Fermented serrano pepper hot sauce, an explosion of flavor, is the perfect way to use a garden bounty of peppers during their peak growing season.
Fermented hot sauce is one of my favorite things to make with a garden bounty of peppers. I counted well over 14 pepper plants in my garden this summer. Despite the fact that we’re now officially in “fall” weather, they are thriving.
Our Arizona summers might get a bit warm, but when the fall rolls around, it seems like my plants thrive with the cooler temps. This hot sauce was made with serrano peppers. They are a bit hotter than the fermented Fresno and fermented banana peppers I did a few weeks ago.
Fermented hot sauce is easy to make. Toss some sliced peppers into a jar, add a brine, wait a good 10-12 days, then blend and strain to make hot sauce.
Why Fermentation?
Fermentation is a wonderful way to give hot sauce an additional boost that enhances the complex flavors of the peppers. Not only does it encourage richer flavors, it does so in a way that it boosts beneficial bacteria that’s superior for essential gut health.
Why Serrano peppers?
Picking peppers for your own fermented hot sauce is simple – anything you have works well. Remember though that the type of pepper you choose will reflect in the final sauce. You don’t have to use serrano peppers, but I wanted something with a whole lot of kick.
Serrano peppers are perfect if you lie some heat. You can also use cayenne, Fresno, hot banana peppers or jalapeño peppers.
Or go a step further and blend two chiles of the same color to add a balance of heat. Just make sure you pick two chiles that are similar in color so you can capture the vibrancy in the final fermented hot sauce.
Fermented Serrano Pepper Hot Sauce
To make a simple fermented hot sauce, gather together the chile peppers of your choice, salt, water and time. Go a step further and add a few cloves of garlic to give it a richer and more complex flavor. In this case, I also threw in an onion to add a little extra flavor, too.
When fermenting chiles, push the contents of the jar down under the brine so that everything is nicely submerged. I like to use jelly jars for this, but you can also use fermentation weights.
Once the peppers are submerged, top with your airlock. That airlock will allow the carbon dioxide build up that’s in the fermentation vessel without letting oxygen in (which can destroy your ferment).
Fermenting peppers to make this fermented hot sauce is a bit different than fermenting other veggies. Peppers can develop a white film on the surface of the ferment (known as Kahm yeast). It’s completely harmless but is a sign that you need to make some adjustments to your ferment.
To avoid a fuzzy appearance (like kahm yeast) on the surface of your fermented hot sauce:
- Keep your ferments in a lightly sealed jar.
- Fit your ferments with an airlock
- Ensure that the item being fermented is packed tightly under the brine – whether one that you mixed up or the natural brine.
Fermented Serrano Pepper Hot Sauce
Equipment
- wide mouth mason jar
- high quality blender
- fermentation airlocks
Ingredients
- 1.5 lb serrano peppers stems and seeds removed
- 2 Tbsp sea salt
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 onion small, sliced thin
- 32 oz filtered water
Instructions
- Pull the stems off the peppers and wash. Slice them down the middle with a sharp knife. Pack them into your wide-mouth quart mason jar as tightly as you can. Push the garlic and onions in there.
- Stir the salt into warm water until dissolved. Allow the water to come to room temperature, then pour the water over the contents of the jar, taking care to cover the peppers completely.
- Place a fermentation weight over the chiles and garlic to hold them under the brine. Or push a jelly jar in the mouth of the wide mouth canning jar (removing a bit of brine may be required).
- Place the fermenting lid and airlock on the jar and seal tightly. Allow the jars to sit at room temperature for up to 10 days. The peppers should start to bubble around the end of day 1.
- Transfer the chiles and brine to a high quality blender. Blend like crazy.
- You have two options: strain the pulp through several fine layers of cheesecloth. Then bottle up and store in the refrigerator until ready to use. Or, pour the sauce directly into hot sauce bottles without straining through cheesecloth (it'll be much thicker).
Notes
- Recipe above will make a generous 17 oz of fermented hot sauce - though the final amount will depend on how much reserved liquid brine you add during the blending stage.
- Fermented hot sauce makes wonderful gifts for family and friends. Pick up hot sauce bottles and divide between for easy gift-giving.
- This ferment uses a 3% brine - you are not required to use all of the brine. Once you mix the brine, you can use any extra to make more fermented hot sauce or toss.
Nutrition
Can I can this hot sauce?
I would not suggest canning anything that has been fermented. Canning your fermented hot sauce will destroy the probiotics created during fermenting.
Find more popular ferments!
- Easy Fermented Salsa Recipe
- Fermented Brussels Sprouts Relish
- Simple Fermented Curtido
- Fermented Radishes
Have you ever thought of making fermented hot sauce with serrano peppers?
If you give this recipe a try, please leave a comment, and rate the recipe!
How long does the fermented hot sauce last on the fridge?
In the fridge it’ll last 3-4 months if not longer.
Do you have a Red Jalapeno (Sriracha) Chilli Pepper Fermented Hot Sauce Recipe?
I am looking to do a 5 Gallon Container (batch).
Thank You Very Much
Just Country Farms
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I don’t.. but I have been wanting to do another hot pepper sauce, I’m having a hard time finding the red jalapeños in my area though. I look weekly… to no avail!
I’ve made it twice now and absolutely love it, thank you
You are welcome! So glad it turned out well for you!
How do I know if the water is unchlorinated?
I’ve read that spring water usuncoordinated. I hope it is. I just fermented a batch of hot peppers yesterday so ill find out for sure in 2 weeks.
I believe it is. I usually let my water sit out for 24-48 hours to unchlorinater. I haven’t had issues with fermenting yet… and it gets really hot in Arizona (our house is about 82 in the summer if not more). Hot peppers are my favorite thing to ferment.. very easy. You can get hot sauce bottles in bulk on Amazon for a great price and then give fermented hot sauce as gifts around the holidays too.
Can I freeze this?
I have not tried to freeze it but I don’t see why not!
How much water?
Do you transfer the garlic and onion with the peppers when blending or leave them out?
You transfer with. Hope that helps!
Thanks for the information…..how many jars do I need to do this? I’m on 11th quart.this is insane
Well I fermented a quart of hot sauce, so when it was done fermenting I bought some hot sauce jars on Amazon (I think I paid around $15 for a case of 24?) My quart of ferment made quite a lot of hot sauce jars – I kept some back and gifted the rest at the holidays.
breathed some in while adding to the blender, afraid to try it LOL thanks for the recipe!!!!
Oh gosh I did the same thing and then I couldn’t stop sneezing for what seemed like forever! LOL!
Thanks for this recipe! I use RED Serranos as I love their flavor.
How much WATER is needed, I could not find the amount anywhere.
thanks in advance,
Margot/ Washington state
Hi Margot – I’m sorry I forgot to include that!
Ideally you want a 3% brine for a ferment — that would be just about 4C of water. That would leave 2 Tbsp of salt as the brine. If you don’t use all the brine, you can make two jars (2 ferments) or just toss any that’s extra. I find it easiest to make the brine, and whatever is left, I either use to make more peppers to ferment or I’ll just toss it.
Where would I find the fermentation airlocks?
Hi Gina, you can pick them up on Amazon!
https://amzn.to/3JLXatU
How long are you fermenting for on the counter??
Judy – I usually go up to 10 days. It depends largely on the temp in your home. My home is 78-80 degrees F in the summer so the time to ferment would be shorter, say 7 days. But in the winter, I usually go the full 10 days.