Fermented Hot Sauce

Fermented Hot Sauce

2/4 weeks ferment, keeps a year in the fridge

Ingredients

Makes 1 bottle

red chillies       300g
garlic             4 cloves
filtered water     500ml
sea salt           18g
white wine vinegar 2 tbsp

Use filtered or bottled water. Chlorine in tap water stalls the ferment.
Mix of chillies works well. Deseed some for less heat, the ferment mellows it anyway.
The vinegar goes in at the end and helps it keep longer.

Recipe

1. Wear gloves. Slice the chillies and peel the garlic. Deseed the chillies if you want it milder.

2. Pack the chillies and garlic into a clean jar.

3. Stir the salt into the water until dissolved. Pour over the chillies to cover them completely, leaving 2cm of space at the top.

Keep everything submerged. Use a small weight or a folded cabbage leaf to hold the chillies under the brine. Anything above the surface can mould.

4. Loosely cover and leave at room temperature, out of direct sun, for 2/4 weeks. Burp the jar daily by loosening the lid to release the gas. It is ready when it tastes pleasantly sour and the bubbling has slowed.

3/4 weeks gives the best flavour. A white film on top is harmless kahm yeast, just skim it. Pink, orange or fuzzy mould means start again.

5. Blend the chillies and garlic with enough of the brine to reach the consistency you want. Stir in the vinegar.

6. Bottle and keep in the fridge. The flavour deepens over the first couple of months.