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Try this recipe for fermented hot sauce, then check out more fermented foods such as kimchi, sauerkraut and lacto-fermented carrots.

FOOD TREND: FERMENTING

The trend that’s popped up everywhere for the past five years continues. Now, kimchi is appearing in supermarket ready-meals while chefs continue to experiment. Counter Culture (the brother of fermenting early adopter The Dairy in Clapham, listen to our podcast with them here) makes out-there ferments like cocoa bean miso, and, in Glasgow, Kimchi Cult craft its kimchi following ancient recipes, as well as its own fermented veg and pickles. At home, start simple – you only need water and salt to get a good ferment going.

  • 25g sea salt flakes
  • 1 tbsp plus extra to blend golden caster sugar
  • 5 red scotch bonnet chillies
  • 15 mild red chillies
  • 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

Nutrition:

  • kcal6
  • carbs1.3g
  • sugars1.3g
  • protein0.1g
  • salt0.8g

Method

  • step 1

    Dissolve the salt and sugar in 100ml boiling water then top up to 600ml with cold water.

  • step 2

    Trim the stalks from the chillies but leave the green caps. Halve and deseed, then roughly chop.

  • step 3

    Put the chillies in a sterilised Kilner jar (one with a clip-top lid is ideal). Pack them in and pour the brine over the top to cover. Close the lid and leave in a cool place for 2 weeks. Give the jar a shake twice a day and after 2 days open the jar once a day to release the gas that will form on fermenting.

  • step 4

    After 2 weeks the liquid will be cloudy, the peppers will be soft and they should have a tangy, sour, but not unpleasant flavour. Strain the chillies and keep the brine. Put the chillies in a blender (the more powerful the better) and whizz until smooth, adding the cider vinegar and enough brine until you have a sauce consistency you like. Blend in another 2-3 tsp of sugar depending on how much of a sweet edge you want. Decant into sterilised bottles and keep in the fridge for 2-3 weeks.

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