This is a small batch jalapeno hot sauce recipe that involves aging your own peppers with vinegar and salt. If you’re looking for something spicy, this has a nice kick and is fully loaded with fresh jalapeno flavor.
This hot sauce is actually a lactofermented hot sauce, meaning it contains beneficial bacteria that make it tangy. If you didn’t already know, most commercial hot sauces are aged this way, and that’s why you can’t just blend peppers with vinegar and eat it right away.
You need the element of time and lactic acid producing bacteria to develop those complex flavors.
Check out how the color changes (before and after) when you age this hot sauce for just 1 week:
How to Make Jalapeno Hot Sauce (Two Ways)
If you own a food processor (or bullet blender), you can quickly puree the jalapenos (see picture below).
However, if you’d rather not use any equipment, you could mince the jalapenos, too. The fermentation process helps break the pieces down, so it’s ok to start with chunky pieces.
If you can, try to ferment the jalapeno hot sauce in a jar. You can secure a clean shirt or cheesecloth over the rim to allow air flow but to keep any critters out.
You will stop the ferment when you like the taste. I recommend storing at room temperature in a warm place out of the light for up to 7 days before you taste test. You can let the fermentation process continue for up to 7 more days, if you’d like something tangier.
This hot sauce tastes great with homemade tortilla chips or nachos, but it’s also incredibly good with crispy potato smashers. Whenever I have lots of jalapenos, I make a huge batch and tend to go through a bottle every 3 days or so. My family loves it!
More Spicy Recipes For You:
- Roasted Poblano Salsa with Cucumber and Avocado
- How to Make Chamoy
- Calabacitas Guacamole
- Forever Barbacoa – Mexican Shredded Beef
Jalapeno Hot Sauce
Ingredients
- 5 large jalapenos
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt or sea salt
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
Instructions
- Remove the stems from the jalapenos and roughly chop. Place in a blender or food processor along with ½ cup filtered water, salt and apple cider vinegar and puree until mostly smooth.
- Transfer to a clean container and cover with a clean cloth secured with a rubber band. Place in a warm, dark area for between 7 and 10 days or until you like the taste (it should be pleasantly tangy when fermented). When you like the taste, transfer the hot sauce to the refrigerator to halt the fermentation process. Refrigerated hot sauce has a long shelf life of 1 month or longer.
Nutrition
Photography by Adam Rahman
