Delicious and Easy 4 Ingredient Fermented Hot Sauce Recipe
I love making fermented hot sauce. It may sound funny to say — but the entire process is fun and exciting each time as each batch can come out differently depending on what type of chilis you use, any other ingredients you add in, and the time you ferment it for.
I’ll be honest with you: you don’t need a recipe for this hot sauce. It’s really that easy. You just need a few ingredients and you can easily throw them together to create your own hot sauce. I rarely, if ever, use actual measurements for this recipe but since I had a few questions on Instagram about the measurements I thought I would measure it out for you guys!
What is needed for this recipe?
- Jalapenos
- Ginger
- Sugar
- Salt
- A high-powered blender
How long does the fermentation process go for?
I find that allowing the hot sauce to ferment for at least 5 days is ideal. Though you can eat this hot sauce right away and you don’t have to let it sit and ferment.
The longest I’ve fermented a hot sauce is 12 days, and it was absolutely delicious. From my experience, there isn’t a set time frame that you must follow for this fermentation process. I would just be sure to watch for any mold or significant discoloration if you do choose to ferment your hot sauce for longer.
My hot sauce is changing colour as the fermentation process continues?
You will notice that the original bright red or green colour of your hot sauce paste does slightly darken during the fermentation period. This is nothing to be concerned about. This is all a part of the normal fermentation process. If you begin to notice dark mold or unsettling discoloration then I would toss it out and start again.
Why is my hot sauce bubbling?
You will likely begin to notice small bubbles forming along the bottom of your hot sauce on day 2 or 3. This is a very good sign – it means fermentation has begun!
Why do I need to open and stir my hot sauce each day?
The fermentation process produces C02 which are those little bubbles you’ll notice in your hot sauce. The C02 can build up and actually cause so much pressure in your jar or container that it causes it to burst. That’s why it’s really important to release some of that pressure each day. This is also something you’ll find you need to do each day if you make Kimchi, Kombucha, or even Beet Kvass.
Once you place your hot sauce in the fridge, you won’t have to worry about this as much as the fermentation process really slows down when cooled.
Can I eat my hot sauce paste right away?
Absolutely! While I like to allow my hot sauce time to ferment, you don’t have to do this. You can eat this paste right away or mix it with vinegar right away and not ferment your hot sauce. I just have always enjoyed fermented hot sauces (like Sriracha) and am happy to wait a few days to enjoy this delicious hot sauce.
Is fermented hot sauce good for you?
Fermented foods have a ton of health benefits. They are a great probiotic which means they support your gut health and digestion and fermented foods are said to help support the immune system, contain antioxidants, and can even help reduce inflammation.
How long will this hot sauce stay good?
In the fridge, this hot sauce should last for many months, if not longer. We typically eat all of our hot sauce within a few months of making it and have never had an issue with it going bad.
What type of chili pepper should I use?
This is really up to you! We are growing a number of hot peppers in our garden and I plan to experiment with different chilis as they pop up! I have typically always used jalapenos because they are what is readily available to us, but you can really use any hot pepper you’d like.
Two things to keep in mind: 1. the hotter the pepper, the hotter your hot sauce, and 2. the more seeds you leave in your hot sauce, the hotter it’ll be. Smaller chilis are more difficult to remove the seeds from so I would recommend using larger hot peppers – unless you like a super zingy hot sauce!
Fermented Hot Sauce Recipe
Ingredients:
- 4 cups of chopped Jalapeno peppers with most seeds removed (or any hot pepper that you have)
- 1 thumb of ginger Ginger
- 1.5 tsp of Sugar (add more if you want your hot sauce to be slightly sweeter)
- 1 – 1.5 tbsps of Salt
- Optional: Vinegar or water (to thin out the hot sauce)
- Optional: Garlic (sometimes I will add a few cloves of garlic for a bit of a different flavour)
Directions:
- Add all your ingredients into a high-powered blender.
- Blend ingredients until smooth. If your blender isn’t blending your ingredients then you can add a bit of water. I have done this and it’s worked fine, however, I usually do not add water.
- Pour your blended hot sauce into a clean glass container.
- Set it aside on your counter for 5+ days (you can consume it earlier, but I find that at least 5 days allows for the fermentation process to really work its magic).
- Stir your hot sauce mixture once a day. You will begin to notice bubbles forming in your hot sauce on day 2 or 3, and this is a good sign! It means that the fermentation process has begun.
- Once your hot sauce is fermented to the degree you’d like, you can either use it as a hot sauce paste as is, or you can blend it with vinegar to make it thinner and more like a sauce.
- Store in the fridge to slow the fermentation process.
Easy 4 Ingredient Fermented Hot Sauce Recipe
This easy 4 ingredient fermented hot sauce recipe will become a STAPLE in your fridge! It's absolutely delicious, super customizable, and can be made with any type of hot pepper you have on hand.
Ingredients
- 4 cups of chopped Jalapeno peppers with most seeds removed (or any hot pepper that you have)
- 1 thumb of ginger Ginger
- 1.5 tsp of Sugar (add more if you want your hot sauce to be slightly sweeter)
- 1 - 1.5 tbsps of Salt
- Optional: Vinegar or water (to thin out the hot sauce)
- Optional: Garlic (sometimes I will add a few cloves of garlic for a bit of a different flavour)
Instructions
- Add all your ingredients into a high-powered blender.
- Blend ingredients until smooth. If your blender isn't blending your ingredients then you can add a bit of water. I have done this and it's worked fine, however, I usually do not add water.
- Pour your blended hot sauce into a clean glass container.
- Set it aside on your counter for 5+ days (you can consume it earlier, but I find that at least 5 days allows for the fermentation process to really work its magic).
- Stir your hot sauce mixture once a day. You will begin to notice bubbles forming in your hot sauce on day 2 or 3, and this is a good sign! It means that the fermentation process has begun.
- Once your hot sauce is fermented to the degree you'd like, you can either use it as a hot sauce paste as is, or you can mix it with vinegar to make it thinner and more like a sauce.
- Store in the fridge to slow the fermentation process.
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