In addition to the standard vinegar-based sauces, this year I experimented for the first time with Fermented Hot Sauces. Small batches, we’ll call them artisanal. In general, Ferments are in the short, stout bottles – Cooked sauces are in the square and traditional woozy bottles. “They” claim that the fermentation process makes the flavor more sophisticated or blended (makes sense since it sits for 2+ weeks), also some probiotic claims, likely minimal since the last step is to cook it to stop the fermentation process. They do achieve a shelf-stable pH without the need for vinegar, which opens up options for flavors.
The Labels ….? What’s the deal with them? Background on this post
Recipes below – look for batch number on bottle in format [year]_[batch]
Looking for your best feedback on heat, flavor, etc.
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2022_00 – FERMENT
Beets Workin
First fermentation!
First, the ferment:
4 Death Spiral
2 Lg Red Beets
1/2 Lg Yellow Onion
3 cloves Garlic
1 QT Distilled Water
3 Tbsp Sea Salt
Cabbage Leaf
Fermented for 2 weeks
drained the brine
blended the veggie mass (minus the cabbage) with 4C distilled water
stovetop, boil, simmer for 20min
whisk in 2Tsp xanthan gum
bottle
PH – 3.4
5 alt size bottles
Heat: 4/4
2022_01 – FERMENT
The Peach
First, the ferment:
1 Death Spiral
40 Lemon Drop
1/2 Lg Yellow Onion
2 Peaches
1 Qt Water
3Tbsp Sea Salt
Cabbage Leaf
Fermented for 2 weeks
Drain the brine
Blend the veggie mass (minus the cabbage)
Add 1C Watre
Add 1C Apple Cider Vinegar
stovetop, boil, simmer for 20min
whisk in 2Tsp xanthan gum
bottle
PH – 3.4
3.5 alt size bottles
Heat 4/4
2022_02 – Vinegar
Peachy Limón
60 Lemon Drop
8 Yellow Carrots
1 Lg White Onion
4 Cloves Garlic
4 Yellow Peaches
2 Tsp Salt
4C Water
4C White Vinegar
stovetop, boil, simmer for 20min
whisk in 3 Tsp xanthan gum
bottle
PH 3.38
8 Lg bottles
3 Sm Bottles
Heat 3/4
2022_03 – Vinegar
Beets Workin
4 Large Red Beets
1 Lg Yellow Onion
2 Red Lesya Peppers
2 Red Death Spiral
3 Green Death Spiral
4C Water
2C White Vinegar
2C Apple Cider Vinegar
stovetop, boil, simmer for 20min
whisk in 1 Tsp xanthan gum
bottle
PH 2.9
9 Lg bottles
Heat 4/4, 3/4
2022_04 – Vinegar
The Standard
5 Green Death Spirals
234g Space Chile & Ahi Benito
2 White Onion
12 Orange Carrot
6 Clove Garlic
2 Tsp Salt
4C Water
4C Apple Cider Vinegar
4 Tsp Xanthan Gum
PH 3.44
7 Lg Bottles
4 Sm Bottles
Heat
2022_05 Ferment
Smokey Spaceman
First, the Ferment
133g Chilhuacle Pepper
200g Total Eclipse Space Chile & Lemon Drop
207g Lesya Pepper (Green)
1 Yellow Onion
6 Clove Garlic
3.5% Sea Salt Brine
Cabbage Leaf
10/3 – 10/21
Strain, add to blender
add:
4 Green Death Spirals
41g Dried Morita Chiles
133g Red Beets
6C Water
4C BRine
2C White Vinegar
5tsp Xanthan Gum
12 alt size bottles
pH 3.5
Heat: ?
Recipes above and below this picture
2022_06 Ferment
Fermented Ají Limón
First, the Ferment
10/3
475g Aji Limón Pepper
6 Yellow Carrots
1 Yellow Onion
6 Clove Garlic
3.5% Sea Salt Brine
Cabbage Leaf
3.5% Brine
10/3 – 10/30
Strain, add to blender
Add 2C Brine, blend
to pot
add:
6C Water
1C Brine
1C White Vinegar
3tsp Xanthan Gum
10 alt size bottles
pH 3.35
Heat: ?
2022_07. Vinegar
Beets Workin
684g Red Beets
8 Purple Carrots
1 Yellow Onion
6 Cloves Garlic
4 Green Death Spiral
2 Sugar Rush Peach Peppers
9C Water
4C Apple Cider Vinegar
2 Tsp Xanthan Gum
PH – 3.17
10 Large Bottles
5 Small Bottles
Heat x/x
2022_08. Vinegar
Smokey Wildman
3 Giant Garlic Cloves
1 Large Sweet Onion
377g Red Beets
20g Lesya Peppers
6 Chilhuacle
17 Aji Benito
2 Death Spiral
( ^ 177g chiles)
4 Guarijra Chiles
2C Guajira Juice
4C Beet Water
6C Apple Cider Vinegar
2tsp Liquid Smoke
2 Tsp Xanthan Gum
PH – 3.19
8 Large Bottles
9 Small Bottles
Heat x/x
2022_09. Vinegar
Ají Limón
159g White Carrot
1 Large Sweet Onion
6 Clove Garlic
36g Frozen PIneapple
242g Chiles [Ají Limón, Ají Mango, Sugar Rush Peach]
6g Death Spiral
4C White Vinegar
4C Water
3 Tsp Xanthan Gum
PH – 3.27
5 Large Bottles
6 Small Bottles
Heat x/x
2022_10. Fermented
Fermardamom
351g Sweet Onion
56g Clove Garlic
389g Carrots
183g Orange Sweet Peppers
25g Death Spiral
Rind of 1 Orange
6g Cardamom Pods
3.5% Brine
Ferment above from 10/9-10/22 – 2 weeks
add
4C Brine
8C Water
3 Tsp Xanthan Gum
PH – 3.36
7 Large Bottles
9 Small Bottles
Heat x/x
2022_11. Vinegar
The Fives
1 Very Large Onion
5 Clove Garlic
5 Red Mini Sweet Peppers
5 Carrots
5 Ají Mango
5 Ají Benito
5 Death Spirals
8C Water
4C White Vinegar
5 Tsp Xanthan Gum
PH – 3.33
7 Large Bottles
10.5 Small Bottles
Heat x/x
2022_12. Ferment
Green Mango Passion
476g Yellow Onion
44g Clove Garlic
340g Green Mango Chiles
51g Passion Fruit
100g Lesya Pepper, Green
1 Green Death Spiral
3.5% Brine
10/29-1/31
Ferment ran for about 2 weeks, Let sit for a while longer to see how flavors are
Strain, Blend
***Split off some of the mash blended with some brine and water
***Handed this off for dehydration – results pending
Add:
2C Brine
4C Water
3Tsp Xanthan Gum
Boil, simmer 30m
PH – 3.5%
x Large Bottles
x Small Bottles
2022_13 Ferment
F-Standard
Ferment:
266g Yellow Onion
30g Clove Garlic
50g Space Chile
88g Red Ají Beinto
18g Death Spirals
211g Carrots
3.5% Brine
10/29-11/18 3 weeks
3.5C Brine
3C Apple Cider Vinegar
3C Water
4Tsp Xanthan Gum
PH – 3.03
5.5 Large Bottles
1 Small Bottles
5 Tiny Bottles
Heat x/x
2022_14 Ferment
Wild Greens
Ferment:
260g Cochiti Pueblo NM Chile
212g Chilhuacle
197g Green Ají Beinto
2 Medium Green Tomatoes
3.5% Brine
10/29-11/12 2 weeks
2.5C Brine
6.5C Water
4Tsp Xanthan Gum
PH –
5 Alt (Boston) Bottles
6 Small Bottles
1 Large Bottle
Heat x/x
2022_15. Vinegar
RubyLacha **************Batch rejected – not up to standards
320g Red Beet
27g Garlic
302g Yellow Onion
737g green Ají Limón chiles
5C Beet Water
2C Water
6C Apple Cider Vinegar
PH – x
x Large Bottles
x Small Bottles
Heat x/x
2022_16. Ferment
TBD
Ferment:
780g Ají Limón – green
30g Garlic
228g Onion
3.5% Brine
10/230-xxx weeks
***This ferment is going strong over 2 months out. Still producing steady offgassing (2/5/23)
PH –
x Small Bottles
x Large Bottle
Heat x/x
2022_17 Vinegar
The Standard, Hot
446g Orange/Yellow Beets
2Lg Sweet Yellow Onions
5Lg Garlic Cloves
41g Carrots
37g Death Spirals
4C Water
6C Apple Cider Vinegar
4Tsp Xanthan Gum
PH – 3.5
x Small Bottles
x Large Bottle
Heat x/x
2022_18 Ferment
The Devil’s Ferment
So named due to a ridiculous number of Death Spirals
Heat is pretty intense for me, but manageable
Ferment flavor is a nice balance to the Death Spiral intensity
305g Red Onion
55g Garlic
134g Death Spirals
1Lg cross-section of Cabbage
21g cabbage leaves
3.5% Brine
10/30-2/2/2023
Ferment ran for about 2 weeks, let sit for a long time to see if it would mellow the heat
Strain, Add:
7C water
3C White Vinegar
2tsp Xanthan Gum
Boil, simmer for 30min
PH – 3.11
5 Small Bottles
4 Large Bottles
1 Alt Bottle
6 Mini Bottles
