Go Back Email Link
–+ servings
Sriracha hot sauce in swing top bottles on a grey background.
5 from 13 votes
Print Pin Recipe Save

Fermented Hot Sauce

Easy homemade fermented hot sauce anyone can make at home. Pour this over your favourite dishes for a spicy kick, or make an out of this world Bloody Mary by replacing the Tabasco with this delicious homemade naturally fermented hot sauce.
Author Charlé Visser
Prep Time 10 minutes
Fermentation Time 5 days
Total Time 5 days 10 minutes
Servings 25 portions
Course Condiments, Sauces
Cuisine American, Asian, Fermentation, Fermented Food

Ingredients

  • 900 g (2 lb) red peppers - note 1
  • 600 g (2 ½ cups) filtered water
  • 100 g (¾ cups) garlic - peeled and crushed
  • 30 g (2 tablespoon) sea salt - note 2
  • 50 g (3 tablespoon) rice vinegar - optional (note 3)
  • 50 g (4 tablespoon) granulated sugar - optional (note 4)
  • 1 g (⅓ teaspoon) xanthan gum - optional (note 5)

Instructions

  • Wash the pepers under cold, clean running water, then remove the stalks from them. Chop them up into smaller pieces, seeds-and-all, and set aside.
  • Peel and crush the garlic cloves, then add to the peppers.
  • Add the peppers and garlic to a sterilized fermentation jar or no-reactive vessel, like stainless steel or food-safe plastic.Top the ingredients off with clean drinkable water, making a note of the total weight (in grams) of ingredients and water combined.
  • Multiply that number by 0.02 to get the amount of salt necessary in grams. Dissolve the salt in the water, then pour it back into the fermentation vessel with the ingredients being fermented. Leave a bit of room at the top to accommodate for gas production during fermentation.
  • Place a layer of food-safe plastic or a steamed cabbage leaf on top to seal it off from the air. Close with a rubber glove or fermentation jar lid.
  • Ferment at room temperature for up to 5 days, or until you are happy with the tanginess. Monitor the fermentation process daily and burp the jar if the gas has built up. To prevent a mess, you can place the fermentation jar into a tray in case the contents bubble out a touch.
  • Once you are happy with the sourness and tang of the ferment, get rid of the brine or use it in other preparations like marinades. Add the sugar, vinegar, and xanthan gum if using. These are all optional but highly recommended for an authentic Sriracha-style hot sauce.
  • Blend the sauce with a hand blender or high-speed blender until you have a smooth pulp. A normal home blender will not be able to blend the seeds, so you can leave it chunky or pass it through a fine mesh sieve. The pressed-out remains can be dried and ground up into a delicious seasoning powder.
  • If you want to adjust the seasoning or consistency then blend it once more adding some salt, sugar, vinegar, or xanthan. Otherwise, simply store it in a sealable bottle like a swing top in the fridge.

Video

Notes

  1. I use Cayenne peppers for my sauce, but experiment with pepper varieties, to find your favorite balance of heat and flavor.
  2. Use a natural salt like sea salt or rock salt but try to avoid iodized salt. Do not use salt alternatives as they won't work.
  3. Classic Sriracha has rice vine vinegar added, but you can skip it if you want or use another type of vinegar like apple cider. 
  4. Sugar is added at the end of fermentation to add balance. Do not add it at the start of fermentation as the microbes will consume it, and you'll have an overactive and sour hot sauce.
  5. xanthan gum is an easy-to-find natural thickener that will keep the sauce nice and homogenous. If you don't have it or don't mind the sauce separating, then simply skip it and give the sauce a shake before using.
 
Safety
  • Gloves - When handling hot peppers it's always best to wear latex or nitrile gloves to protect your skin and avoid touching other parts of your body which could get extremely uncomfortable, especially with hotter peppers. If you don't have gloves then wash your hands often and never touch your face or other body parts while preparing your hot sauce.
  • Cleanliness - Wash your equipment and work surfaces before starting. A tiny amount of bad bacteria can easily take hold and ruin a good ferment. Soap, hot water and a thorough cleaning will do. Only taste with clean utensils, and don't double dip.
Storage instructions
When done, pour into glass bottles. Close tightly and store in the fridge. It will keep well for up to 6 months, although it's best flavorwise for up to 3 months.
Do not leave it out at room temperature, as it is an unpasteurized ferment, and it will continue fermenting and cause bottles to explode if left out for too long.
It can be frozen for longer storage without affecting the texture, flavor or color.
 
 
Chef tip
Grill or smoke some peppers to give the sauce a smokey taste, or add dried peppers like you would use for chipotle. 

Nutrition

Serving: 20grams Calories: 29kcal Carbohydrates: 7g Protein: 1g Fat: 0.2g Saturated Fat: 0.02g Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g Monounsaturated Fat: 0.01g Sodium: 471mg Potassium: 132mg Fiber: 1g Sugar: 4g Vitamin A: 343IU Vitamin C: 53mg Calcium: 13mg Iron: 0.4mg
Keywords:fermented hot sauce, sriracha
Did you make this?Tag @pantsdownapronson or hashtag #pantsdownapronson so I can see your hot skills!