DIY Homemade Sriracha Sauce, Unleash The Magic Of Lacto Fermentation!

Lacto fermentation is a fantastic way to get flavor that can’t be replicated. The flavors and developed and more pronounced.

26 ripened jalapeños (fresno or holland long peppers also work)

5 garlic cloves

Water, filtered or from bottles

- The following is done by weight

Fine sea salt

2.5 % brine

- Added after blending and cooking

1/4 c brown sugar

1 lime zested and juiced

1/4 c apple cider vinegar

Tools needed:

Cutting board

Sharp knife

Fermentation weight

32 oz mason jar with lid and ring

Coffee filter or cheese cloth

Blender

Small stock pot with lid

Mesh strainer

Small ladle

16 oz mason jar with lid

pH meter

Measuring cups and spoons

Digital kitchen scale

How to make it:

Wash peppers and peel the paper off the garlic.

Cut tops off the peppers and cut in half. Inspect the insides of the peppers to make sure that none are rotten or moldy inside. If desired, you can cut down the peppers a little bit more than just cutting them in half. Removing the seeds and placenta is optional. Lightly smash the garlic with the palm of your hand.

Set the kitchen scale to grams. Place your empty mason jar on the scale and tare. Add the garlic and peppers. Fill the jar to the bottom of the neck of the jar with the water ensuring that the ingredients are below the water line. This is very important! If the ingredients are allowed to be exposed to air, they will most likely mold and you will have to discard the batch.

Keep those ingredients under the water level!

The way lacto fermentation works is the lactobacillus thrives in an anaerobic environment that can handle slight salt content. The bacteria consumes the natural sugars in the peppers and garlic and the byproduct of that is lactic acid. The lactic acid is what helps preserve the peppers and garlic making the brine acidic. This will help ward off any harmful bacteria from forming and give the peppers and garlic a great flavor.

Record the weight of the ingredients plus the water. For example, if the ingredients plus water weighs 850 g, you need to multiply it be 2.5 %. This will be the amount of salt needed to make the brine. 850 x .025 = 21.25 g. I typically round to the nearest whole number.

Now, add the salt to the jar with the water and peppers and tightly screw the lid on. Gently move the jar around upside down to right side up back and forth a few times to dissolve the salt. Remove the lid and place your fermentation weigh on the ingredients to keep them submerged in the brine. I don’t have an airlock lid yet, so my solution is to place a coffee filler over the jar opening and keep it secured with the jar lid ring. See picture below for an example. I’ve been doing this the same way for years with no issues or failed ferments.

Work with what you have. An airlock lid and fermentation weight is not always necessary when getting started with lacto fermentation.

Find a place in your kitchen either on your countertop or pantry to keep the jar on. Make sure it is away from direct sunlight and keep at room temperature during the fermentation period. I found that things ferment best at 68-75 degrees F.

Ferment for 2 weeks to 1-1/2 months. The longer it ferments, the deeper the flavors will be and the better the “funky fermented” flavor profile will be. Look for signs of fermentation after day 3 or 4. This will look like tiny bubbles starting to form on the outsides of the peppers and garlic. When the fermentation period is done. check the pH of the brine to ensure that fermentation was successful. You are looking for it to be below 4.6 to be considered safe to consume and to keep moving forward. My ferments are typically around 3.7 - 4.0.

After the fermentation period is done, add all contents in the jar to a small stock pot. Turn the heat on to high to bring to a boil. When it does come to a boil, reduce heat to a medium low and keep on a low simmer for 20 minutes. I keep a lid on the pot as the ingredients cook as the airborne capsaicin can be irritating and unbearable especially with super hot peppers. The purpose of cooking the sauce is to soften the ingredients and to halt the fermentation process. I also prefer the flavor of the sauce better after it gets cooked. If you prefer, skip this step if you want to keep the beneficial bacteria alive.

Now, carefully strain the brine from the peppers and garlic. Place the peppers, garlic and apple cider vinegar in your blender and turn on to high speed while streaming in the brine until your desired consistency is reached. Blend for about 1 minutes until perfectly smooth.

I prefer smooth sauces, therefor I strain the sauce by placing a mesh strainer over a mixing bowl and lightly motivating the sauce through the mesh with a small ladle for rubber spatula. What is left behind is the pepper solids and seeds. You can do a few cool things with the pulp, I’ll leave my favorite recipe here. Otherwise, discard. Mix in the lime zest, juice and brown sugar.

Let the sauce cool to room temperature and check the pH once again. It should be around 3.7 - 4.0. If you want to lower it more, add a little bit more vinegar keeping in mind adding more will alter the flavor profile slightly.

I store my sauces in mason jars in the refrigerator. I don’t go into hot bathing the sauce nor do I keep it on the pantry shelf. If you want to have a sauce that is shelf stable, the pH should be lower in the range of 3.4-3.7. However, use your own discretion and follow all safety guidelines.

Enjoy on this chicken and rice pilaf dish where I marinated the chicken in sriracha sauce. Very tasty!

Enjoy

Logan