Ever since I got into fermenting my own sauerkraut and pickles, I've wanted to try my hand at making my own hot pepper sauce. I'm particularly fond of Texas Pete® Original Hot Sauce, using it on a lot of different foods. I'm not vain enough to think I could duplicate that flavor and texture - I don't plan to use the additives that make that possible! - but I hope that I can produce a product that will make an acceptable substitute.
This recipe has undergone many iterations since the first posting on November 15, 2017, and the changes have made significant differences in both the work involved, and in the taste and texture of the final product. The volume of sauce created using this recipé is expected to be between 30 and 45 fluid ounces, depending on too many factors to list at this point.
Originally, I intended to use Cayenne peppers as the basis for my sauce, but even though they grow well around here, I couldn't seem to find any for sale. After many months of trying, I finally gave up and decided to try using some other varieties. I was able to find both Serrano and Fresno peppers, in quantity and at reasonable prices, at a well-known international "farmer's market" in a nearby town; so I acquired about a pound of each.
This batch size for this recipe is typical for the hobbyist who makes it for his own enjoyment, and the equipment reflects that situation. Larger batches will require more and larger equipment.
The Ferment
In order to make this recipe easily, I needed the following items:
Suggested Equipment:
- Wooden kraut/kimchi pounder (or heavy wooden spoon)
- Stainless steel mixing bowl, 2-quart
- Small cutting board
- Knives
- Fermenter of sufficient size to contain the "mash"
- Canning funnel (when needed to fill the fermenter)
- Tongs
- Strainer
- Blender
- Common kitchen tools and measures
Ingredients:
| Item | Amount | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Peppers (Chiles) | Hot | 1 | lb1 |
| Salt | Canning or Kosher | 2 | tsp |
| Lacto starter 2 | Active or freeze-dried | 1 | dose3 |
| Brine | Fermentation | 1 | qt4 |
| Apple5 | Fresh, medium. Sour cooking apples are best | ½ | ea |
| Onion5 | Fresh, medium | ½ | ea |
| Garlic5 | Fresh clove | 1 | ea |
Directions:
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I work on about ¼ lb of the peppers at a time. I clean each pepper by washing in running tap water, then, with a paring knife, I remove the cap and a small amount of the blossom end from each pepper. I split the pepper lengthwise and put the pieces in the stainless steel bowl.
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I pound the cut up peppers with the kraut pounder or wooden spoon, until I've developed a wet paste of mashed peppers. I then sprinkle ½ teaspoon of canning salt over the paste, and pound some more.
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I repeat steps 1 and 2, until all of the peppers have been macerated and salted. The result is called a mash.
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If a starter culture is to be used, I mix it into the mash at this point, then transfer the mash into the fermenter.
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I assemble the fermenter according to the manufacturer's instructions. I check on the ferment at least 2 or 3 times daily, at first, in order to prevent or correct problems with the ferment. After fermentation slows down somewhat (gas is still being released, but at a much lower rate) one still needs to check on it at least every other day, and maybe more often.
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One waits. The length of time a ferment requires is often the subject of debate, and many will tell you that fermentation is complete after as little as 3 days. That statement on its own, may be true under certain circumstances, but as long as the ferment is producing any gas, fermentation is not complete.
My experience with these small batches indicates that terminal fermentation requires at least 4 to 5 weeks. Until such time as fermentation is complete, the level of acid present in the ferment has not peaked, and I don't begin further processing until that much time has passed.
Also, part of the goal in fermenting is to produce a pickled product and coincidentally, pickling of almost any vegetable requires 4 to 5 weeks, whether using a vinegar brine, or using lactic acid formed in place! Shorter times are really marinating, as opposed to pickling, and those who espouse these shortened ferments are not really interested in the pickling process for which fermentation is designed.
Some commercial producers of hot sauce allow the ferment to go for much longer periods: indeed, many are known to "age" their mashes for up to 2 years, and some for as long as 10 years!
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When fermentation/pickling is complete, I open the fermenter, and using the tongs and strainer, separate the mash solids from the brine.
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Using a small amount of the brine (1-2 Tbs) I determine the pH of the brine. I do this with either a pH meter, or with pH test strips. Either method is sensitive enough for this purpose. The pH must be 4.5 or below, or the entire ferment must be discarded! The reason for this is a bacterium called Clostridium botulinum - the agent that causes botulism.
If I have done a proper job of fermenting, I have created an anaerobic environment within the mash. This is needed in order for the lacto bacteria to thrive. Problematically, it also allows Clostridium to thrive and produce its toxin; however, it can't thrive in a sufficiently acid - i.e., low pH - environment. Saline environments also retard the growth of Clostridium, and the highly saline environment of even the fresh brine can retard it long enough for the necessary acid to develop.
In order to continue my fermenting activity, I usually reserve part of the brine as a starter culture for the next fermentation project: I simply refrigerate a small amount of the brine in a tightly-sealed jar.
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I put the mash solids in the blender pitcher, and using the blender's "chop" setting , I begin reducing the volume of the solids. As chopping continues, I add the onion, garlic, and apple to the blend.
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Slowly, I add back enough brine to keep the process going.
Interesting factoid: fresh onions and garlic both contain a natural antibiotic called allicin; and it may or may not have a preservative effect on the sauce.
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After a short time (< 2 minutes) I increase the speed of the blender to "liquify", in order to puree the mash, stopping often to check the state of the puree, and adding back brine as needed to continue liquifaction.
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When the entire mass of pepper mash has been reduced to an acceptable puree, I add back as much of the fermentation brine as is necessary to thin the sauce to the desired consistency. This often requires all of the remaining fermentation brine. If that happens and the sauce is still too thick, I slowly add small amounts of a dilution brine (1 tsp salt, 1 tsp vinegar, 1 cup water) in order to achieve the target consistency.
If you have followed this procedure, you have created your own fermented hot sauce! But remember, I didn't tell you that you should...
The expected yield from this process is about a quart of sauce that I have used in just about any way one would use a commercial hot sauce, depending on the dish being prepared, and the Scoville rating of the peppers used to make the sauce.
The Fermentation Brine
This brine is pretty simple. I usually make it up a gallon at a time, so as to avoid running out and having to stop what I'm doing to make more.
Suggested Equipment:
- One-gallon bottle, sturdy, plastic or glass
- Stock pot, 5 or 6 quarts minimum
- Common kitchen tools and measures
Ingredients:
| Item | Amount | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Water | Non-chlorinated | 1 | gal |
| Salt | Canning or pickling | 1 | cup |
| Vinegar | Distilled, white, 5% acid | ½ | cup |
Directions:
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Measure the water into the stock pot and apply heat to bring it to a moderate boil
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Measure the salt and vinegar into the boiling water, and return to a boil
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Reduce heat to a simmer, cover, and let the simmer continue for 10 minutes.
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Remove heat and allow to cool.
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While the brine is cooling, clean the storage bottle with soap or detergent, and water. Rinse thoroughly with hot tap water to insure that all soap/detergent residue is removed.
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When the brine is cool, transfer it to the storage bottle, cap and store in a safe location.
This brine recipe can be multiplied as many times as necessary, to provide adequate brine for fermenting projects.
Potential Problems
During fermentation, the guest bacteria produce lactic acid (which is what we're after) and release carbon dioxide gas. When it first begins, it is slow, but it picks up speed, and sometimes it proceeds so rapidly that the gas can't escape the fermenting mass quickly enough. If this happens, the mass can actually expand, displacing brine, and it can, in fact, fill up any headspace.
If you are using a ferment that has a fermentation lock, this can cause the brine to flow out into and through the fermentation lock! Under these conditions, the lid and lock must be removed, cleaned, and reassembled. Prudence dictates the use of a knife or spoon to help release any gas bubbles trapped in the fermenting mash before re-installing the lid, and it may be necessary to replace lost brine.
One must watch diligently for signs of mold. If the loading of the fermenter was completed expeditiously, and assuming it was properly assembled, there is unlikely to be any foreign growth other than Kahm yeast.
Kahm yeast, if it appears, will be a thin, often almost transparent, white film on the brine surface. This is harmless, but some contend that it may affect the flavor of the final product. Any that forms should be removed. If any objectionable odors, or obvious mold, or other growth of any kind, appears (especially growths that are black, or any color other than white!), safety dictates that the ferment must be discarded.
I am pretty happy with the outcome of my hot sauce adventures. The only fly in the ointment is the lack of any FDA-approved method for preserving the product in a shelf-stable way. In fact, since this product is a puree, the National Center for Home Food Preservation specifically recommend against using any of the normal methods available to the hobbyist. That leaves refrigeration as the only possible means, and that is not a long-term solution.
Commercial producers of hot sauce utilize a variety of methods to create a shelf-stable product, but since most hobbyists don't have the facilities or chemicals necessary to duplicate those results, our sauces should probably be used very quickly, in an orgy of spicy food consumption. On the other hand, a review of this document, published by the University of Wisconsin, concerning the "hot fill and hold" process, might yield a clue to developing one's own presevation protocol...
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