hot sauce.

Ingredients:

  • 250-300g chili peppers, sliced in half, stem removed.

  • 6-8 cherry tomatoes.

  • 2 garlic cloves.

  • 1 tbsp sugar.

  • 1/4 cup neutral oil.

  • white vinegar.

  • kosher salt.

  • xanthan gum.

Yield:

Equipment:

  • 1L glass jar.

  • fermentation weights.

  • high-speed blender.

  • mixing bowl.

make anything taste good. Spicy, sweet, acidic, umami-rich fermented hot sauce.

Execution:

  • Firstly, look for ripe cherry tomatoes that are fragrant, juicy, and have a light snap when you bite into them. I highly recommend using a mix of peppers, including habanero, scotch bonnet, banana poblano, etc. You could also use various in-season fruits to add extra layers of flavor.

  1. ferment.

  • Weigh the tomatoes and peppers in a mixing bowl, add 2% of that weight in salt, and toss together to coat evenly. (If the weight of your chili peppers and tomatoes equals 350g, you will add 7g of salt.)

    Place the tomatoes and peppers into a jar, making sure to get all the contents of the bowl into your fermentation vessel. Fill a zip-top bag with water and place it on top of the peppers. Close the jar with a loose-fitting lid; if the lid is airtight, the container will eventually explode.

    Optionally, you may also use a vacuum-sealed bag to ferment your peppers.

  • Place the jar in a warm/room temperature environment (70-82°F), away from sunlight. If the temperature of your environment is too warm, the ferment may develop off-flavors. Let it ferment for 4-5 days, although achieving the right level of lactic acid and flavor may take less or more time depending on your environment.

2. blend & season.

  • To a blender, add all of the contents of the fermentation and blend until smooth, then begin drizzling in oil in a thin, steady stream while the blender is running through the feed hole on the top.

  • Once incorporated, add a small pinch of xanthan gum while blending on high-speed (Add 0.1-0.3% of the weight of the liquid). Typically, this measurement can be eyeballed; you may need just the tip of a butter knife's worth. Do not add too much xanthan gum, as this may cause the mixture to become overly thick with an unpleasant gelatinous, gummy texture. Instead, add just enough so the mixture becomes shiny, smooth, and slightly creamy.

  • Season to taste with vinegar, salt and sugar.

  • Store in the fridge for up to 3 months.