How to Make Homemade Sriracha (Lacto-Fermented Sriracha)

red jalapeño peppers

🥗Healthier: habanero peppers

💰Cheaper: green bell peppers

Habanero adds heat, while green bell peppers are more affordable and milder.

distilled vinegar

🥗Healthier: apple cider vinegar

💰Cheaper: white vinegar

Apple cider vinegar offers a fruity note, while white vinegar is more economical.

Start by removing the stems from the chili peppers.

Remove some or all of the seeds from the chili peppers, depending on desired spice level.

Crush about 8 cloves of garlic just enough to remove the paper exterior.

Add the chili peppers, garlic, salt, and sugar to a high-speed blender.

Blend until the mixture is liquidy, extracting as much liquid as possible for fermentation.

Press down any chunky parts under the level of the liquid to ensure everything is submerged.

Cover the blender jar with a lid and place it on the counter for about a week to ferment, stirring daily.

On day one, label the jar with the date to track fermentation progress.

After 24 hours, stir the mixture and press it down under the liquid again, then cover loosely and return to the counter.

On day two, stir the mixture again and press it down under the liquid, then cover and let it sit for another 24 hours.

On day three, stir the mixture, press it down, and observe fermentation bubbles, then cover and let it sit for another 24 hours.

On day four, stir the mixture, noting that it has become more liquidy, then cover and let it sit for another 24 hours.

Repeat the stirring process daily for about a week, observing changes in the mixture each day.

On day seven, the mixture should be thin and ready to blend into sriracha sauce.

Add 1.5 tablespoons of white sugar and 3 tablespoons of rice vinegar to the fermented mixture.

Transfer everything to the blender and blend until smooth.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level: