How many of you lacto-ferment sauces?

Plan on making some this season and that would be my first lacto-fermentation for a sauce. Something along the lines of a Louisiana style cayenne or tapatio. Something with some heat. I have a variety of peppers growing, most all are still green or just turning.

I do.

I used too, the last one was 4 years of Tabasco peppers resting on charred oak, that's my private stock, lol.
I only lacto ferment for sauerkraut and pickling now.


2017





2018




My favorite to date was my Pineapple Habanero Hot Sauce, man was that good.

I make occasional batches of Szechwan chili paste with garlic, as well as batches of kimchi.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/91097628@ ... 6624935755

Last year I tried fermenting a sauce for the first time and did a sriracha sauce made with red ripe jalapenos. Man, it was sooo good! This year I'm growing four jalapeno plants instead of two so that there's enough to do a lot more sauce in addition to putting up the pickled jalapeno slices and the cowboy candy. And I hope I wrote down somewhere exactly how I made the sriracha!

GoDawgs wrote: ↑Tue May 12, 2020 2:47 pm Last year I tried fermenting a sauce for the first time and did a sriracha sauce made with red ripe jalapenos. Man, it was sooo good! This year I'm growing four jalapeno plants instead of two so that there's enough to do a lot more sauce in addition to putting up the pickled jalapeno slices and the cowboy candy. And I hope I wrote down somewhere exactly how I made the sriracha!

Great minds think alike, I'm growing extra Jalapenos this year also for Cowboy Candy and Hot Pepper Jelly

[/quote]Great minds think alike, I'm growing extra Jalapenos this year also for Cowboy Candy and Hot Pepper Jelly
[/quote]

I forgot about the hot pepper jelly! I do that too but have several jars left from last year so I'm ok there. When "trying" to go low carb, that hot pepper jelly on cream cheese and crackers, or the cowboy candy on the same is a special treat I try not to indulge in too often.

Trying a lacto-fermentation from a variety of garden peppers. Giant Marconi to habanero. Based on the average heat level of the mix, this ought to be around a fresno level of heat overall when finished.

If you ferment properly you wont need vinegar to preserve in the refrigerator.
I dont like vinegar in hot sauce.
I use lime juice sugar and citric acid on top of the ferment for extra taste and safety.
If I preserve outside the refrigerator I heat it up to kill the fermentation and pour in bottles or jars.

Really pleased with this lacto-fermented Hot Sauce. 5% Brine. Used mainly Cowhorn peppers, hence the name, but there’s a couple of Habaneros, with a serrano and fresno pepper or two also in the mix. Great heat, but not overwhelming. Fermented garlic, cumin and coriander seed in with the peppers. Started it last Sunday. It smelled so good today, I had to make the sauce. Blended it all minus most of the brine, put it through a food mill. Hit 4.0 on the Ph meter. Left it alone, no added vinegar or any other preservative, just bottled and now happily home in the fridge. Begging me to make a bloody mary with this sauce. Did I say I am very pleased how it came out.

I am so glad you didn't add vinegar to get the true fermented taste, you will never go back.
Now add a little lime if you wish and maybe a little sugar.

Encouraged by the results of my previous pepper ferment, I started another one today. This one will be different because I included about 10-12 ounces of sliced green tomatoes, plus a little purple onion, along with garlic, cumin, and coriander. More green pepper dominance in this ferment, Serrano, jalapeños, Cowhorn and a couple of about to turn Habaneros. A couple of near red fresnos and fully red serrano peppers in the mix also. I squeezed half a lime into each jar. 5% brine like the last one.

Want the finished sauce to be a little in the vein of Chuy’s Deluxe Tomatillo sauce, minus the cream that goes into that sauce. Tart, a little hot, with green pepper and green tomato flavors dominating. Likely will add more lime juice or sprinkle over something with cilantro in it when it’s finished. We shall see.

Got to do something with all these peppers and tomatoes.

I think it's time to ferment some habanero and red ripe jalapeno.
Will just purchase them from the store.
Makes a beautiful reddish orange sauce.

My not yet so famous kimchi sauce.
Even after almost 3 pounds of habaneros chopped up in the food processor I still had room.
A lot of room.
Added a giant honey crisp apple still more room so I added chopped up cabbage.
Use the required amount of salt and back slopped with active fermenting juice from my last batch.
No idea how this nightmare will turn out.
But I already have fermented onions to add to the sauce later if I want and if I'm lucky.
That's a half gallon jar.
I don't always make hot sauce but when I do.

I would have had to put the mask on when chopping up that batch. I love it when membrane and seed go down the sink and the disposal is used. The gas that comes up can knock you over.
I process very hot peppers minus the innards. I realize good tastes are being tossed, but the finished product I can handle.

That looks amazing Worth!
Seeing as you're a guru of sorts when it comes to fermented foods, i have a question for you. You mentioned a few posts up that you cook your ferment if you plan to store it out of the fridge. Can you elaborate?

Rockoe10 wrote: ↑Sat Jan 30, 2021 7:36 pm That looks amazing Worth!
Seeing as you're a guru of sorts when it comes to fermented foods, i have a question for you. You mentioned a few posts up that you cook your ferment if you plan to store it out of the fridge. Can you elaborate?

I just heat it up in a kettle or hot water bath.
Not so it won't spoil but so it won't continue fermenting.
Not really worried about anything else.

This is also done for the most part for stuff I give away or I warn them it has active bacteria in it.
Then many times I have to go on and explain what that is all about.
Not everyone was raised the way I was and are clueless as to many processes when it comes to food.
I can't count how many people I have ran across that have never eaten sauerkraut.
I had a bottle of the habanero sauce in my truck and a work mate would go get a swig about 5 tima day.

Oh, I understand. I've seen the power of active bacteria in a closed jar .

A side question, how long would cooked ferments last do you think?

Sources say only to keep ferments while in the fridge for 6 months max. My gut says it could last longer, but I'm also afraid to test something like that.

Thank you!

Rockoe10 wrote: ↑Sun Jan 31, 2021 7:46 am Oh, I understand. I've seen the power of active bacteria in a closed jar .

A side question, how long would cooked ferments last do you think?

Sources say only to keep ferments while in the fridge for 6 months max. My gut says it could last longer, but I'm also afraid to test something like that.

Thank you!

I have fermented sauerkraut in the refrigerator that has been there for maybe 3 years or more with no ill effects.
I also let a quart jar of red sauerkraut ferment on the counter for two years at least.
It broke down to about 2/3rd in volume.
I took off the top part and tasted the good part.
It tasted great and no ill effects.
I have ghost pepper sauce i use that is two years old or more in the refrigerator.
It looks as fresh as the day I put it in the jar.
Yes this may astonish some but it's true and I don't eat rotten food either.
Tabasco at least they used to ferment their peppers in salt for at least a year.
I have fermented peppers for months.
After awhile they stop giving off gas and just slowly ferment.
Even the jar lids will suck down and seal a bit.
That is in my opinion when the aging starts.