Ingredients for Fermented Hot Chili Sauce
- 3 pounds fresh chili peppers (Scotch bonnets, Jalapenos, Serranos etc.)
- 4 to 6 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
- 2 tablespoons unrefined cane sugar, optional
- 2 teaspoons unrefined sea salt
- vegetable starter culture (see sources) dissolved in 1/4 cup water, or 1/4 cup fresh whey
Equipment for Fermented Chili Sauce
- Food processor (see sources) or knife and cutting board
- Mason jar or vegetable fermenter (see sources)
- Fine-mesh sieve (see sources)
- Mixing bowl
- Wooden spoon
- Jar or bottle to store the sauce
Method for Fermented Chili Sauce
- Snip the stems from the chilies, but leave their green tops intact.
- Combine all all ingredients in a food processor, or mince by hand, until chopped to a fine pasty texture.
- Spoon the chili paste into a glass mason jar and allow it to fermented, covered, at room temperature for five to seven days.
- After the chili paste has bubbled and brewed for about a week, set a fine-mesh sieve over a mixing bowl and spoon the fermented chili paste into the sieve. With a wooden spoon, press the chili paste into the sides of the sieve so that the sauce drips from the sieve into the waiting mixing bowl.
- Once you’ve pressed and pushed the chili sauce through the sieve, pour the sauce from the bowl into jar or bottle and store in the refrigerator. The sauce will keep for several months.
