If you love spicy and sweet foods, this fermented jalapeño hot honey recipe is for you. The hot honey sauce is common in cuisines worldwide, and for a good reason. It is delicious.
Hot honey has been around some time, with the most recent wave of popularity coming from Brazil! The spicy jalapeño hot honey can be prepared in many ways, from light applications to extremely spicy and sticky ones or cocktails!
Why you will love this spicy condiment!
You'll love this spicy condiment! Get ready to modify any recipe with a spicy-sweet kick. This honey is fermented slices of fresh jalapeño, resulting in one of my favorite condiments, an excellent combination of sweetness and heat.
What is Hot Honey?
Hot honey is a delicious sweet and spicy syrup that has been around since the 1960s. It was popularized in New York City by Italian-American pizzerias who used its topping for pizza. The heat from the chiles perfectly complements the sweetness of the honey.
This is a spicy version of the traditional Italian condiment that combines honey with peppers and is a hot trend in the US. This recipe uses jalapeño peppers, but you can also use any other type of chili pepper or dried chili flakes.
The Pepper Scale: How Spicy Are Jalapeños?
Jalapeños are about 4-6 inches long and 2 inches in diameter. They are typically green but sometimes darken or turn a bright red as they ripen. Freshly picked jalapeños are often quite hot, but the heat mellows significantly as they ripen (though it never completely goes away).
Ingredients
You only need two ingredients to make this infused honey recipe: honey and sliced jalapeño peppers. Other recipes will feature crushed red pepper flakes and ground red pepper powder—in this version, and I used jalapeño peppers.
Jalapeño Peppers
Making the best jalapeño honey starts with the freshest jalapeños, which are in season from May to November. When you find one that looks good, hold it in your hand and give it a gentle squeeze.
It should feel firm without being hard, and you don't want it to feel too squishy. The pepper should be bright green and have no obvious blemishes or discolorations. If you can smell the pepper before buying it, all the better!
For extra heat, use ½ cup of jalapeños instead of ⅓ cup. If you want your hot honey to be spicy without any sweetness, replace the love with 1 cup of white vinegar and add two tablespoons of sugar.
Raw Honey
I tend to use raw honey over processed honey since they retain more nutrients, but please use whatever you have on hand! For those who are plant-based, Agave nectar is a good option for plant-based diners.
For best results, use mild-flavored honey, such as clover or orange blossom honey. If you prefer to use darker honey, such as buckwheat honey, keep in mind that it will add more flavor to the final product than a lighter variety.
How to make hot honey at home
While wearing gloves, slice the chile peppers half lengthwise and remove the seeds. Next, cut the chiles into long strips and transfer them to a glass container with a lid—a mason jar works perfectly.
Pour honey into the container with the peppers and stir to combine. Seal with a lid, then let infuse in a cool dark place for two weeks before using.
After one day, start tasting the honey every day until it reaches your desired heat level. Shake jar each day to redistribute ingredients.
Strain the jalapeño from the honey before serving or storing it if you'd like a less spicy version after it's done infusing.
Store refrigerated for up to 6 months.
Storage
Expert tips and ways to use hot honey
Use this homemade hot honey recipe to dip cornbread or biscuit bites. First, drizzle it over pizza as you would regular honey. Then, mix a little into a cocktail or mocktail for an unexpected kick of heat and sweetness.
The hot honey sauce is excellent on chicken wings, biscuits, cornbread, and more. Drizzle it on pizza or use it as a dipping sauce for fried chicken, chicken tenders, or French fries.
how to make hot honey sauce
Combine the hot honey with two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar, one tablespoon of sriracha sauce, and a clove of chopped garlic in a small saucepan over medium heat. Whisk this together until smooth, and then remove from heat and let cool.
As the mixture cools, the spiciness will mellow out a little bit and develop an incredible flavor complexity. After about ten minutes, transfer your jalapeño hot honey sauce to a squeeze bottle or jar for use in homemade sushi rolls or cooked meats. You can also drizzle it over fried chicken or pork chops for a spicy-sweet dish!
Are you interested in more honey recipes?
Honey is one of my favorite sweeteners, and this hot honey is only the tip of the iceberg! Check out my other honey recipes, and let me know if there are different ways you like to use it!
FAQ
Hot honey needs no refrigeration.
Hot honey can go bad if left in a hot area or stored with other foods.
It's hard to know if hot honey is good for you without knowing the effects of raw, unprocessed honey. Raw, unprocessed (unpasteurized) honey is likely to have the same effects as hot, processed honey.
Hot honey has a sweet taste with a kick of heat from the chili peppers. While many people associate chili peppers with savory or spicy foods, this sauce is perfect for adding an unexpected element to desserts.
📖 Recipe
Fermented Jalapeno Hot Honey
If you love the sweet and spicy combination of honey and jalapenos, you'll want to try fermented jalapeno honey. This recipe will give you a rich, tangy condiment that can be used in a variety of ways.
Ingredients
- 8 oz raw honey
- 1 jalapeno pepper, sliced
Instructions
- Slice off the stems from one pound of fresh jalapenos and dice them into small pieces.
- Wash your hands thoroughly afterward! Do not touch any sensitive body parts until you have washed your hands, as the pepper oils will cause irritation if they come into contact with your eyes or other sensitive areas.
- Fill a large jar about halfway with honey.
- Put in as many of the diced jalapenos as will fit into the jar and then add more honey to cover them completely.
- Be sure not to fill the jar all the way to the top so there is room for fermentation gases to escape from the jar.
- Close it securely with an airtight lid.
- Place the jar in a warm place (like on top of your refrigerator) for 2-3 weeks to ferment until bubbly and foamy on top (fermentation produces gas).
- The longer it ferments, the stronger it becomes, so adjust fermentation time according to your personal preferences.
Notes
Choosing Jalapenos
Making the best jalapeño honey starts with the freshest jalapeños, which are in season from May to November. When you find one that looks good, hold it in your hand and give it a gentle squeeze.
It should feel firm without being hard, and you don't want it to feel too squishy. The pepper should be bright green and have no obvious blemishes or discolorations. If you can smell the pepper before buying it, all the better!
How to use this spicy honey
This jalapeño hot honey recipe is just what you need to take your food to the next level. Drizzle it on pizza, top a bowl of ice cream with it, or use it to make wings and ribs. The possibilities are endless, and they just taste incredible.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
16Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 43Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 1mgCarbohydrates: 12gFiber: 0gSugar: 12gProtein: 0g
Alex Blair says
Totally just read this and made a mason jar full of raw honey and red on the vine picked jalapeños.ahhhhhh can’t wait 😛