07
Dec
Add the vinegar if using and sugar if you prefer a sweeter hot sauce like sriracha and more brine to desired thickness. Prep time 10 mins.
Spices seasonings or herbs to taste.
Fermenting peppers for hot sauce. This fermented hot sauce will use 4 basic ingredients. Peppers jalapeno ancho and habanero garlic kosher salt and water. You may add sugar or other flavorings to your liking.
The fermentation process of hot peppers. The fermentation process of hot peppers involves soaking peppers in a salt and water solution known as brine for weeks months or years until the solution breaks down the glucose in the peppers. This process begins immediately and can be completed in a week.
Basic fermented hot sauce ingredients. 20 peppers less hot varieties for milder hot sauce hotter varieties for spicier 6 cloves of garlic chopped. Additional fruits or vegetables for flavor after fermenting.
1 2 cup 3 brine instructions below 1 2 cup vinegar. Spices seasonings or herbs to taste. Place the fermented peppers onions garlic and carrot into a blender.
Add 1 cup of the brine and blend until smooth as smooth as possible. Add the vinegar if using and sugar if you prefer a sweeter hot sauce like sriracha and more brine to desired thickness. The heat level will mellow a bit with time as it continues to ferment in the fridge.
Pack in jars with peppers pushing down contents to remove air. Leave 2 inches headspace. If using the brine method cover peppers in jars with the water and salt mixture to cover.
It is important the the peppers stay below the surface of the brine. Ferment in cool place for 1 to 4 months up to years. Affix a fermentation lid to the jar top and set in a cool place out of direct sunlight to ferment.
Culture at room temperature until the color of the peppers changes and dulls usually 5 7 days. If you like this ferment continue to ferment at room temperature for many months. The traditional way of making hot sauce involves fermenting either straight hot peppers or a mix of hot and sweet peppers and other aromatic veggies like garlic or onion.
When the fermentation time is up the whole shebang is blended with vinegar until smooth as silk. Seasoned with fresh garlic this fermented hot sauce is rich with flavor bright and fiery. Use a variety of ripe hot peppers for the best flavor.
Red jalapeños cherry bomb peppers scotch bonnets and aji amarillo chilis all work well especially when mixed together. Prep time 10 mins. However the peppers come out more sour and this is perfect for hot sauce.
I like to blend the higher salt fermented peppers with fresh onion a few different types of fresh peppers and apple cider vinegar for a perfect hot sauce. Keep your fermenting peppers at a temperature between 70 80 degrees f. Keep out of direct sunlight.
If you ve ever enjoyed tabasco sauce you ve tasted fermented chili peppers. Tabasco starts with tabasco peppers which they crush mix with salt and ferment in oak barrels for up to 3 years. The original tabasco sauce only uses 3 ingredients tabasco peppers salt and distilled vinegar.
A number of hot sauce makers use fermented peppers in the form of pepper mash to make their products and a good pepper mash makes a difference in the resulting flavors.