Skip to main content

The Manual may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site.

How to Make Raw Fermented Hot Sauce at Home

Fermentation is one of the oldest methods of food preservation, but now foodies are using this age-old method for more than increasing a food’s shelf stability. In recent years, researchers have discovered that fermented foods also have several health benefits, leading young, health-focused consumers to embrace food trends such as homemade kombucha, sauerkraut, and kimchi; and contemporary chefs have realized the potential of fermented foods and their unique umami-driven flavor characteristics and acidic qualities. One of the most exciting fermented ingredients for spice lovers, though, is hot sauce.

While the standard vinegar-based hot sauce favored by the fearless foodies brings the sting, tears, and even hallucinations — if the peppers are hot enough — lacto-fermented hot sauce brings a new palette of flavors in addition to the adrenaline rush of the heat. For those who want to take things a step further, creating a raw lacto-fermented hot sauce is the most natural method, and results in a hot sauce that contains probiotics.

What is Lacto-Fermentation?

Simply put, lacto-fermentation is a type of fermentation that uses salt, an anaerobic (oxygen-free) environment, and the lactic acid bacteria (LAB) formally known as lactobacillus, found on the skin of fruits and vegetables to break down the sugars in food to form lactic acid and sometimes alcohol or carbon dioxide.

Poor Devil Pepper Co.

“The salt in the ferment causes an osmosis where it’s pulling the water and juices out of the vegetables,” Jared Schwartz, founder, co-owner, and chief fermenter at Poor Devil Pepper Co. in Hudson, NY, says, “and with these lactic acid bacteria it starts to preserve itself in this liquid.” The salt content — which has to be at least 2% of the weight of the food being fermented — discourages bad bacteria from forming, allowing the LAB to do its job fermenting the food.

The Essential Equipment and Ingredients

“If you’re into fermenting foods, the only real necessities you should buy are some good jars or containers & a pH meter,” says Schwartz. “From there, personally, I’d spend more money on chopping, blending, or slicing equipment. A good kitchen scale never hurts.” Once you have your equipment sorted out, you’ll need to source your ingredients.

If peppers are in season where you live, we always recommend sourcing those locally, and organic is better for fermentation. Depending on your spice tolerance there is a large range of peppers to choose from, so it really comes down to personal preference. “I don’t know that there is a wrong pepper to work with,” Schwartz says, “although some have their own natural problems.” For example, meatier peppers with thick skins — like the jalapeño — will take longer to ferment, as opposed to habañeros which are more delicate. Ghost, Thai, Aleppo, and Cayenne are a few other hot peppers with great flavor worth considering if you can source them in your area.

Poor Devil Pepper Co.

If you like the flavor of one pepper, but have difficulty with the heat level (measured on the Scoville scale), then blend the hot pepper with a sweeter one to cut the spice. Other vegetables such as carrots, celery, garlic, onions, and so on, are also worth considering for your blend to add complexity in flavor — as they do at Poor Devil Pepper Co.

Lastly, you’ll want to have some good sugar on-hand in case you want to balance the spice a bit, and a natural sea salt, or any salt that isn’t iodized. Once you’ve sourced these few ingredients, and have your kitchen stocked, all you have to do is put it all together and let nature do its thing.

How to Make Raw Fermented Hot Sauce

Raw fermented hot sauce is different from a regular fermented hot sauce because it doesn’t include any additives, meaning it needs to be refrigerated whether or not it’s opened. This is similar to how probiotics have to be refrigerated.

“What we make at Poor Devil Pepper Co. are raw fermented sauces that really tap into that umami flavor through the natural fermentation without using any additives or vinegar,” Schwartz says. “Even though it is not traditional to have a hot sauce that stays refrigerated even before opening we think the flavor and probiotic benefits are worth it.” Vinegar is added in many versions of fermented hot sauces for shelf stability, but it isn’t necessary if you want the full effect of the natural fermentation.

Poor Devil Pepper Co.

“You’ll learn pretty quickly that fermented hot sauces, especially raw ones, give off a lot of heat whereas with pasteurized, vinegar-based hot sauces you lose a lot of that heat,” Schwartz points out. So, it is important to keep in mind that you will be getting the essence of the pepper’s heat with your end product — a scary thought depending on which peppers you choose.

If you are someone who likes to put their own spin on recipes, it’s important that you follow one rule and that’s making sure that 2% salt is added to the overall weight of your ingredients. “The more sugar in an item you’re fermenting you’ll want to increase the salt ratio,” Schwartz says, “unless you’re trying to make booze.” Once you’ve done that, you have created a bacteria-free environment and are ready to create your own healthy, raw fermented hot sauce.

Poor Devil Pepper Co.’s Raw Fermented Hot Sauce at Home

Ingredients:

  • 5-8 jalapeños
  • 1 yellow bell pepper
  • 1 full bulb of garlic (all cloves peeled)
  • .5 white onion
  • 1 tablespoon + one pinch of sea salt
  • 32-oz Ball Jar (or other tight sealing jar)

Method:

  1. Snap the stems off the jalapeños, remove the stem and innards from the bell pepper, and peel all the garlic cloves and onion.
  2. Place everything in a food processor and blend until it’s chunky, then let the mix sit (without blending) in the food processor for about 5 minutes until you see more liquid forming.
  3. Pour all ingredients into a 32-oz jar, and make sure to only leave about 1/2 inch to 1 inch of head room (space between the ferment and the lid). Seal tight, and let it ferment!
  4. After 2-3 weeks of fermentation, open it up to properly check. If you have a pH meter check it. We’re looking for (legally) below 4.4 – (this is because no “bad bacteria” have been proven to live past this pH level).
  5. If you don’t have a pH meter, use your best judgment. Once you have reached desired fermentation (flavor and aroma), put the sauce back in the food processor and blend until preferred consistency is reached. Store in the refrigerator and enjoy it on all of your meals!

Other things to note:

  • Routinely check your jar to make sure too much CO2 has not built up. If the lid is bulging, slightly open to jar to release some CO2 and quickly close the jar.
  • If you see white specks starting to form on top, don’t panic, it’s not mold; it’s a strain of yeast called “Kahm yeast.” The yeast is not harmful, but it also doesn’t taste great either. Scrape it off and let it continue to ferment.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Tyler Zielinski
Tyler is a New York-based freelance cocktail and spirits journalist, competitive bartender, and bar consultant. He is an…
How to make beer at home: A guide for beginners
Learn the basics of home brewing here
Home brewing bottles

At the very least, a hobby should be enjoyable -- something fun you like to do when you have free time. But, hobbies are usually even more gratifying when they’re productive. From cooking to quilting, candle making to gardening, if your hobby yields a product you can use, the activity can be especially motivating. Making your own beer at home, or delving into the world of home brewing, is a surprisingly approachable hobby and one you can get really good at with a little practice and tinkering.
If you learn to make your own beer at home, you can tailor your brews to your exact personal tastes, whether you're a fan of a hoppy IPA, a light lager, or a dark stout. Home brewing can also potentially save you money -- and last-minute runs to the liquor store if you realize you’re out of beer and want to enjoy one while watching the game. It can also allow you to be part chef, part scientist, and draw upon creative yet mathematical tendencies, and many people find that though it may seem daunting at first, learning to make beer at home is a fun hobby they end up sticking with and perfecting for years. Ready to roll up your sleeves and start fermenting? Keep reading to learn how to make beer at home.

Basics of making beer at home
Home brewing is sort of like cooking in that there is a basic recipe to follow, yet it can be tailored and modified to yield different types of beer. However, unlike cooking -- which is typically just a few hours from start to finish -- making beer takes about a month from the initial steps until you can enjoy the final product. That said, they do say good things are worth the wait.
The simplest way to venture into home brewing is to buy a beer brewing kit, which will contain all the equipment, instructions, and ingredients needed to make beer at home. There are also countertop home brewing appliances if you want to get fancier with your brewing. However, you can also pick up the specialized equipment and ingredients you need at an online home brewing retailer.

Read more
How to make butterscotch sauce for all of your favorite fall desserts
Butterscotch sauce can be a delightful topping for so many things
Homemade butterscotch cupcakes with caramel syrup and cream cheese frosting

Depending on a few factors - mainly your age - butterscotch is one of those flavors that's automatically associated with one of two things. Either warm and spiced comforting fall treats, enjoyed by the fire after an afternoon of jumping in crisp leaves. Or, linty gold-wrapped candies stuck to old coins in the bottom of our grandmothers' handbags. Unfortunately, the latter - somehow always loudly and lengthily unwrapped during a reverently hushed church service - is too often how we think of this beautiful fall flavor. It's time to change that.
What is butterscotch?
There's often a bit of confusion as to the difference between butterscotch and its more popular cousin, caramel. While there are a number of factors that can be discussed here, from flavor additions to texture, the core difference is in the sugar. Caramel is made from granulated (white) sugar, while butterscotch is made from brown sugar. Both confections are made by cooking sugar down and adding cream, but butterscotch has a characteristic spiced flavor that caramel doesn't. That flavor comes from the molasses in brown sugar, and makes butterscotch far richer and more complex on its own. Unlike caramel, whose subtle flavor pairs more easily with a wide array of ingredients.
How to make butterscotch
The beauty behind butterscotch (and caramel, for that matter) is also what can make it a bit intimidating or confusing to the home cook. Just a few simple ingredients can magically transform into anything from a light, sugared sauce to a chewy soft candy with only the difference in cooking time and temperature. Admittedly, it can be a finicky process, but if you know what to look for, making your own butterscotch is a relatively simple process.

Perhaps the most simple (and delicious) butterscotch treat is that of this perfectly balanced, sweet and salty, gifted-from-the-gods butterscotch sauce. While not as mainstream as her rival, chocolate sauce, butterscotch sauce is our favorite this time of year for any number of treats. Give your favorite ice cream a generous pour, mix it into all of your favorite fall-themed coffee drinks and cocktails, or simply eat it with a spoon. It's that good. We won't judge.

Read more
Starbucks’ pumpkin spice latte is overrated – here’s how to make healthier pumpkin spice coffee drinks at home
Pumpkin spice is delightful, but Starbucks is not
Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte

With the return of the pumpkin spice latte in August of every year, the excitement for the fall season is real. The delicious taste of pumpkin spice combined with crisp fall air is the perfect way to kick off the season, creating a nostalgic feeling for many of us.

However, for those looking to cut back on sugar or shed a few pounds, getting into the fall spirit with a Starbucks pumpkin spice drink may not be an option. A classic grande order of a Starbucks pumpkin spice latte contains 390 calories, 52 grams of sugar, and 14 grams of fat. While this is certainly fine as an occasional treat, the hefty sugar content of this drink is alarming. Not only is the sugar content a scare for many, but the price at over $5 a cup is certainly hefty, too.

Read more