Fermented Hot Sauce

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Tangy, probiotic-rich fermented hot sauce to add a touch of heat to your favorite dish. Multiple flavor combination ideas included.

I am so excited to share this recipe! This has been a ten month long project for me. And no, the peppers don't take that long to ferment.

It has been ten months since I planted my hot peppers in January. Pepper plants take several months to grow to a mature size from seed and then it takes another few months for enough peppers to ripen to make hot sauce. Then it takes two weeks for the peppers to ferment.

So patience was key.

Nothing beats garden-fresh homemade hot sauce. Fermented hot sauce also contains gut-friendly probiotics that give the sauce a little tang. My favorite way to enjoy fermented hot sauce is on eggs.

Flavor Combinations

This time I decided to make a cilantro lime hot sauce but there are many different ways to enjoy fermented hot sauce. This base recipe itself has a smoked paprika kind of smell to it and is absolutely delicious on its own.

Some ideas:

• Cilantro
• Lime juice or vinegar
• Honey or maple syrup (for a little sweetness)
• Extra garlic
• Ginger
• Fruit like pineapple, mango, or peach
• Spices like cumin
• Mix it with other sauces like mayo, ketchup, mustard, or coconut aminos

You can also experiment with using different types of peppers or combinations of peppers.

What You Will Need

Equipment

(It is important to sanitize your equipment before preparing fermented hot sauce.)

1 medium sized pot

1 Half gallon mason jar

1 fermentation weight

1 canning funnel (optional)

1 fermentation lid, cloth with rubber band, or wide mouth mason jar lid

1 silicone lid (optional)

1 Blender

Ingredients

1-4 cups hot peppers

5-10 cloves garlic peeled

carrots chopped (optional)

6 tsp sea salt

6 cups filtered water

How to Make Fermented Hot Sauce

On high heat, bring the filtered water to a boil. Add the salt to the pot and stir until dissolved.

Remove the pot from the heat and allow to cool to room temperature.

In a mason jar, add the peppers, garlic, and carrots (if using). Adding carrots to your hot sauce will make it milder.

Pour the salt water over the vegetables. There should be enough water to completely cover the vegetables. Discard any unused salt water.

Place the silicone lid and then the fermentation weight overtop of the vegetables to keep them completely submerged in the salt water.

Secure your lid to the top of the jar. If you are using a regular mason jar lid, you will want to place it loosely on top.

Let the jar sit at room temperature for about two weeks.

Once two weeks has passed, remove the lid, silicone lid, and fermentation weight.

Separate the vegetables from the brine making sure to set the brine aside for later use. You can use the leftover brine to flavor soups or stock.

Blend the vegetables in a blender adding brine until you reach the desired texture.

Taste the sauce and blend in any additional ingredients if desired.

Bottle your homemade fermented hot sauce. It will last in the fridge for at least 6 months.

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