Fermented Hot Sauce

Hot sauce breathes life into dishes with its captivating combination of heat and tang. However, the fermented hot sauce, with its sophisticated depth of flavor and bright, punchy heat, takes it up a notch. The result? An incomparable condiment that makes your taste buds sing! Find all the hot sauce-making instructions right here.

Fermentation 101

Ferments are an integral part of traditional cuisines all over the world. If you've never tried them, this is a good place to start.

Lacto-fermentation is a natural process by which lactic acid bacteria convert sugar or carbohydrates into lactic acid, which can be fermented into various foods. Lacto-fermentation is a form of food preservation used to preserve various foods, including dairy products, vegetables, and fruit.

• Lacto-fermentation is the process of using naturally occurring bacteria to convert sugars into lactic acid.
• Lactic acid inhibits any growth of harmful bacteria.
• Lacto-fermentation also increases and preserves the beneficial vitamin and enzyme levels and digestibility of fermented food.
• Lacto-fermentation is the process of converting sugar into lactic acid, alcohol, and carbon dioxide by bacteria.
• Lactic acid is a healthy bacterium that helps food spoil and develop flavor.
• Alcohol dehydrogenase breaks down the ethanol into the water and carbon dioxide.
• Carbon dioxide is a byproduct of fermentation and can produce bubbly fizz in drinks or suppress odor in foods.

Types of Peppers to Spice Up Your Homemade Hot Sauce

Different peppers pack different levels of heat and flavor. Here are some peppers for your next homemade hot sauce experiment.

Jalapeno Peppers

Ranked as one of the most recognized peppers worldwide, the jalapeno pepper registers a heat level of around 3,500 to 8,000 Scoville units. It carries a moderate heat level, making it a safe bet for those seeking a milder taste. Jalapenos can add a delightful pop when sprinkled on top of nachos, melted into cheese dips, or even when used to prepare a sweet-and-spicy jelly.

Serrano Peppers

Often considered a hotter cousin of the jalapeno, the small serrano pepper packs a punch with a Scoville heat scale ranging from 10,000 to 25,000 units. Dip them in vinegar for a tangy, spicy pickled treat, add them to your homemade pico de gallo, or eat them raw for a daring snack.

Cayenne Peppers

Though not native to Mexico, cayenne peppers have become go-to spices in various cuisines where a touch of extra heat is desired. With a Scoville heat scale of 30,000 to 50,000 units, they indisputably bring the spice. Often dried and ground into flakes known as "red pepper," cayenne peppers adorn the tables at numerous pizza places, adding a fiery kick to every slice with just a shake.

Habanero Peppers

Be aware of their small size. Habanero peppers are serious contenders in the world of heat, with a blistering 100,000 to 360,000 Scoville units. The perfect choice for adventurous spice seekers, habaneros introduce a unique blend of intense heat and a captivating citrus-like flavor. They work beautifully in salsas, hot sauces, and dishes that call for a fiery burst.

In the world of homemade hot sauce, the pepper you choose sets the stage for heat level and flavor. Jalapenos, serranos, cayenne peppers, and habaneros provide a broad palette, from moderate and tangy to blisteringly hot. Give each pepper a try and perfect your hot sauce to your preferences. It's sure to be a delicious journey!

Ingredients

While it's possible to make fermented hot sauce with almost any type of hot pepper, this recipe is designed for medium to hot heat levels. The selection of ingredients is as follows:

• Hot peppers: 1 Pound (choose between jalapeños, serranos, fresnos, chilies, habaneros, scotch bonnets, or any variety you prefer)
• Garlic cloves: 3 to 4
• Onion: 1 medium-sized, optional
• Carrot: 1 medium-sized, optional
• Salt: 1.5%-2% of the overall weight of your ingredients
• Vinegar: a splash, if necessary
• Filtered water, as needed
• Vinegar or Acid
• A splash of white vinegar does an excellent job of thinning the sauce and adding a little tanginess. To introduce a complex sweetness that nicely counteracts the peppery burn, consider incorporating fruits like mango or pineapple. For an added zing, fresh lime juice or lemon juice works wonders.

This recipe embraces the idea of tailoring according to personal preference. You could add spices like cumin and coriander for an earthy depth or even a handful of fresh herbs to enhance the complexity.

Equipment

Creating fermented hot sauces is relatively easy, but it will require special tools. Here is the essential equipment you'll need:

• A kitchen scale to weigh your produce
• A mason jar or other fermentation vessels
• A blender to blend fermented peppers
• An airlock lid or a standard lid
• Fermentation weights
• A fine-mesh strainer, optional

Ensure all your equipment is clean and disinfected to prevent bad bacteria from ruining your fermentation process.

Step By Step Directions

Prepare Your Peppers

First, put your gloves on. Capsaicin — the source of a pepper's heat — can burn your skin, and trust me, washing it off isn't enough to neutralize it fully.

Once protected, wash your peppers and vegetables under running water. Cut off the pepper tops, discard the stems, and slice them into halves or quarters according to the size of your chosen vessel. For a less spicy fermented hot sauce, remove the seeds and ribs. Roughly chop the onion and carrot if you wish to use them.

Mix Salt Brine

Place the chopped peppers, garlic, onion, and carrot (if using) in a bowl. Weigh this mixture on the kitchen scale. Calculate 1.5%-2% of the total weight to find out the amount of sea salt you'll need. Sprinkle the salt over the mixture and thoroughly combine them until blended.

Pack into a Fermentation Vessel and Add Brine

Transfer the seasoned mixture to your chosen fermentation vessel. Mason jars work exceptionally well for this stage.

Pour brine into the mason jar until it entirely submerges the peppers and veggies. The goal is to deprive our mixture of oxygen – a principle used in making kimchis and sauerkrauts. This method is known as lacto-fermentation.

Weigh It Down & Add Airlock

Using food-grade fermentation weights or a smaller jar that fits inside your main container, weigh down the pepper mix to ensure it stays submerged in the brine. Leave about 1 inch of headspace at the top to allow room for expansion.

Screw on an airlock lid if you have one. If not, a tightly sealed regular lid will work fine. The fermentation vessels must be airtight to prevent oxygen exposure but allow carbon dioxide to escape, a byproduct of the lactobacillus bacteria during fermentation.

Fermentation

Let the jar sit at room temperature, preferably between 55-75°F, out of direct sunlight, for 1-3 weeks. During this time, good bacteria (lactic acid bacteria) present on the surface of the vegetables will kickstart the fermentation process. The goal of fermentation here is to create an environment where good bacteria thrive while bad bacteria perish.

You'll notice gases being produced that manifest as bubbles in the brine. The mixture may also turn cloudy. These are normal signs of lacto-fermentation. If at any time you notice mold growing, discard the whole batch. A common, harmless type of yeast known as kahm yeast may form on the surface of the ferment, looking like a white film on top of the brine. This can be easily removed.

Taste Test

After one week, start to taste your mixture every other day. The fermentation process increases the complexity of the flavors over time. When the heat, tang, and complexity hit the right notes according to your preference, it's time to proceed to the next step.

Blend

Pour the entire contents of the jar, fermented peppers, and brine into a blender. If your blender isn't large enough, you can do this in batches.

Blend the pepper brine mixture until it reaches a consistency you're happy with. If you want a super-smooth sauce, blend on high for a longer period. For a chunkier sauce, a short, quick blend will suffice.

Strain & Bottle

If you want a smoother sauce, use a fine-mesh strainer. Use the back of a spoon or your spatula to press down and extract as much liquid as possible.

Pour the sauce into sterilized sauce bottles. Avoid filling to the brim — instead, leave some headspace at the top. Secure with airtight lids and store the bottled sauce in the refrigerator.

Whether you have a flair for fermentation or a kitchen newbie, you'll find the experience rewarding. With this guide, we hope you now possess the confidence to concoct your homemade fermented hot sauce, bringing a fresh, complex heat to your meals. Take the leap, chop up those peppers, and kickstart your hot sauce adventure today - the results will be well worth it.