Recipe: Fermented Jalapeño Hot Sauce

Name: Recipe: Fermented Jalapeño Hot Sauce
Prep time: 20 min
Total time: 20 min
Yield: 128 servings
Ingredients: 1 1/2 pounds (~20) jalapeños, coarsely cut; 1 carrot, coarsely cut; 1 medium onion, coarsely cut; 2 cloves of garlic; 1/2 teaspoon celery seed; 1 1/2 tablespoons salt; 2 cups water; 1/4 cup lim juice,reserved

January 23, 20191 min read

When it comes to hot sauce our mantra (usually) is the hotter the better. So to achieve maximum heat, we've made 100% habanero batches that we doled out with an eye-dropper and still brought all taste testers to tears.

This Jalapeño Hot Sauce on the other hand can actually handle being treated like a sauce. It's bright, flavorful and has just enough burn to keep us happy. We love it mixed into scrambled eggs, poured over skirt steak and as a dipping sauce for empanadas.

All our favorite hot sauces are fermented. Fermentation adds a deep umami complexity to hot sauce (It's not spicy salsa we're making). Since it's jalapeño, we want to keep it pretty fresh and vibrant, so we let this ferment for just one or two weeks, but you can certainly let it go longer.

Prep: 20 min
Makes: 128 servings

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds (~20) jalapeños, coarsely cut
1 carrot, coarsely cut
1 medium onion, coarsely cut
2 cloves of garlic
1/2 teaspoon celery seed
1 1/2 tablespoons salt
2 cups water
1/4 cup lim juice,reserved

Directions

In a large mixing bowl, combine jalapeños, carrot, onion and garlic cloves. Sprinkle with salt and celery seed and toss until well combined.
Pack the vegetables into your fermentation jar. Add fermentation weight and pour in water to cover, vegetables should be fully submerged (Questions about fermentation weights? Check out our Fermentation Weight Guide).
Top with lid and airlock (Need help? Check out our How to Assemble Airlock Video). Let ferment for 1-2 weeks at room temperature out of direct sunlight. Blend in batches with fresh lime juice. Hot sauce will keep refrigerated for at least 2 months.