Homemade Hot Sauce

We started our peppers fermenting for hot sauce today and lots of people on the socials asked how we do this. So I will run down our method for readers. I don’t expect that you are going to start out like that, so let’s start my making four cups of brine and using a quart jar. To make the brine we will start with 4 cups of warm water and add the amount of canning salt to achieve your desired salinity. I usually go with 4%.

• 3% brine – 1.5 Tbsp canning salt
• 4% brine – 2 Tbsp canning salt
• 5% brine – 2.5 Tbsp canning salt

Once you have your brine made, you will want to cut up some peppers. You can use whatever you would like. Cayennes are the traditional pepper, but I like the depth of flavor that using various types of peppers and some garlic creates, so I used a mix of 1/2 lb cayenne, 1/4 serrano and 1/4 jalapeno, or whatever else I have growing.

1 pound of hot peppers
1 sweet red pepper
1 head of garlic

You are going to slice these all up and put them in your jar. Then put something overtop the mixture to keep them from floating up. You can see in the picture, I use a plastic mesh for this. You can use glass weights, too.

Let this ferment in a cool, dark place for at least 3 weeks. Expect to see the brine turn a bit cloudy. When they are done they will taste sour, like a pickled pepper and the ferment should have a pH of 4.5 or lower. I use pH strips for testing mine.

When they are done strain the liquid off the peppers but save it. We will be adding some to the hot sauce. Put the peppers through a chinois sieve or food mill. If you don’t have one of those you can blend all the ingredients.  

Place your milled pepper mash along with 1/2 cup of the brine that you saved, 1.5 cups of vinegar and two tablespoons of salt in a sauce pan and bring it to a boil. Yes, I know that not everyone does this, I make large batches at a time, so I process mine in a hot water bath canner.

During the holidays, we will bottle some up and give it as gift’s for friends and family.

I want to be clear though that you do not have to ferment hot sauce.

Cooked Method.

1 pound cayenne peppers (I used a mix of 1/2 lb cayenne, 1/4 serrano and 1/4 jalapeno), chopped
1 sweet red pepper
1 head of garlic, minced
2 cups of vinegar
2 teaspoons sea salt

Chop the peppers and place them in a stainless-steel saucepan with the vinegar, and salt.
Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes. 
Put this mixture in a blender or through a chinois sieve or food mill.

Bottle this in clean bottles and store it in the fridge.  While the other method can be eaten right away, this is best if you let it sit for a couple of weeks.