Hot sauce has always been a source of fascination and debate.
I grew up with friends cheekily sneaking a bottle of Tobasco into every dining establishment we attended just in case it wasn’t an option at the restaurant. I was not one of those people…but, ever since the hit YouTube show Hot Ones: The Show With How Questions and Even Hotter Wings (I like to say the whole tagline every time) first launched I became fascinated with making my own hot sauce. I can’t help it—I’m a true DIY-er, especially in the kitchen.
Here’s my recipe for lacto-fermented Hot Sauce that will knock your shoes, socks and taste buds off.
This specific one is for a Mango Habanero sauce, but you can add and subtract ingredients as you like! There is endless potential for flavor combinations and experimentation.
The Ingredients
- The Chilis
- Fresno Chilis (~1lb)
- Habanero Chilis (~1lb)
- Serrano Chilis (1 chili)
- The Aromatics
- Garlic (1 Head)
- Fresh Turmeric (1-2 inch)
- Dried Cloves (3)
- The Sweets
- Fresh Mango (1)
- Orange Juice Water Kefir (a splash) (optional)
- Salt – equal to 2% of the weight of your ingredients
- Example: for 1000 grams ingredients, add 20 grams salt
- Filtered Water – enough to submerge ingredients fully
The Method
- Prepare ingredients by roughly chopping. Pieces should be approximately 1 inch chunks or smaller.
- Add all ingredients to a glass or ceramic vessel, weighing as you go.
- Add salt equal to 2% of the weight of the ingredients. Toss the ingredients in the salt so that they are relatively mixed and coated in salt.
- Add water to submerge ingredients. Use weights (optional) to keep ingredients fully submerged. If ingredients float at the top of the vessel, submerge them daily to keep them from molding.
- Cover your vessel with a breathable lid (a paper towel and rubber band works great). Allow your ferment to sit at room temperature for at least one week and up to a month—this is up to your preference.
- After waiting a week, strain out and reserve the salty brine. Add fermented ingredients to a blender and blend until throughly blent…add brine about a quarter of a cup at a time to thin the hot sauce to your desired viscosity.
- Finally, add your hot sauce to a bottle or jar, optionally straining out the seeds.
- Store in the fridge up to a year!
There are an infinite number of uses for this hot sauce—I won’t tell you hot to eat it. For me, my favorite uses are on chicken, eggs, and burrito bowls.
Happy Fermenting!