Fermented hot sauce
- Preparation and cooking time
- Total time
- + fermenting
- Easy
- Makes 250ml
- 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
- 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.