I grew loads of peppers in my garden this year just so I could make this fermented hot sauce recipe. It is wonderfully spicy and big on flavor. Drizzle it over anything. Works for any type of peppers.
Fermented Hot Sauce Recipe
It's hot sauce making time in the Chili Pepper Madness household again, my friends. You know how much I LOVE my hot sauce. My garden exploded with peppers this year and I'm incredibly happy.
The plants were super productive and I am preserving them in so many different ways.
Food preservation is important. One of my favorite ways to preserve my peppers is to make hot sauce. I have a LOT of different hot sauce recipes here on the site, all with different styles, ingredients, and types of chili peppers.
For this particular hot sauce, I wanted a fermented version, which adds another layer of complexity to the sauce.
I grew serrano peppers and waited for them to turn red specifically so I could make this sauce. So many serranos! The plant was very productive.
I just love serrano peppers. They're smaller than jalapeno peppers, but quite a bit hotter. In fact, the hottest serrano pepper is about 3 times hotter than the hottest jalapeno pepper.
They measure in at 10,000 to 23,000 Scoville Heat Units on the Scoville Scale. For me, that's a nice level of heat for an every day hot sauce.
You don't have to use serranos, though. This recipe works with any type of chili pepper.
This is a very simple hot sauce recipe, though we're fermenting the peppers first, which may sound complicated, but not at all.
What is Fermentation? And Why is it Good For Hot Sauce?
Fermentation is the decomposition of foods by micro-organisms (Lactic Acid Bacteria) or enzymes. We create an anaerobic (no oxygen) environment for the peppers so that good, beneficial bacteria can survive, and bad bacteria cannot survive.
The good bacteria is natural Lactic acid bacteria, which consumes carbohydrates in the peppers and converts them to acid. After fermenting, the carbohydrates have been predigested, leaving them with more vitamins and flavor than fresh peppers.
Bad bacteria, such as rotting molds, cannot survive in this oxygen-free environment. We create such an environment with salt and brine, which protect the peppers while the good bacteria do their work.
The salt is not actually the preservative. It is the acid produced by the fermentation process that does the preserving.
There are many benefits to fermented foods, including foods that are more digestible and have more developed flavor. When fermenting peppers, the flavors mellow, and peppers change color a bit, and develop a pleasant smell.
Fermentation is one our oldest methods of food preservation. People have preserved foods this way for generations, from wine to cheese to many, many vegetables, including peppers.
Let's talk about how to make a simple fermented hot sauce, shall we? Here is my recipe for fermented hot sauce.
Ingredients Needed to Make Fermented Hot Sauce
- 1 pound chili peppers (stems removed - I'm using red serrano peppers)
- 1 quart unchlorinated water
- 3 tablespoons salt
- ½-1 cup white wine vinegar to your preference (use a good quality vinegar for better quality hot sauce)
How to Make Fermented Hot Sauce - the Recipe Method
First, ferment the chili peppers. Roughly chop the peppers, then pack them into a ball jar, leaving at least 1 inch of head space. The peppers may rise a bit when fermenting.
Mason jars are good to use as fermentation vessels as well.
Make the Brine. Next, mix 1 quart unchlorinated water with 3 tablespoons sea salt. Pour just enough brine over the peppers to cover them, pressing them down a bit as you go.
It is important to keep the peppers covered with the salt water brine to avoid spoilage. Check this daily.
HELPFUL TIP: A good method to keep the peppers submerged is to fill a baggie with some water, but not all the way. Stuff the baggie into the top of the jar, forcing the peppers down below the brine.
Screw on the lid and set the jar away from direct sunlight to ferment for at least 1 week. Ideal temperatures are between 55-75 degrees F.
The most active fermentation period is between 1-2 weeks, so be sure to monitor it during this time. “Burp” the jars often by unscrewing the lid a bit to let out some of the accumulating gases.
Or, use an airlock or membrane for easier fermenting. See our page, “How to Ferment Peppers”, for more detailed instruction.
After 1-2 weeks, the fermenting activity will diminish and the brine will turn cloudy and taste acidic, with a slightly sour flavor.
Drain the peppers, but reserve the brine.
Add the fermented peppers to a food processor or blender, along with 1/2 cup of the brine and 1/2 cup vinegar.
You can add more or less of each as desired to your preference. More brine will have more salty flavor, more vinegar will be more acidic.
Blend until smooth.
OPTIONAL: Add the fermented hot sauce to a pot and bring to a quick boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. This will stop the fermentation process.
NOTE: You don't have to cook the sauce if you don't want to. Cooking removed the probiotic benefits. It can be used as-is, though you will likely see some continued fermenting activity. If you decide to not cook it, store it in the refrigerator in sealed containers.
You may need to burp them to release gas buildup every now and then, though refrigeration will slow the activity.
Strain the mixture to remove the solids if desired, or use as-is for a thicker hot sauce. Pour into hot sauce bottles and enjoy.
That's it, my friends! Easy, right? Who knew making a fermented hot sauce could be so simple? It's really quite a bit like famous Tabasco Hot Sauce, though made with red serrano peppers instead of tabasco peppers.
Recipe Tips & Notes
Fermentation Time. Feel free to ferment longer if you'd like. Continuing to ferment the peppers will develop even more flavor. I have fermented peppers for 6 months in the past.
Some people ferment for years. 1 week, however, is enough to get a good ferment.
Kahm Yeast. Sometimes you may notice a white film forming on the top of your ferment. It is sour and can form when all of the sugar in your ferment is consumed.
It is not a mold, nor is it harmful. It can affect the flavor of your finished hot sauce, so it is best to be scraped away from your ferment.
Thicker or Thinner Hot Sauce. If you're looking for a thicker hot sauce, only use a combined half cup of brine and vinegar, and do not strain the hot sauce.
For a thinner hot sauce, add more water and/or vinegar a bit at a time until you achieve the consistency you want.
Straining the hot sauce will thin it out considerably.
Other Ingredients. This is a very simple Louisiana Style Hot Sauce recipe, using only peppers, vinegar and salt.
You can easily include other ingredients to build flavor, such as garlic, onion, herbs and other seasonings.
Other Peppers. This method works with any type of chili peppers. Try it with a blend of hot peppers and/or mild peppers.
Frequently Asked Hot Sauce Questions
Here are answers to some of the most common questions I get on other hot sauces.
How long will this sauce keep?
Fermented hot sauce will keep for many months in the refrigerator, or even longer. It's all about the acidity.
To be technical, target level ph for shelf stable foods is below 4.6 ph, but should probably be lower for home cooks, around 3.5 or so, to account for errors.
If you're concerned, add more vinegar to lower the ph. I measured the pH of my finished fermented hot sauce at 3.7, but check with a good pH meter.
The best ph meters that I recommend are from Thermoworks. Get yourself a ph meter from Thermoworks today. I am a happy affiliate.
Fermented hot sauces that are not cooked at the end with vinegar and/or citrus should be refrigerated.
Cooking them stops the fermentation activity and makes them more shelf stable, though they are no longer probiotic.
Where'd you get that sauce bottle?
I find them locally sometimes, but I also order through Amazon. Here is a link to some bottles I like (affiliate link, my friends!): Swing Top Glass Bottles, 8.5 Ounce - Set of 4.
If you like the smaller bottles that most hot sauce makers use, here's another link: Hot Sauce Bottles, 5 Oz - 24 Pack.
Can I process this hot sauce for longer storage?
Absolutely. Just be sure to use proper canning/jarring safety procedures. Processing the hot sauce in a water bath stops the bacterial activity, making the hot sauce shelf-stable.
However, it will no longer be probiotic. The National Center for Home Food Preservation provides home canning instructions and many recipes that have been tested for food safety. NCHFP.uga.edu.
Useful Equipment
Aside from jars and your ingredients, I like to use Masontops lids, which include pickling weights and a membrane allowing gases to escape without the need for burping.
You can use them with any wide mouth mason jar. Here is a link to where you can buy them on Amazon. It’s an affiliate link, my friends. FYI!
Buy Masontop Lids for Fermenting Chili Peppers (and More)
I also highly recommend this outstanding book by fermenting experts, Kirsten K. Shockey and Christopher Shockey – “Fiery Ferments: 70 Stimulating Recipes for Hot Sauces, Spicy Chutneys, Kimchis with Kick and Other Blazing Fermented Condiments”. I learned a lot from this book as well as through my own experimentation. Grab a copy today.
Good luck, and happy fermenting! Let me know what you make with your pepper mash.
Try Some of My Other Fermented Hot Sauce Recipes
Here are some of my own recipes that use fermented chili peppers.
- Homemade Sriracha Hot Sauce
- Fermented Aji-Garlic Hot Sauce
- Homemade Louisiana Hot Sauce
- Homemade Tabasco Sauce
- Spicy Serrano Hot Sauce
Check out more Hot Sauce Recipes or learn more about How to Make Hot Sauce.
Got any questions? Ask away! I’m happy to help. If you enjoy this recipe, I hope you’ll leave a comment with some STARS. Also, please share it on social media. Don’t forget to tag us at #ChiliPepperMadness. I’ll be sure to share! Thanks! — Mike H.
Fermented Hot Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound red serrano peppers or use any chili peppers, stems removed
- 1 quart unchlorinated water
- 3 tablespoons sea salt (do not use iodized salt)
- ½-1 cup white wine vinegar to your preference use a good quality vinegar for better quality hot sauce
Instructions
- First, ferment the serrano peppers. Roughly chop the peppers, then pack them into a ball jar, leaving at least 1 inch of head space. The peppers may rise a bit when fermenting.
- Next, mix 1 quart unchlorinated water with 3 tablespoons sea salt. Pour just enough brine over the peppers to cover them, pressing them down a bit as you go. It is important to keep the peppers covered with brine to avoid spoilage. Check this daily.
- Screw on the lid and set the jar away from direct sunlight to ferment for at least 1 week. Ideal temperatures are between 55-75 degrees F. The most active fermentation period is between 1-2 weeks, so be sure to monitor it during this time. “Burp” the jars often by unscrewing the lid a bit to let out some of the accumulating gases. Or, use an airlock or membrane for easier fermenting. See our page, “How to Ferment Peppers”, for more detailed instruction.
- After 1-2 weeks, the fermenting activity will diminish and the brine will turn cloudy and taste acidic.
- Drain the peppers, but reserve the brine.
- Add the fermented peppers to a food processor or blender, along with 1/2 cup of the brine and 1/2 cup vinegar. You can add more or less of each as desired to your preference. More brine will have more salty flavor, more vinegar will be more acidic.
- Process until smooth.
- Optional Step. Add the fermented hot sauce to a pot and bring to a quick boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. This will stop the fermentation process and meld the flavors, but will remove the probiotic benefits.
- Strain the mixture to remove the solids if desired, or use as-is for a thicker hot sauce. Pour into hot sauce bottles and enjoy.
- You can add more vinegar or water to thin out the hot sauce.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Mike says
At step 4 can I leave the peppers to ferment for 3 months? I use fermentation jars and keep the peppers submerged by a weight.
Mike Hultquist says
Mike, you certainly can. I often ferment for many months.
Warren B says
Thank you so much for this very thorough process. It was very easy to follow and very tweak-able, which I really enjoyed. Great work!
Mike Hultquist says
Thanks, Warren! Glad you enjoyed it! Happy to be helpful.
Devin says
Quick question about the fermentation, I used this recipe and my jar of jalapeños fermented. But the banana peppers and red chilies didn’t ? Do they take longer?
Mike Hultquist says
Devin, I assume you mean in separate jars. Some ferments can take longer, and some can just be quiet ferments, where you don't see a lot of activity. You can usually smell and taste the ferment to see if it's working. There will be that funk factor.
John Simmons says
Simple to do and it tastes great. I also used Serrano peppers.
Mike Hultquist says
Awesome! Thanks, John!
Kei says
Does this make about 1 cup of hot sauce??
Mike Hultquist says
Kei, a bit more than a cup, though you can easily scale up. You'll also have more if you don't strain.
Phil Balliet says
Hello Mike I have a question for you. I am fermenting 3 jars of peppers. One jalapeño, and two habanero. I noticed the white Kahm yeast is gathering around the onions and garlic, not floating up to the top. Is that an issue?
For reference, I put 1/2 onion and 6 to 8 cloves of garlic in first… then the peppers, followed by 1 sweet pepper which I use as a “lid” to keep the smaller peppers and onions under the glass weight and completely submerged in the brine.
Thank you for your help.
Mike Hultquist says
Phil, kahm yeast usually forms on the surface but can work its way down and settle to the bottom, so it may have spread a little. It's harmless, but can be sour. Make sure it isn't mold, which is more fuzzy and textured. If it's mold, you'll likely notice a bad smell.
Allan says
Im interested to know how you calculate the mg of sodium per serve in a finished fermented hot sauce.
Mike Hultquist says
I believe you really need to know the amounts of your starter ingredients. Would love to hear from others on this.
Allan says
Whilst there is sodium in the ingredients e.g the peppers, I assume the majority comes from the concentration of salt in the brine. There would be osmosis during fermentation and more sodium would end up in the peppers. Some people soak their gherkins for e.g. in water for a while before eating. This reduces the salt concentration through osmosis but may effect taste and firmness in some products. Depending on how much of the brine you blend with the puréed fermented ingredients will also impact the final sodium in the sauce. Notwithstanding I’m looking for a close ball park calculation as I assume to get accurate measurements would require appropriate lab analysis.
Mike Hultquist says
Allan, I don't really have an answer for you on the sodium calculations. As you mentioned, much does depend on the brine, how much brine you use in your sauce, absorption into the ingredients, etc. As a home sauce maker, I don't really have a way to measure that. Sorry, wish I could help more.
Lev says
Don't throw out your leftover brine!!!
I've been making a Fresno Chili hot sauce based off of this recipe for years now and it's always been fun finding a use for the leftover brine. Bloody Marys and soups have been the main uses, but I've also used the brine to deglaze pans and such.
Today however I discovered a use that I felt I had to share. I like to make broth for drinking from chicken carcasses or beef bones whenever I collect enough. Today I added about 15% brine to the broth and it's absolutely amazing. The tangy salty fermenty flavor goes so well with the richness of the broth! I hope someone else gives it a try and enjoys it as much as my family does.
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Perfection right there, Lev! I love it! Thanks so much for sharing your ideas.
Lori Mayfield says
Hi Michael,
I've used your recipes a few times with fresh peppers, and they are all great. I've been fermenting in jars for a few weeks now and ready to do the fermented pepper hot sauce. I have no idea how to convert how much pepper mash I need to the amounts required in your recipes. Unfortunately, I processed mine in a blender before I fermented, so the "peppers" are already mixed with water and look like a chunky sauce instead of rough cut peppers. Should I convert this by weight to what your recipes call for? Is a pound of fresh peppers the same as a pound of fermented pepper mash? Thanks for your help!
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Thanks, Lori. Yes, best to go by weights in this case, though you do have some flexibility. Let me know how it goes for you. Enjoy.
tip loo says
Hello
How long should you ferment the chili peppers, before adding the brine solution? thanks,
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Tip, you can start with the brine solution, or just wait for the peppers to develop the brine solution themselves. See my page on How to Ferment Peppers for further information: https://www.chilipeppermadness.com/cooking-with-chili-peppers/how-to-make-fermented-pepper-mash/
Scott P. says
I ferment in a 1/2 gallon jar. I cut a white onion in half and spread them out over my peppers to the edge of the jar, then put a Pickle Pebble on top of the onion petals. No floaters.
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Perfect! Thanks for sharing your experience, Scott!
H Scott says
Made this after fermenting habaneros for 3 years. Very nice spicy flavor
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Outstanding. That's one long ferment! Nice.
Zion says
Hey Mike! I've made fermented hot sauce before using your recipe and only gave it a two-week ferment. I was very good, but this time I gave it two months, and holy cats! What a difference! I was lucky enough to find red serranos at an Asian supermarket, so the color is beautiful. I did get a bit of Kahm yeast but I just spooned it off and whirled the peppers, brine, and vinegar in a blender for about five minutes. Added a little more filtered water to get to a thin enough consistency that I could use the dripper top on the 5oz woozy bottles. Thanks for yet another terrific recipe/method!
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Nice!! Glad to help, Zion. Enjoy the hot sauce!