Homemade hot sauce is the best! Especially when it's got all the added flavor of a lengthy fermentation. Watch out Sriracha! If you've ever made kim chi or sauerkraut, you already know how to make aged hot sauce. If this is your first vegetable ferment, you are one heat-lovin' fermenter, and you'll see how easy it is in the recipe below.
There's no better way to get your probiotics, antimicrobial dose of capsaicin (from peppers) and allicin (from garlic) and give your meals a punch of robust flavor than by making your own aged hot sauce. Capsaicin is what lends members of the Capsicum genus their piquancy. It is a natural antimicrobial, synergist and can also be used externally as a styptic, wound-cleanser and for arthritis relief in a salve.
Another ingredient in this recipe that creates an antimicrobial dream is allicin. Allicin is an active sulfuric compound present in garlic and other Alliums. It is responsible for the infamous strong odor of "garlic breath." But wait! It also has its virtues: It is naturally antimicrobial, lowers blood pressure and combats fungal infections. The most effective way to release allicin in garlic is to put the cloves through a press, wait 10 minutes for the enzyme alliinase to work and keep it raw because it is destroyed by heat. Because the garlic in this recipe is fermented, the allicin gets the chance to really build up those natural defense qualities.
Tailor this recipe to your liking by using a variety of sweet bell and hot peppers, garden fresh being the best. Your body and your taste buds will thank you. Enjoy!
Ingredients:
Choice of peppers (I like to mix hot and bell peppers).
Other veggies to add include chopped garlic, ginger, fresh turmeric root, black pepper, and onion.
Salt mixture = 1/2 tsp per 2 cups veggies
Method:
1. Chop peppers of your choice. Use more hot if your ideal is inferno sauce; go majority bell if you want just a little warmth.
2. Add other flavors you enjoy such as chopped garlic, ginger, fresh turmeric root, black pepper, onion, or others.
3. Sprinkle enough salt to distribute throughout mixture, to taste if you dare. I go with about 1/2 teaspoon per 2 cups vegetables. Mix in salt thoroughly.
4. Let vegetables sit an hour or so in order for salt to begin pulling moisture from veggies.
5. Using a fork, tightly pack vegetables into a glass jar or ceramic crock. Secure lid loosely.
6. Check on your hot sauce daily; keep it in a place you'll see it daily. Make sure the vegetables are submerged below the liquid that will form after a day or so. This will keep mold from forming on top. Commonly the vegetables float up, but as long as you push them down with a fork daily, no mold should grow. If mold does grow, remove discolored or moldy vegetables from top surface, the rest should be safe to eat.
7. Let the hot sauce ferment for about a month or longer. Note: This is very difficult, as after only a few days it begins to smell sooo delicious! Time to get in touch with your long term perspective and wait for the sweet rewards of patience.
8. After a month's time has allowed the wild bacteria in your environment to transform mere peppers into a flavor factory, empty your jar into the blender and puree. If you like a vinegary taste, it's fine to add some vinegar to the mixture for flavor.Stores well in the fridge for months, or if you use it daily, it's fine to leave out on the table.