Fermented Calabrian Chili Hot Sauce
In the summer time, you can buy big bags of hot chili peppers at the farmer's market for almost nothing. Not only are they inexpensive, but they're incredibly flavorful with spicy, fruity notes that beg to be preserved. This year, I was lucky enough to also have a bumper crop of homegrown fire escape chilis. The plants love the consistent heat of the city summer and tend to flourish.
This method will work with any chili that you prefer based in it's flavor and heat profile. I used Calabrian chilis that I grew from a dried chili from a trip to Italy. They're sweet and hot and make a great medium-spicy final product.
Mash Ingredients
2 cups chilis
Salt
Brine Ingredients
1 Tbsp + 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
3/4 cups vinegar
2 tsp sugar
2 cups water
Day 1 - Initial Mash
Roughly chop the chilis and cover them with salt. This helps to soften the peppers and draw out some of the liquid/start the fermentation process.
Add them to a jar.
Top with coarse sea salt and stir with a spoon to mix.
Cover with a paper towel and secure with a rubber band (I used the net off the top of a container of berries here). Park this in a cool, dark place for 24 hours.
Day 2 - Brine
Add the brine ingredients in a saucepan and boil for two minutes. Let cool to room temp. Sterilize a fresh larger Mason jar and lid in boiling water. Add the pepper mash and the cooled brine to sterilized jar. Screw on the lid leaving a bit of looseness around the ring. Set the jar on a paper towel.
Weeks 1-3 - Fermentation
The fermentation process will release gas which will cause the lid to bulge, fizz, and may result in some brine spillage. Burp the gas from the jar by lifting off the lid every few days.
Final Sauce
Strain the fermented peppers through a fine mesh sieve and discard the brine. Blend the fermented peppers with vinegar to taste. For a smooth sauce, strain out the seeds before bottling in a sterilized glass bottle. Store refrigerated.
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