-ins from the brine. Reserve brine.
- Transfer fermented ingredients to a food processor or blender. Add 1 cup of brine to the mixture before processing until smooth. Add more brine or white vinegar as needed.
- OPTIONAL: Strain hot sauce through a fine mesh sieve for a smooth texture (skip this step if you prefer a chunkier sauce).
- Decant hot sauce into clean jars or bottles. Store in the fridge for up to 1 year.
Notes
Always wear gloves when working with hot peppers, and be sure to work in a well-ventilated space. Be careful when processing the peppers in a food processor, as splash-ups can hurt your eyes (eye protection is a good idea). They also release a lot of spicy vapors when blended, so don't put your face over the processor or breath in directly above it while working. (I actually took my food processor outside for this step so I didn't spice out the room while working.)
*To seal airlock lid: Place the small end of the airlock firmly into the grommet on the lid. Fill the airlock with water up to the "max" line and re-cap. Place the airlock lid on the jar, tighten firmly.