Homemade hot sauce recipes

HoppyDaze said:

How do you sanitize the cheese cloth, if you bother to at all?

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No bother. It's open air fermentation anyway. The cheese cloth is to keep the flies and dust out.

Tiber_Brew said:

That's a bit different than the method I use, but I'm sure it works out fine. I start out similarly by putting all my ingredients in the food processor, but I add salt brine to the paste when I put it in the jars to ferment. You want to keep the peppers covered in salt water to prevent mold. Alternatively, you could stir the paste (very) frequently to avoid mold, but that's kind of a pain.

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I just dump the dry salt right on top, so no extra moisture is added to the paste until you stop the fermentation with vinegar. I use a coarse grind like a kosher salt and it forms a protective crust right on top of the fermenting paste. Keeps air and mold out, then just mix it right into the paste when its done fermenting then add your garlic and vinegar and you're done.

HoppyDaze said:

I won't be cooking anything...unless that's what your calling the fermentation.

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C'mon buddy

Tiber_Brew said:

I'll add my $0.02 as well: I simmer all my hot sauces, and they all contain garlic and onion, although (usually) in less proportions than a salsa. I have to say my sauces turn out quite tasty (in fact, there are a few members of this forum who have tasted some of my sauces). I'm not saying that the flavor of garlic or onion doesn't change when cooked, but that as part of a necessary part of my process, it doesn't negatively affect the flavor either. My advice would be to keep it as simple as possible at first, then experiment when you're comfortable with the process.

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You're probably right. K.I.S.S.

Tiber_Brew said:

I think he's referring to your mention of "pressure canning," which implies high heat in a pressure cooker.

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Indeed, I feel that making the ingredients several hundred degrees farenheit could be considered cooking them.

Dominic1920 said:

I just dump the dry salt right on top, so no extra moisture is added to the paste until you stop the fermentation with vinegar. I use a coarse grind like a kosher salt and it forms a protective crust right on top of the fermenting paste. Keeps air and mold out, then just mix it right into the paste when its done fermenting then add your garlic and vinegar and you're done.

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Interesting. I've never heard of doing it that way. I use pickling (or canning) salt, which is a coarse salt with no additives - just sodium chloride. I make a salt brine, then add the brine to the paste until all solids are covered.

This is going to be a trial and error thing for me I can see. What salt to water ratio do you use Tiber?

bottlebomber said:

C'mon buddy

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you could have said 'canning', c'mon now!

HoppyDaze said:

This is going to be a trial and error thing for me I can see. What salt to water ratio do you use Tiber?

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If you're making a puree in a food processor, then I'd recommend a ratio of 3 TB canning salt per quart of water, since you won't be adding a whole lot of brine to cover the pulp. If you just chop the peppers, then you'll need a little more brine to cover everything so I would use a ratio of 2 TB canning salt per quart of water to avoid over salting it. I make a quart of brine at a time and that will be enough for several batches of hot sauce.

This is all just from my experience, as I'm no expert. This has worked well for me in the past, but as we can see, there are a number of ways to do it. Hope it turns out awesome for ya!

My way of making it is a little goofy.. I put the peppers through my centrifugal juicer, mix salt with the pepper pulp, pour the juice over and pulp and salt the surface. Then when it's all done I run it through a food mill and get a really clean sauce and a good yield. The disadvantage is that you can't really, um, breathe while you're doing it. Or see. Just kidding, it isn't that bad. And afterwards I make some ripping hot carrot juice to clean out the juicer.

My normal ratio of salt for fermented foods is 1 TBSP per pound.

This is great. We're seeing as many ways to make hot sauce as there are ways to make beer!

Tiber_Brew said:

This is great. We're seeing as many ways to make hot sauce as there are ways to make beer!

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I agree. Love this discussion. I'm making more hot sauce this weekend.

Tiber_Brew said:

Interesting. I've never heard of doing it that way. I use pickling (or canning) salt, which is a coarse salt with no additives - just sodium chloride. I make a salt brine, then add the brine to the paste until all solids are covered.

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I got the salt barrier method from seeing how Tabasco was made. They do the same thing with their Avery Island peppers. Its made into a paste and aged in oak barrels with a protective barrier of salt crust on the top. I do the same thing except in a glass jar. Wish I had enough peppers to make a barrels worth.

Microbrew hot sauce could be the next big thing, if it isn't already.

Well, I did this. 65% Bhut Jolokia (ghost), 15% Fatalii, 15% Habanero and 5% Carolina Reaper. Processed into preferred texture and soaked in 3TBS sea salt/QT solution as recommended by TiberBrew. I'm thinking of switching jars; not sure if I left enough head space?

HoppyDaze said:

Well, I did this. 65% Bhut Jolokia (ghost), 15% Fatalii, 15% Habanero and 5% Carolina Reaper. Processed into preferred texture and soaked in 3TBS sea salt/QT solution as recommended by TiberBrew. I'm thinking of switching jars; not sure if I left enough head space?

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Head space not that important unless you plan on doing a lot of swirling/ mixing.

I haven't seen mention of what everyone is using for starters - peppers generally won't ferment well unless you add a source of lacto. I have used whey in the past but since I read the strains of lacto that ferments veggies is different from that which ferments milk I try to use sauerkraut / kimchi starters


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Just juice from a sauerkraut jar? I'm sure whatever I have in my fridge has been pasteurized

Tamarlane said:

Head space not that important unless you plan on doing a lot of swirling/ mixing.

I haven't seen mention of what everyone is using for starters - peppers generally won't ferment well unless you add a source of lacto. I have used whey in the past but since I read the strains of lacto that ferments veggies is different from that which ferments milk I try to use sauerkraut / kimchi starters


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I've not used a starter, although I was considering getting some probiotic from the health food store to get the next batch started. Mine take a few days, but they get inoculated eventually and continue fermentation that way. Sauerkraut or kimchi is a great idea, though.

Dominic1920 said:

I got the salt barrier method from seeing how Tabasco was made. They do the same thing with their Avery Island peppers. Its made into a paste and aged in oak barrels with a protective barrier of salt crust on the top. I do the same thing except in a glass jar. Wish I had enough peppers to make a barrels worth.

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Yeah, I saw that video on How it's Made, too. I was so jealous of the huge fields of pepper plants and the barrels full of fermenting pepper pulp.

HoppyDaze said:

Just juice from a sauerkraut jar? I'm sure whatever I have in my fridge has been pasteurized

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Homemade kraut is easy enough to do, and it keeps a looooooong time without having to can it.

HoppyDaze said:

Well, I did this. 65% Bhut Jolokia (ghost), 15% Fatalii, 15% Habanero and 5% Carolina Reaper. Processed into preferred texture and soaked in 3TBS sea salt/QT solution as recommended by TiberBrew. I'm thinking of switching jars; not sure if I left enough head space?

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IMO you may want to keep and eye on it. I get a lot of CO2 production with mine and while it doesn't form a krausen layer like beer or anything like that it does increase the volume and I have had it overflow. It will stain your grout I just use a wooden spoon to degas it a few times a day if need be.

bottlebomber said:

IMO you may want to keep and eye on it. I get a lot of CO2 production with mine and while it doesn't form a krausen layer like beer or anything like that it does increase the volume and I have had it overflow. It will stain your grout I just use a wooden spoon to degas it a few times a day if need be.

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That's why I split mine into two jars. You never know. Sometimes the gas pushes up a thick cap, sometimes it doesn't give me any problems.

hopefully it explodes in my wife's eyes when she opens the pantry

HoppyDaze said:

hopefully it explodes in my wife's eyes when she opens the pantry

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At least then she won't have to see the beer stains on the ceiling.

Tiber_Brew said:

That's why I split mine into two jars. You never know. Sometimes the gas pushes up a thick cap, sometimes it doesn't give me any problems.

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Now that you mention it I have had that problem with some thicker mashes


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What about putting an airlock in a sealed cap once the party starts?

HoppyDaze said:

What about putting an airlock in a sealed cap once the party starts?

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No good, it will just clog it immediately with pepper chunks.

All these problems are solved with the salt crust method I described. It doesn't have to be a thick salt crust either, a 1/4 inch of coarse ground or kosher salt will allow the CO2 to escape and still keep the air and other nasties out. Just sprinkle the correct amount of salt for the amount of pepper pulp you are fermenting evenly over the top being sure to cover the entire surface. You can then mix it right into the pulp when its done fermenting, or scrape it off if its dirty and use new salt for flavoring. Its how Avery Island peppers are fermented by Tabasco. Try it.

Dominic1920 said:

All these problems are solved with the salt crust method I described. It doesn't have to be a thick salt crust either, a 1/4 inch of coarse ground or kosher salt will allow the CO2 to escape and still keep the air and other nasties out. Just sprinkle the correct amount of salt for the amount of pepper pulp you are fermenting evenly over the top being sure to cover the entire surface. You can then mix it right into the pulp when its done fermenting, or scrape it off if its dirty and use new salt for flavoring. Its how Avery Island peppers are fermented by Tabasco. Try it.

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Got any pics of that setup at home? I saw the Tabasco setup on TV and they actually put the salt on top of the barrel, not in the barrel. It would then absorb liquids that seeped out of a hole in the lid and they'd scrape off the salt after fermentation. What you're describing sounds more like you're putting a layer of salt right on to the pepper pulp in a jar. Correct?

Tiber_Brew said:

Got any pics of that setup at home? I saw the Tabasco setup on TV and they actually put the salt on top of the barrel, not in the barrel. It would then absorb liquids that seeped out of a hole in the lid and they'd scrape off the salt after fermentation. What you're describing sounds more like you're putting a layer of salt right on to the pepper pulp in a jar. Correct?

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Yep right on top of the pulp. The salt will absorb some moisture, but the pulp is a thick paste when I start, so not much. Just enough to make the salt layer into a crust. Some liquid will separate out, but it always forms at the bottom in a layer, nothing much on top. I don't have any pictures of it, but maybe next time I'm making a batch, I'll take some photos.

Dominic1920 said:

Yep right on top of the pulp. The salt will absorb some moisture, but the pulp is a thick paste when I start, so not much. Just enough to make the salt layer into a crust. Some liquid will separate out, but it always forms at the bottom in a layer, nothing much on top. I don't have any pictures of it, but maybe next time I'm making a batch, I'll take some photos.

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Great, thanks!

Been a while since I fermented a batch so I decided to pick up a couple pounds of peppers at the farmers market.

2 lbs of red habaneros, 2 limes, 1 sweet onion, 4 cloves garlic, brown sugar and sea salt. Was going to try the salt crust method but decided to stick with my tried and true technique. Used some juice from a store bought kimchi to get the party started.




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Also picked up 2 lbs of red Thai chilies - thinking of making a sriracha-style sauce with those


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I just read the whole thread. I'm going to have to make some of these sauces. I finally got a good pepper crop this year. I usually make tomato based sauces for chips. Also a while back I bought some smoked ghost pepper powder. This stuff hurts! I like really hot stuff, but this stuff gives me the drizzling sh!ts!

They are butt burners for sure!

I made some this morning. I hope turns out ok.

benco said:

I made some this morning. I hope turns out ok.View attachment 225222

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What is it? Habaneros? Looks delicious and deadly.

Wow! I have not kept up with this thread, and now sixteen pages later? I need to go through em...

Dominic1920 said:

What is it? Habaneros? Looks delicious and deadly.

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It's all habaneros except for a few jalapeño and Serrano.

Has anyone ever tried or heard anything about this stuff? I was thinking of giving it a shot for lacto-starters for my next batches of fermented hot sauce.

I've wondered the same. But if you have still have fermented sauce on hand that would be the best starter IMO if you haven't cooked it of course

Here's my fermentation. Should I lose the liquid at the bottom?