How to Make Fermented Hot Sauce (COMPLETE TUTORIAL)

habanero peppers

🥗Healthier: jalapeño peppers

💰Cheaper: banana peppers

Jalapeños offer a milder heat, while banana peppers are more economical.

blueberries

🥗Healthier: blackberries

💰Cheaper: frozen blueberries

Blackberries are lower in sugar and frozen blueberries are often cheaper.

vinegar

🥗Healthier: apple cider vinegar

💰Cheaper: white vinegar

Apple cider vinegar adds a fruity note, while white vinegar is less expensive.

lime juice

🥗Healthier: lemon juice

💰Cheaper: bottled lime juice

Lemon juice provides a similar acidity, while bottled lime juice is often cheaper.

Harvest fresh peppers from the garden, including both red and green varieties.

Prepare a brine solution using salt and water, aiming for a 3% to 5% salt concentration by weight.

For every 1,000 grams of water, add between 30 and 50 grams of salt.

Use canning and pickling salt for best results, as it dissolves quickly; avoid table salt due to iodine.

Wear vinyl gloves while handling the peppers to avoid irritation from capsaicin.

Cut off the tops of the peppers, removing the stems as they do not add flavor.

Cut the peppers into smaller pieces to fit more into the jar and to aid fermentation.

Fill a quart jar with the cut peppers, pressing them down with a wooden spoon to eliminate air pockets.

Pour the prepared brine into the jar, filling it up to the first ring.

Use the wooden spoon to release any trapped air bubbles and add more brine if necessary.

Ensure all peppers are submerged in the brine to prevent spoilage during fermentation.

Use a spring or glass weight to keep the peppers submerged, and cover with a fermentation lid that allows gas to escape.

For a second batch, repeat the process with green peppers and use a glass weight to hold them down.

Seal the jars with fermentation lids and place them in a cool, dark corner to begin fermentation.

Check the jars after a few days; the liquid will become cloudy and bubbles will form as fermentation progresses.

Fermentation time varies: about one week at 70°F, two weeks at 65°F, or a few days at higher temperatures.

After two weeks, the peppers are ready to be processed into hot sauce, but can be left longer for additional flavor.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level: