I recently started fermenting peppers grown in my garden for hot sauce, so I’m new at this. I have between 25 – 30 peppers in my garden and greenhouse.

I was surprised when I loaded some very hot peppers in the batch and the finished product was not as hot as I expected. It seems that the fermentation process mellows out the heat.

I highly recommend fermentation because it creates a great flavor. It is my understanding that you can ferment for 48 hrs or up to 1 year.

BEWARE: Always wear protective gloves when working with hot peppers! Do not touch your mouth, face, eyes, open skin, sensitive skin areas, etc. Always wash your hands with COLD water and soap to avoid opening skin pores to hot pepper oil. The smell from peppers can cause your eyes and nose to burn. If issues persist, contact your medical professional.

The Recipe I Used:

Brine: 1 1/4 tablespoons non-iodized salt to 1 quart distilled or filtered water, heat to a boil.

You can add a variety of peppers of your choice, garlic, onion to a sterilized jar with an air lock or air release and fermenting coil or weight.

Let ferment for 48 hrs to 1 year at room temperature.

Ready to blend? Drain liquid and set aside. Pour contents into a blender, add 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar.

Add 1/2 cup of the brine at a time until you reach your desired consistency. Place in an air tight container.

Disclaimer: I am new at this and not an expert. The more research you do, the better the end product.

Some recipes say you can store at room temperature for 1 year if you don’t contaminate. Other recipes say store in refrigerator for up to 1 year. I keep mine in the refrigerator.

The two pictures below show you how it looks from start to a few days later.

Happy Hot Saucing!

Improving Home Life,

The Rustic Home Specialist