Fermented Habanero Hot Sauce
A bold and complex fermented hot sauce made with habanero peppers and a three percent salt brine. Includes both a savory classic version and a fruit forward mango variation.
Equipment
- Glass fermentation jar
- Kitchen scale
- Blender
- Fermentation weight
- Equipment suggestions for readers
Ingredients
Classic Fermented Habanero Hot Sauce
- 1 medium tomato about 120 g chopped
- 3 jalapenos about 180 g stems removed
- 2 poblano peppers about 240 g stems removed
- 10 habanero peppers about 80 g stems removed
- 6 garlic cloves about 18 g
- half onion about 100 g chopped
- non chlorinated water
- sea salt calculated at three percent of vegetable weight
Mango Fermented Habanero Hot Sauce
- half onion about 100 g chopped
- 5 garlic cloves about 15 g
- 5 habanero peppers about 40 g
- 1 cup fresh mango about 165 g diced
- non chlorinated water
- sea salt calculated at three percent of ingredient weight
Instructions
Prepare vegetables
- Roughly chop all vegetables into large pieces. Seeds can remain unless you want slightly less heat.
Weigh ingredients
- Place all chopped ingredients into a bowl and weigh them in grams using a kitchen scale.
Calculate salt for brine
- Multiply the total ingredient weight by 0.03 to determine the grams of salt needed.
- Example
- If ingredients weigh 1000 g
- Salt required equals 30 g
Prepare brine
- Dissolve the calculated salt into enough non chlorinated water to fully submerge the vegetables.
Pack the jar
- Transfer vegetables into a clean glass jar and pour brine over the top until everything is completely submerged.
- Place a fermentation weight on top to keep ingredients below the surface.
Ferment
- Cover loosely with a lid and store at room temperature away from direct sunlight.
- Classic sauce fermentation time
- 7 to 14 days
- Mango sauce fermentation time
- 3 to 5 days
- Open the jar daily during the first week to release gas. This process is often called burping.
- You will notice bubbles forming and the liquid becoming cloudy which indicates healthy fermentation.
Blend
- Once fermentation tastes pleasantly tangy transfer solids into a blender.
- Add about half a cup of the brine and blend until smooth.
- Adjust thickness by adding additional brine gradually.
Season
- Taste and adjust seasoning.
- You can add a small pinch of salt, a squeeze of lime juice, or a small amount of reserved brine to brighten the flavor.
Bottle
- Transfer the finished hot sauce into sterilized bottles or jars and refrigerate.
Notes
Chef tips
Keep vegetables fully submerged to prevent mold.
Cloudy brine and bubbling indicate healthy fermentation.
Substitutions
You can replace poblanos with serrano peppers for more heat.
Pineapple can replace mango in the fruit variation.
Storage
Refrigerated fermented hot sauce keeps for several months.
Serving ideas
Use this sauce on tacos, grilled meats, roasted vegetables, eggs, and rice bowls.
Keep vegetables fully submerged to prevent mold.
Cloudy brine and bubbling indicate healthy fermentation.
Substitutions
You can replace poblanos with serrano peppers for more heat.
Pineapple can replace mango in the fruit variation.
Storage
Refrigerated fermented hot sauce keeps for several months.
Serving ideas
Use this sauce on tacos, grilled meats, roasted vegetables, eggs, and rice bowls.
Nutrition
Serving: 15gCalories: 8kcalCarbohydrates: 1.6gProtein: 0.2gFat: 0.1gSaturated Fat: 0.02gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.03gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.02gSodium: 120mgPotassium: 60mgFiber: 0.4gSugar: 0.8gVitamin A: 180IUVitamin C: 22mgCalcium: 4mgIron: 0.1mg
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