Fermented Hot Sauce Recipe
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I love fermentation. Without it, we wouldn’t have kimchi, wine, or sauerkraut. We also wouldn’t be able to make delicious fermented hot sauce recipes with home-grown peppers. The natural process that makes these tasty foods possible is known as lacto-fermentation. It’s easy to do at home using fresh fruits and vegetables, salt, and a few simple supplies.
Today, I’ll share a simple, yet delicious fermented hot sauce recipe. It uses just 7 simple ingredients and brings out unique, spicy flavors. Plus, with a proper pH, fermented sauces can keep in the refrigerator for months, and I think the sauce improves in flavor over time. Let’s get started!
In this article:
- What is lactofermentation?
- Avoid potential risks
- Making fermented hot sauce (steps)
- What pH should it be?
- When is fermentation done?
- Fermented flavor
- How long does it last?
- Kahm yeast
What is Fermentation (Lactofermentation)?
Like it or not, bacteria is everywhere. For the folks who don’t like the sound of that, many bacteria are beneficial to our overall health. If you’ve eaten yogurt, you have likely heard of the benefits of “live active cultures.” This benefit is also present in fermented foods, including hot sauce!
Fermentation is a natural microbial process that occurs when organic materials are broken down into simpler molecules by bacteria. Lactofermentation is the process that occurs in most food fermentation, and is perpetuated by lactobacillus. This bacteria is present on most plants, vegetables, and within the human body.
Fermentation is used to produce wine, beer, and many other common foods like sauerkraut, miso paste, and kimchi. Fresh produce is combined with salt and is deprived of oxygen. This environment is inhospitable for most forms of bacteria, but is perfect for lactobacillus.
The lactobacillus is then extracts energy from carbohydrates like sugars, and produces lactic acid and CO2 in the process. This acidifies the ferment, thereby preserving it safely.
Making Fermented Hot Sauce
There are two basic methods of fermenting peppers for hot sauce. The first is by making a simple pepper mash. This involves finely chopping or food processing the peppers, adding 2-8% salt by weight, and compressing the mixture into a fermentation vessel to remove all air pockets.
Mash ferments are great to use as a base for hot sauce, but may require the addition of more ingredients (vinegar, etc.) after fermentation. They also take up less space, as the peppers are finely chopped before fermenting. I’ll be using this method for the recipe.
Brine ferments use a salt water brine to submerge whole or sliced produce in the salty liquid. This may be a slightly easier place to start, but can lead to issues if your peppers float to the surface.
One way or another, the basic process of fermenting hot peppers is very simple. However, it is not the quickest way to make hot sauce. You will have to monitor your ferment on a daily basis to avoid any issues along the way.
Materials & ingredients:
- Glass jars
- Air lock lids (Get on Amazon)
- Kosher or sea salt (no iodine or anti-caking agents)
- Filtered water (chlorine-free)
- Hot peppers
- Fresh garlic (optional, but recommended)
- Other fresh produce (optional, such as carrots, onions, fruits, etc.)
- Kitchen scale
While you can use just peppers if you want, I like to add a few carrots, garlic cloves, and a bit of onion to improve the final flavor. Fermentation is all based on weight, so it is important to measure your ingredients with a kitchen scale before starting.
How To Make Fermented Hot Sauce
Our fermented hot sauce recipe uses 4 basic ingredients: Peppers (jalapeño, ancho, and habanero), garlic, kosher salt, and water. You can add sugar or other flavorings to your liking.
- Prepare peppers.
Wash and dry your hot peppers. Cut off the tops and slice the peppers lengthwise. Remove seeds (optional). Always wear gloves when handling spicy peppers!
- Sterilize jars.
I like to boil my glass jars to kill off pathogens that may be present. Boil the jars in a large pot for 10 minutes to ensure the jars are clean. Remove jars from boiling water and allow to fully cool and dry on a drying rack.
- Weigh the peppers and other produce.
Using a kitchen scale, weigh all of the peppers and other produce (onions, garlic, etc.) that will be fermented. Use grams as a unit of measurement for precision.
- Process with 2-4% salt.
Add the fresh produce to a food processor. Based on the weight of your ingredients, add at least 2% salt. This is a very important safety measure to make sure bad bacteria can’t take hold in your ferment. Process the peppers and salt until finely chopped and very juicy.
- Add to jars.
After processing, you should notice that the peppers release a small amount of liquid. Add the mash and liquid to clean glass jars, filling to about ½ inch of the top. Use a spoon to press the mash into the jars, releasing all air pockets (important). It is best to use jars that are appropriately sized for the amount of mash (not too much headspace).
- Top with a cartouche (optional).
It is important that your mash is not exposed to oxygen during fermentation. To avoid mold on the surface, you can cover it with a “cartouche.” To make one, cut a circle out of parchment paper to the same size as the inside of the jar and press it onto the mash’s surface. You can also fill a plastic baggie with salted water and place it on the surface to block the air.
- Cover the jars with an airlock lid.
As fermentation takes place, CO2 will be released, causing a buildup of pressure. Airlock lids allow this pressure to release without allowing air to enter the jars. I prefer this to manually burping the jars to avoid a possible broken jar.
- Ferment for 3-4 weeks.
Ferment in a room temperature location (between 65-70°F is best). With this recipe, I have found that 3-4 weeks is the sweet spot for flavor and acidity. You can start checking for smell and flavor after the first 2 weeks or so and move on to the next step when you are happy.
Important! Measure for pH with a good pH meter to ensure the brine is below 4.6. This is the pH at which botulinum toxin can no longer form and is a good minimum acidity to target.
- Add vinegar (optional).
After your ferment has reached a good flavor and aroma, it’s time to create your fermented hot sauce! I like to add a touch of vinegar to reach the right thickness, but this is optional. You can simply mix up your mash and use it as a thick condiment. If you want to add vinegar, add it in 1-2 tablespoon intervals, blending until your desired consistency is reached.
- Blend with high-powered blender.
To reach a smooth texture, blend in a high-powered blender. This will give the fermented hot sauce a velvety-smooth feel and appearance.
- Bottle and refrigerate.
Unless your ferment is below pH 3.3, or you are planning to cook your sauce, it should be stored in the refrigerator. Refrigeration significantly slows fermentation, preserving the desired flavor and preventing CO2 buildup. Use the original mason jar, or use a small funnel to fill hot sauce bottles.
Fermentation Brine (How To Get It Right)
If you want to try a brine fermentation, make sure you get the salt content correct. The goal is to have a 2-3% concentration of salt in the water by weight. Using grams, weigh both the water and the peppers/produce and multiply it by 0.025. Add at least that amount of salt to the mixture and dissolve thoroughly.
Tip: Be sure to factor in the amount of space your peppers will take up in the jars to avoid overfilling.
What pH Should It Be?
I recommend that you aim for a pH of 3.7 or lower when making fermented hot sauce. This ensures that your sauce will have a safe and long shelf life in the refrigerator. Some people target a pH of 3.5 or lower for added peace of mind.
I always test the pH of my fermented hot sauces to ensure they are acidic enough. As fermentation takes place, the pH will drop lower and lower, becoming more and more acidic over time.
Technically, any pH below 4.6 will be stable, but I like to be cautious and allow our ferments to become extra-acidic before processing further.
- Test your hot sauce’s pH using a cheap pH meter like this one.
- We use a more reliable Apera meter – Get it here.
How to lower pH
If your sauce is tasty, but the pH is too high, you can add vinegar to bring the pH lower. Add a few tablespoons of vinegar (white wine, apple cider, rice, etc.), then re-blend it and test the pH again. Once it is at or below 3.7, store it in the refrigerator.
Lacto Fermentation Dangers
Lacto-fermentation is not dangerous when set up and monitored properly. However, precautions should be taken to avoid common issues with fermentation, including mold growth and spoiling.
Here are the common signs that lactofermentation has gone wrong:
- Rotten smell
- Fuzzy mold growth on surface
- Overly slimy vegetables
- Rancid flavor (spit it out!)
Avoiding these negative outcomes is easy if you follow our steps for producing a healthy ferment from the start.
When Is Fermentation Finished?
Fermentation will continue until you refrigerate or cook the sauce. Foods fermented for longer tend to have a less sweet, more sour flavor. Each person will prefer a different level of fermentation.
In short, fermented peppers are done when they have a more sour, pungent aroma and flavor. After the first 2 weeks, test your ferment regularly until it has reached the desired flavor.
Some people prefer a longer ferment for a more funky flavor, while others like a short, milder ferment. You can ferment your sauce as long as you like, so long as it doesn’t grow mold or spoil. Add vinegar to shorter ferments to ensure they are acidic enough.
Flavor
Fermented hot sauces have a slightly sour taste that is typical of many fermented foods. During fermentation, bacteria consumes sugars and other carbohydrates, reducing sweetness and developing a more acidic, sour flavor.
The reason for the slightly sour flavor is the production of lactic acid during the fermentation process. These acids replace sugars, creating a very distinctive flavor profile. The flavor of fermented hot sauce is difficult to describe in full, but it can be loosely described as slightly sour with a tangy character.
You may not know it, but many of the most common hot sauces are fermented. Ever heard of Tabasco? What about Frank’s RedHot? Well, both use fermented pepper mash as a primary ingredient. So if you’ve tried these brands, you’ll have a sense of how fermented hot sauces taste.
Shelf Life
Most fermented foods will last for months or even years when refrigerated. Over time, the flavor of your fermented hot sauce will continue to develop, often becoming more and more delicious. However, some people think that over-fermented foods can be a bit too pungent. Others love it (like me).
As a rule of thumb, homemade fermented hot sauce can last 2-3 months in the refrigerator. I am comfortable allowing them to keep much longer, as it is difficult for them to go bad after properly fermenting. However, it is always wise to be on the safe side.
Always be sure to inspect your fermented sauce for mold growth or odd smells. If you are uncertain whether anything has gone wrong, you’re probably better off discarding.
Common Issues
There are a few things common issues that can occur during fermentation. The more common is a harmless yeast that can simply be removed. Other issues might mean you need to throw away your ferment.
Kahm Yeast
This is very common and is harmless to your food. You can safely consume the yeast, but most choose to remove as much as they can with a clean spoon before storing the ferment in the refrigerator.
What causes kahm yeast?
- Higher temperature
- Open-air fermentation (no closed lid)
- Fermenting sweeter vegetables, like peppers or carrots
This yeast is a live fungus that is common in the atmosphere and tends to thrive in a fermentation environment.
What does kahm yeast look like?
Kahm yeast can often be mistaken for mold, but if you use these simple identifiers, you will know whether your ferment is still safe:
- Stringy, wrinkled, film-like appearance
- White to off-white color
- Not fuzzy, but more flat and waxy
- Bubbles of carbon dioxide often get trapped in Kahm yeast
Mold
Mold is usually a reason to discard your ferment. There are ways to salvage a moldy ferment, but I prefer to simply call it a loss and start over.
What does mold look like on a ferment?
There are many types of mold, but most exhibit these similarities:
- Fuzzy appearance rather than smooth
- Raised from the surface
- Spotty at the beginning, eventually coming together to form a layer
There are some harmless molds, but it is hard to be sure without doing your own research. If you suspect you have mold, I recommend that you get rid of the ferment. I definitely recommend throwing away your ferment if you see black, grey, orange, or pink colored molds. These colors may indicate harmful bacteria in your sauce.
Other Methods Of Preserving Hot Peppers
Want another option for preserving your hot peppers? There are tons! Here are a few of our favorite methods:
Fermented Hot Sauce
Equipment
- Glass jar
- Kitchen scale
- Airlock lids optional, recommended
Ingredients
- 50 grams hot peppers habanero, jalapeño, etc., chopped
- 150 grams sweet peppers chopped
- 150 grams carrots chopped
- 100 grams sweet onion chopped
- 3 cloves garlic
- 12 grams salt sea or kosher (2-3% by weight)
- vinegar white or apple cider, ~5%
Instructions
Fermenting the ingredients:
- Clean and dry the glass jar by boiling (ideal), or washing with hot soapy water.
- Select the freshest ingredients available, as this can affect the success of fermentation.
- Weigh all of the fresh produce in grams and make a note of the total.
- Measure out 2-3% of the total weight of the produce in salt. For example, in this recipe, we need 12 grams of kosher salt for the ~460 grams of peppers, carrots, onions, and garlic.
- Rough chop the produce and add it to a food processor. Sprinkle the salt over the top.
- Blend the ingredients until they reach a finely chopped texture.
- Add the mash to the prepared glass jar, pressing it down to release all air pockets as you go. Any air left is a vulnerability for mold.
- Cover the mash with a cartouche (a piece of parchment cut to the size of the surface), pressing it into the surface to protect the top from air exposure.
- Cover the jars with an airlock lid and ferment for 3-4 weeks at room temperature (ideally between 65-70°F).
Finishing the hot sauce
- Once your fermented mash is finished, combine the mash with 1-2 tablespoons of vinegar (apple cider or white vinegar) in a blender.
- Add additional vinegar 1 tablespoon at a time, blending as you go until the sauce reaches a pourable consistency.
- Bottle the sauce and refrigerate for up to 3 months.
Notes
- After adding the mash to the jar, press down your ferment to release all air bubbles trapped within the ingredients. These can cause mold to grow within your ferment, spoiling it.
- Store the finished sauce in the refrigerator to avoid the bottles building pressure as fermentation continues. Cold temperatures greatly slow the lacto-fermentation process.
- It is normal to see bubbles forming a few days after the ferment forms (these are CO2 and are a good sign that fermentation has begun).
- Smell and taste-test your ferment after about 2 weeks in a room-temperature location.
Calvin
One of the original Pepper Geeks! When Calvin isn’t gardening or learning more about peppers and botany, he might be traveling new places or playing some music.
I tried both methods of fermentation ( mash and peppers in brine). Both failed. (Mold spoilage). I didn’t see any signs of a fermentation, like bubbles etc. How can I get a fermentation to start?
If you have an existing ferment that is complete, you can add a spoonful of it to a fresh ferment to kick-start the process. Also, adding a bit of sugar can also help feed the lactobacillus more effectively to start. There are also sprays you can use to sanitize while preparing the ferments to try to ward off molds and other bad guys.
First try here… I have enough for 4 mason jars (standard lids). When I checked this morning, one was leaking and I heard an audible hissing sound. The others have bubbles in the lids. I burped them, resealed as best I could. Is this normal? The solution is still above all the ingredients
Yes, this is fairly normal. This is why I always prefer to use airlock lids so that the burping is done on its own. The warmer it is, the more often you’ll need to burp the jars. It’s also pretty common for there to be some liquid overflow if you don’t leave enough headspace in the jars. The mash expands as it ferments and CO2 is released, which can push the mash up, causing overflow.
Great. Thanks. Thought they were ruined.
Have you noticed any difference in the final hot sauce when using the pepper mash method vs the brine method? Any pros and cons for each? Thx!
I have noticed slight differences in the end result, but it was more likely due to the temperature of fermentation than anything else. Take this with a grain of salt, but I have always preferred the flavor of mashes over brine ferments. They have come out better, but again, it’s more likely to do with the temperature and environment than the method
I’m new to this process. How would the addition of fruit such as pineapple, cherries, or mango effect the fermentation?
Fruits are high in sugar content, meaning they provide more fuel for the fermentation process. In other words, it should be a more “active” ferment that requires more “burping” or CO2 release. I’d highly recommend using an airlock lid.
Good info. But I have a question.
I read another post about storing or shaking the ferment daily….. That sounds like trouble to me.
Anyone out there do that? I have 4 going for about a month now and have only tilted the jars to enjoy watching the bubbles. Any info would be appreciated!
Do I need the amount of brine in the picture above my peppers? Also, if you wanted to add fruit to the sauce, such as apple or cranberry would that have to be fermented with the peppers?
@Cheryl,
Not a pro but yes we add fruit to enhance our ferments if it’s too hot,etc
Everyone I know who makes hot sauce uses the fermentation method, and after reading this it’s still a mystery to me why anyone goes through all of this. I don’t use salt for anything, I get enough without trying. “Brine?” No thanks. And after all of this it has to be refrigerated, and I don’t find the finished product to compare favorably to mine. I make hot sauces with vinegar and peppers and no other ingredients and use the stove top method. The many who have tried it love it, it has great flavor and as much heat as anyone can stand for my hottest sauces. Right now I’m working on a bottle I made two years ago that’s been in my cabinet unrefrigerated until I cracked into it. I’ve used older stuff than that and no one can tell the difference between 3 years old and 3 days old. PH level is slightly above or below 4. Takes me about a half an hour to make a batch. I usually age it for a minimum of 3 days under refrigeration, but I’m not sure that’s necessary.
@Daren, cool. You’re probably hanging around the wrong page then…
How can commercial hot sauces be stored on shelves? Is there another process they employ?
Yes, a combination of heating to a high temperature and low pH
Hi! I think the kit I bought of amazon doesn’t fully fit on the jars I have. Should I be able to smell the ferment if I get close to the seal of the jar? I’m worried air is getting in.
If air is allowed in, there’s a pretty good chance of developing mold in the air space.
Can I can, water bath this recipe?
I have done many ferments but never hot peppers. And never use a pH meter. Wondering are there certain veggies where its important for safety (botulism) to measure the pH. I’ve done ginger carrots, curtido, sauerkraut, beet kvass, lemons, kumquats, Kim chi, etc. Just wondering if there is something different about peppers. Also, have you ever tried adding garlic and lemon juice to your hot pepper ferments? We’ve got a bunch of hot lemon peppers in the freezer that we want to try fermenting….
In my opinion, it’s always better to be safe than sorry. However, once you get the hang of fermenting, your eyes and nose are a pretty reliable sense for a spoiled ferment. Also, with the correct salt percentage, spoiling is highly unlikely, so I’m sure you’re doing this right! Peppers are no different from the other veggies you mentioned as far as I know.
I cut up red onion and placed it at the top of my jar so it can keep the peppers underneath the brine. But now the brine is below the onions and close to the peppers. I was wondering if its ok to add more brine solution to the jar? Its currently been fermenting in a 3% salt brine for 23 days.
Absolutely, just top it off with more 3% water brine! Evaporation is normal, especially with an airlock
I can never find enough information on caring for ferments that go for a year or longer. Should they be left alone the entire time, or should a new brine be made every few months? The longest I have gone is 3 months. I want to leave them longer. Any advice?
No need to change the brine. As long as the ferment has not spoiled and it is actively fermenting (pH reducing, c02 production) you’re good to go!
Hi. Just was wandering if I can ferment safely partially dried peppers I have laying around my house? I have a lot of dried peppers already as well as frozen ground up peppers and don’t need anymore of these. Didn’t, get around to making hot sauce at harvest time this year.
Thanks for the great info. I’m currently fermenting habaneros. Have you ever used citric acid to help bring down the ph?
Not yet, but that may be an easy way to change the overall flavor profile! Some people don’t like the taste of vinegar, even in small amounts, so that could help solve that problem
I followed the recipe I found on Chili Chump, but my hot sauce is way too salty. I can’t seem to find a fix for this.
I’m curious why you specify refrigerating your finished hot sauce. I’ve also been following the “recipe” from Chilli Chump on YouTube and he says that the point of the lactobacillus fermented sauce is that you can make a stable product that can be kept without the need for refrigeration. But he also ferments for longer (up to a year) so the pH is sure to be lower (around 3 if I remember correctly) or acidifies the shorter ferments to get the pH down.
My first ever chili ferment has kahm yeast after 2 weeks but the pH is 3.7 and it certainly smells like a hot sauce.
BTW, I’m a winemaker and Kahm yeast sure looks like film yeast, an areobic yeast that grows on the surface of wine in tanks or barrels if not topped or protected with gas like CO2. In sherry, that kind of yeast is encouraged as it transforms a banal dry wine into an extraordinary, complex wine that can age almost forever.
If you check the pH and it is low enough it should keep at room temp, but we like to stay on the safe side with opened containers. I know of some people keeping fermented pepper mash in a cool location out of the fridge for months on end (in a 5 gallon bucket…). Kahm yeast is not an issue, though I’m not sure if it benefits or takes away from flavor..would be interesting to taste test side-by-side!
Thanks for the information. This is my first experience growing peppers and making a fermented hot sauce. One video I saw showed putting in a variety of peppers, along with onion, carrot and garlic, in a 5%solution of salted water. I’m 10 days into the fermentation and plan to experiment with some vinegar and with no vinegar. Right now it smells great. I used Tabasco peppers, jalapeno, and a few Carolina reapers. We’ll see what happens. I’m going to let it go for a couple more weeks.
Sounds great. Be sure to give the brine a taste every few days to see how you like the flavor development. It gets pretty funky around week 2…
@peppergeek, Hi I have followed a recipe several times with success. This time after 4 days I noticed the garlic toes I put in the brine have a touquise color to them.Is this a mold or bacteria? It is just on the garlic toes and nothing else in the jar. Should I discard everything and start again or just take the garlic toes out? Thanks!
This is actually a normal (weird) phenomenon. Garlic will often blush green/blue when exposed to high acidity. Here’s an article I just found about it: https://revolutionfermentation.com/en/blogs/fermented-vegetables/why-does-garlic-turn-blue-green