Fermented Hot Sauce

We love hot sauce! So one of the first things that I wanted to learn to make was a good fermented hot sauce. The key to good sauce is good organic fresh ingredients. I use a variety of different hot and sweet peppers grown in my garden after they have turned their desired color ( let them fully ripen and change from green). For this batch, I used Serrano peppers, Jalapeno, Pepperocini, and Filias peppers. First, I removed the stem and placed the entire pepper along with several cloves of garlic in a food processor. This was then transferred to a quart size mason jar with about 2 teaspoons of salt and enough distilled water so that the peppers were covered. I then placed a smaller mason jar (or you can use glass mason pebbles https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N5EP6MA/_encoding=UTF8?coliid=ID8NOZXJO8F3W&colid=1PRQFB6B9PEV3) and cover with cheesecloth. This is then placed in a cool dark place for approximately 2 weeks. I check this periodically to ensure that the peppers stay covered with the solution. Don't be alarmed if you see that there is some growth at the top of the solution. This can be removed- it consists of yeast and bacteria- all good stuff.

At the end of the 2 weeks is when you will add your acidic ingredient- either vinegar or lime juice. I also added cilantro and a bit of basil. Try anything you like at this point. Put it all in a blender to the consistently that you like- adding vinegar or water as needed. This material is then strained to remove seeds or you can leave the seeds in if you want to keep it hotter. I left the seeds in and over time, it became hotter and hotter. You can also add sugar to the sauce to give it more of a Sriracha taste.

I just re-use old hot sauce bottles as my container and it lasts a very long time in the fridge. The batch I made last year lasted us about 8 months. The flavor develops over time and because I did not remove the seeds, it got hotter and hotter!
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