Making fermented peppers at home, to make hot sauce, is easy! Fermented Hot Sauce is a great way to use all of your chili peppers at the end of the season!
Hot sauce made with fermented peppers has more depth than hot sauces that are made with fresh peppers. Lacto-fermented peppers are not, hands on, time consuming, but they do take some time to age.
I let my peppers ferment for about 4 months, but many are letting them ferment for only weeks.
The longer you let them ferment, the more depth the peppers will have. To see how I fermented my peppers, see my post on Lacto-fermenting Peppers!
Uses for Fermented Hot Sauce
This hot sauce is so delicious, on just about everything! Add it eggs, pasta or rice dishes, meats, chicken wings, the possibilites are endless!
- Chilaquiles
- Crockpot Chicken Enchilada Casserole
- Sweet Potato Hash
- Spanish Rice
- Spaghetti Casserole
- Chicken Nachos
- Venison tacos
This Hot sauce recipe is also great to use in a spicy mayonnaise or a spicy ketchup, for serving with fries, or on you favorite sandwich!
What is Lacto Fermented Hot Sauce?
Fermentation is the process of beneficial bacteria breaking down a food product that otherwise would spoil. Many of our favorite hot sauces in the United States, like Tabasco and Sriracha are still made with fermented peppers.
The other way to make hot sauce is with an apple cider vinegar and sea salt or kosher salt brine. Other ingredients like onion, garlic, and herbs can also be added for varied flavor. These hot sauces are also delicious but lack the depth of flavor that the lacto fermented hot sauces possess. The taste of this hot sauce is more vinegar forward.
What Peppers Can You Use to Make Hot Sauce?
Really, any hot pepper will work to make Fermented Peppers. If you would prefer a mild Hot Sauce, then use Poblano or Fresno, or just add a few bell peppers to the mix to temper the heat.
For medium Hot Sauce, use jalapeño, cayenne, serrano, red cherry, or Hungarian Wax peppers.
For an extra hot Hot Sauce, use ghost peppers, scotch bonnet or dragon’s breath! But be careful! They will be super hot.
Here I have used a mixture of medium hot peppers, to give the hot sauce a more complex flavor.
The photograph above are the peppers, right after placing in jars. At the start of the fermentation process.
The photograph above is at the end of the fermentation process. Notice the texture change from the fresh peppers, and how much the contents of the jar have shrunk.
How to Make Fermented Hot Sauce
- Place the fermented pepper mash in a large pot. See instructions here.
- Add crushed garlic.
- Bring to boil.
- If you would like a sweeter sauce, reminiscent of Sriracha sauce, add brown sugar or honey. Cook for 30 minutes to one hour, over low heat.
- Place cooked peppers in blender container, in batches, if need be.
- Once the peppers are processed in blender, if you want a smooth sauce, strain out the solids.
- Use spatula to remove all of the sauce from the solids.
- Sterilize bottles or mason jars. Use kitchen funnel to pour the sauce into the bottles.
- Wipe rim of bottles. Insert limiter on bottles.
- Cap.
Storing Hot Sauce
Store bottles in the refrigerator. If you have a pressure canner, you can use that to make them shelf stable but this will change the flavor a bit. Will keep for at least 12 months in the fridge..
That is all there is to making Fermented Hot Sauce at home! You will not be dissappointed with the outcome!
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Tools I Use to Make Hot Sauce
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Enjoy! And have fun cooking!
Xoxo,
Fermented Hot Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 quarts fermented peppers
- 3-4 cloves crushed garlic
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar optional, if you want a sweeter sauce
Instructions
- Add ingredient to large pot. Bring to boil.
- Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes to one hour.
- Add peppers to blender, in batches, if necessary. Blend for a few minutes.
- If you want a smooth sauce, strain out solids. If you choose not to strain it, it will age hotter because the seeds are still there.
- Sterilize bottles. Fill bottles with hot sauce.
- Add limiter lids and then caps.
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Ramona
I am sure the flavours in this sauce are so much better. I really must try this recipe since I love fermented stuff. I have never tried this though. Great idea!
Binky
Thank you Ramona! I appreciate you checking out the recipe!
Julie
I’m a hot sauce junkie! THis has my name all over it. Such great flavor here.
Binky
That happens with hot sauce!! We have a few in my house too! Thank you Julie!
Caroline
I can see my husband being a big fan of this – love how easy it is and a great way to use up a crop.
Binky
It is a great way to use all of the peppers you have left at the end of the season! Thank you Caroline!
Kelly | Foodtasia
Binky, I so want to try this recipe! I’ve been wanting to make my own hot sauce and I love that it’s fermented. Thanks for a great recipe!
Binky
Thanks Kelly! I’m glad you enjoyed the post! Let me know how you like it when you make it!
Brian Jones
What a great follow up to your fermented peppers recipe, this sauce sounds superb and those peppers will make a great base.
Binky
Thanks Brian! I’m glad you enjoyed the fermented pepper journey!
Lesli Schwartz
I’m so impressed that you made your own hot sauce! Who knew it could be so easy and with so few ingredients? I guess I should stop being lazy and make my own! Thanks for the recipe! 🙂
Binky
Hi Lesli! Thanks so much! It is super easy! Just requires a bit of patience! Thanks for stopping by!
Erin
How long do you pressure can half pint jars. Made it last year and lived it.
Beth Neels
We don’t pressure can this hot sauce. It is stored in the refrigerator for at least a year.
Trudy
Can you tell me where to get hot sauce bottles with lids that can be used in water bath canning? Obviously the ones pictured here aren’t suitable and I’m having trouble finding ways to can my hot sauce so it’s shelf-stable.
Binky
Hi Trudy! I got these on Amazon, the link is in the post, or here https://amzn.to/2uYI0yQ. I am going to say that they are probably not suitable. I haven’t researched where to get bottles that are suitable for the water bath, as I have not checked the pH of this hot sauce, but doubt it is below 4.6. I will do some testing on it and let you know. Thanks so much for checking out the recipe!
Sonia
Oh I love making my own sauces at home and this is a must try as .y hubby loves hot sauce!! I have everything can’t wait to try it!
Binky
Making your own sauces saves you tons of money throughout the year! Thank you Sonia!
Jacqueline Debono
I bet this hot sauce is amazing! I am going to grow chili peppers in the garden this year so this is definitely something I’d like to do with them!
Binky
It is a fun project! Thank you Jacqueline! Have a great weekend!
Tayler Ross
I’ve been looking for a new hot sauce recipe to try and I’ve finally found it! This is great!
Binky
Thank you Tayler! I hope you enjoy it! Let me know how it comes out!
Veena Azmanov
Lovely Ideas to using this Fermented Hot Sauce. I totally love the spices and flavors. Have to make some for home.
Binky
Thank you Veena! I’m glad it was of use to you!
Tisha
We like to have chicken wing bars, this would be a perfect addition to the sauces!
Binky
oh, no doubt! This would be perfect! You could do a couple batches! Some really hot and some with less heat! Thank you Tisha!
Mary
I have never fermented peppers when I made hot sauce! Totally giving this a try!
Binky
It really makes a big difference Mary! Let me know what you think! And thanks for the comment!