Fermented Hot Chile Pepper Sauce.
PREP TIME: 10 minutes FERMENTATION TIME: 3–7 days YIELD: 1 pint
Once you have some of this in your home, there will never be a need for you to purchase another bottle of spicy sauce again.
This fermented hot sauce may have a wickedly flaming flavor or merely a slightly spicy flavor, depending on the kind of chile pepper that is used to make it.
Because of the fermenting process, the sauce has a sour flavor, but following this recipe will allow you to experience the full flavor of the chiles as well as their heat.
You may make a sauce that is more liquid by pureeing the chile peppers with the brine, or you can create a texture that is more similar to relish by leaving the peppers in a somewhat chunky state.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 pint of whole, tiny, and fiery chili peppers
- 1 fluid ounce of water that has been filtered and is not chlorinated
- 1 teaspoon kosher or medium-grain sea salt
INSTRUCTIONS
Clean the chili peppers with water.
Remove the cut ends of the stems. Leave the seeds in the peppers if you want a sauce with a high level of heat; however, if you like something with less heat, cut the peppers in half lengthwise and remove the seeds as well as any white pith. Prepare the peppers by chopping them very finely or pulsing them quickly in a food processor.
When dealing with hot chili peppers, it is important to protect your hands by donning gloves made of rubber or plastic. I never do that, but after slicing the peppers, I often find myself unwittingly rubbing my eyes, which causes me to struggle through the following step with my vision blurred.
Don’t try to claim that I didn’t try to warn you.
Make sure the salt is completely dissolved in the water (remember to use non-chlorinated water).
Place the chopped chili peppers in a jar or many jars that have been well cleaned.
It is not required to sterilize the jars in advance for any of the lacto fermentation recipes included in this chapter; nonetheless, you should ensure that they are spotless before using them. Keep a head gap of approximately half an inch. Place the jar on top of the plate so that any overflow that may occur during the fermenting process is contained.
Add the salt brine to the chile peppers and stir to combine.
Use the back of a spoon to apply some gentle pressure to the peppers in order to pop any air bubbles that may be trapped within. Be sure that the brine covers the whole surface of the jar all the way to the top.
Cover the jar with a lid, but don’t screw it on too firmly; you want the gases that are created by fermentation to be allowed to escape. Cover the jar with a lid, but don’t screw it on too tightly.
Alternately, you might purée the chili peppers combined with the brine in a blender or food processor before putting the mixture into a jar. This will result in a sauce that is more liquidy and smoother than the first method. In the same manner, as with the chunkier variation, lay the jar on a small dish to collect any overflow, then cover the jar with a lid that is only partially secured.
Allow the peppers to soak in the brine at room temperature for a minimum of three days and up to one week.
Take the cover off the jar at least once a day and inspect the peppers to see if there are any indications that they are fermenting. Apply a modest amount of pressure on them with the back of a spoon.
On the top of the liquid, you should see that it is beginning to develop some froth or bubbles. Because these are chili peppers, the scent will also have a fiery edge to it, in addition to the mildly sour smell that is characteristic of Lacto-fermentation.
After allowing the peppers to ferment at room temperature for at least a few days before placing them in the refrigerator or a cold cellar, move them to a cooler location.
After being placed in cold storage, they will no longer need the plate to be placed below them. The taste of the spicy sauce will continue to improve with age, and it may be stored in the refrigerator for at least a year without going bad.
Generally Useful Gear For Canning And Preservation.
How Lacto-Fermentation Safely Preserves Food
HOW TO USE LACTO-FERMENTED VEGETABLES IN FIVE DELICIOUS WAYS
