Easy fermented jalapeno hot sauce using vinegar. Similar to Tabasco Hot Sauce, but way better in taste!
The tanginess is what keeps you pouring this hot sauce on everything. This fermented jalapeno hot sauce is very similar to Tabasco Hot Sauce.
Hot sauces at the stores are great, but homemade self-fermented hot sauce is on another level of greatness. Do you want greatness? Start with this fermented jalapeno hot sauce, and everything else will follow.
This fermented jalapeno hot sauce is the base for a lot of my other sauces. For example, my BEST Juicy Fried Chicken uses this hot sauce to brine the chicken. This hot sauce tenderizes the chicken while giving it flavours.
Essentially hot sauces like Tabasco just uses tabasco peppers and is fermented in vinegar for 3 years. We are doing something similar to how Tabasco Hot Sauce is made, but we are not fermenting it for three years.
We are, however, using a rice ball to quicken the fermentation process while giving it more depth of flavour.
This post is all about how to make hot sauce.
How does it taste the fermented jalapeno hot sauce?
The flavour that comes out of this fermented jalapeno hot sauce recipe is tangy, sharp, and spicy!
The result is spectacular in colour and taste.
Patience is a virtue, and I hope you can exercise this difficult task. While the hot sauce ferments in your kitchen, it will perfumes your pantry with a savoury smell that will make your mouth water – I promise you on that.
How to pick your chilli peppers?
The chart below lists the levels of hotness from mild to very hot. Play around and see which one you prefer as they all have a distinct flavour, colour, and hotness.
I prefer to pick all my peppers red hot before I ferment it, but you do have other options like green and orange. The green taste profile is more on the greener side of taste, while red tends to flavour sweeter.
So what makes this fermented jalapeno hot sauce so special? Well, the answer is time. The total time to completely ferment and ready consumption is three months. Yes, you heard me right, it will take three months so start now.
There are two ways to the fermented jalapeno hot sauce: vinegar and fermentation. Vinegar-based hot sauces like Cholula or Valentina can be as simple as blending chiles, vinegar, and salt for a vibrant, sharp, and punchy condiment. These sauces are generally shelf stable thanks to the pH-lowering benefits of the vinegar, which inhibits spoilage.
What is fermentation?
It is a process of microorganisms such as bacteria, yeast or fungi convert into organic compounds – such as sugars and starch – into alcohol or acids.
For example, starches and sugars in vegetables and fruits are converted to lactic acid and this lactic acid acts as a natural preservative. Fermentation can produce quite distinctive, strong, slightly sour flavours.
Where can I find fermentation?
Many foods we consume is fermented like kimchi, miso, beer, bread, ham, cheese, and so much more!
It’s a small but significant process that shifts the food flavour and bacteria from food that is bland to a complex of rich flavours. Historically the fermentation technique was used as a way of preserving foods and drinks long before the days of refrigeration when food was scarce.
While fermented foods are safe (and delicious) for most people, some people may experience side effects such as gas and bloating due to the high probiotic content of fibre-rich fermented foods.
Why we ferment the hot sauce?
We will be using the rice koji ball for the fermented jalapeno hot sauce. The rice goji ball also adds more flavour to the hot sauce. Read more below what a rice koji ball is.
There are three stages of fermentation in this fermented jalapeno hot sauce recipe. The first fermentation is one month. Next is another one month. The final fermentation is three months.
It takes time for hot sauce to bloom into a palette of flavours. Especially when we want the flavour to be subtle but has its own umami flavour. The process is meant to be slow because we want it to produce the work of lacto-fermentation.
Lacto-fermentation helps transforms and tempers raw spicy flavour through time. It adds sour pungency and eventually contributes fruity and other organic compounds. Fermentation also takes some of the edge off of harsh, aggressive spiciness, which can be a good thing.
Ingredients
Jalapeño chilis
Red jalapeños are not as spicy compared to the other Mexican chilis. After fermentation, I find it not as spicy, so I would say this hot sauce is fit for everyone even if you don’t consider yourself someone who can eat very spicy.
Find a type of chilli that fits your taste and level of spiciness. I think jalapeños are a great start for those who can’t eat as spicy but still want that excitement on the tongue.
Koji rice Ball
One of the main ingredients that will contribute greatly to our fermentation process is the use of koji rice ball. What is it? Koji rice ball is steamed rice that has been inoculated with the Aspergillus oryzae fungus. It is used to make Miso, Shio Koji, Amazake etc through fermentation. This product is a dried version.
Koji rice ball smells sweet and yeasty with hints of chestnut and and citrus.
The koji rice ball I always use is Hang Tai Marine Shanghi Yeast ball. You can buy them online or at any Asian supermarket.
Health benefits
And did you know that fermented food is actually good for you? The ‘good bacteria’ helps to pre-digest your food, making them easier for your gut to chew on. For this reason, many lactose intolerant people can enjoy things like yogurt or kefir because they contain good bacteria cultures.
The probiotics and enzymes that are produced as a result of lacto-fermentation will also help balance the natural bacteria present in your body and aid in digestion.
Why you will love this fermented jalapeno hot sauce?
- So deliciously good - it's tangy sharp and spicy!
- Easy hot sauce recipe - it's an easy recipe but just requires time to ferment. Very hands-off!
- A great marinating hot sauce - some recipes require hot sauce to make dipping sauces or to marinate meat.
This post was all about fermented jalapeno hot sauce. Enjoy!
Spicy Jalapeño Hot Sauce
Equipment
- 3.5L fermenting jar / glass jar
- cheesecloth
- nylon mesh
Ingredients
- 1 kg fresh red jalapeños
- 5.5 TBSP course sea salt
- 1 TBSP dried rice koji ball (link) or half a dried rice koji ball
- 8 cups distilled white vinegar
Instructions
- Wash and cut the stems from the jalapeños. I suggest for this process to wear gloves to protect your fingers from the chili.
- Roughly chop the peppers. Put them in a large bowl and those them with 3.5 TBSP course sea salt.
- In small amounts, put the peppers to a food processor and pulse until they are finely chopped but not in liquid pureed form (roughly about 10 pulses). Transfer all the chopped peppers to your fermenting vessel and fold in the rice goji. If you're using the fermented rice ball, just cut half the ball, and using your hands, crush it with your fingers, and sprinkle the crumbs at the top of the chopped peppers. Fold it in.
- Place a square cheesecloth on top and sprinkle the remaining 2 TBSP sea salt at the top evenly at the top of the cheesecloth. Cover the vessel with nylon mesh or a double layer of cheesecloth and secure with elastic band.
- Place the vessel away from sun, in a dark and cool place. Ferment for one month.
After One Month
- Remove mesh and lift away and discard cheesecloth. The peppers should be a bright red at this time. Pour the vinegar over the mash. Replace the mesh, and secure it again with an elastic band. Place the hot sauce in a cool place and ferment for two months.
After Two Months
- In small batches, transfer the hot sauce to a high speed blender and blend on high until smooth, 2 minutes. In a large bowl, put a strainer on top, and strain the liquid through. Discard the solids.
- Ladle the hot sauce into two clean 1 quart canning jars. Wipe the rims and thread clean, place the lids and rings on the jars, and tighten the rings then refrigerate. It will last in the fridge up to 6 months in the fridge.