Fermented Jalapeño Hot Sauce Recipe [Homemade DIY and Delicious!]

Get ready – we’re about to share our favorite fermented jalapeño hot sauce recipe! Anyone can make this straightforward and delicious sauce without fancy or expensive fermentation kits. 

Let us show you how!

We’ll take you through the process. Step by step! And the result is worth the wait.

This fermented jalapeño hot sauce is swarming with wholesome umami goodness. While it isn’t the spiciest of hot sauces, it packs a decent punch (if you keep the seeds in the jalapeños) and is easily adaptable.

You can add a Ghost Pepper if you want to knock your socks off, but we feel the classic flavor of jalapeños to be a homey, comforting, and welcome kitchen addition.

How to Make Fermented Jalapeño Hot Sauce?

There are many recipes and techniques for making killer fermented jalapeño hot sauce. But – here is my recipe that I’ve found to be flavorful, with decent heat and a luxuriantly smooth mouth feel.

Let’s quickly go over the materials needed. Then – we’ll cover everything in more detail.

Sound good?

Let’s begin!

Materials Needed

1. Cutting Board
2. Kitchen Knife
3. 1 Ziploc Bag
4. 1 Quart Jar
5. Sauce Pan
6. Wooden Spoon
7. Fine Mesh Sieve
8. Squeeze Bottle
9. Blender

Fermented Green Jalapeños

• 1 pound of fresh green jalapeños (seeds on or off)
• 2-4 celery stalks (optional)
• 2-3 tablespoons of sea salt
• 1 quart of non-chlorinated water

Fermented Jalapeño Hot Sauce

• 1 pound of fermented green jalapeños
• 4-6 garlic cloves
• 1/2 cup neutral oil (canola works)
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 3 tablespoons of fermented brine
• Salt to taste

Fermented Jalapeño Hot Sauce Recipe in Full Detail

Now – let’s go over our fermented jalapeño hot sauce recipe in more detail.

Get your spicy peppers, mason jars, and spices ready!

Chop the Tops Off the Jalapeño Peppers.

Here’s how to start!

Slice the jalapeño peppers lengthwise. If you prefer a hotter sauce, leave the seeds in. If you prefer less heat, remove all seeds and webbing.

Celery – Optional But Delicious

Celery is an optional ingredient. It offers a nice grassy flavor that complements the jalapeño peppers. If you opt to include the celery, chop them two inches shorter than the quart jar. Slice two stalks lengthwise in thin batons.

Measure the salt into your quart jar and add some water. (Fill your quart jar one-quarter of the way with water. Or 25%.) Swirl the water around until the salt dissolves.

Pack your jalapeños (and celery if included) into the quart jar, it will be a tight squeeze, but this is what you want. Fill with water until it covers the tops of the jalapeños.

Use a Pickle Weight

We need something to weigh the jalapeños down and keep the jalapeños submerged. In my opinion – nothing works better than a Ziploc bag partially filled with water. Many cooks feel they need to invest in expensive fermentation seals, bubblers, or other specialty equipment, and you can go that route. I’ve seen homesteaders use everything from a ramekin to a hereditary rock that their great-grandmother used to ferment pickles.

If you have a hereditary rock, use that. Sadly, I didn’t get a hereditary rock from my great-grandmama. But I wish I had one! However, a humble Ziploc bag (partially filled with water) is cost-effective and works perfectly for our needs. It submerges the vegetation and protects the future hot sauce from dust and bacterial contaminants.

Ferment Those Peppers!

Rest the jar of jalapeños on the countertop at room temperature for five days to two weeks. They should be bubbly with a fizz when done. The water will also get cloudy. And the jalapeños will turn a faded green!

Yeast vs. Mold – Know the Difference

If you notice a webby white film clinging to the top of your ferment, don’t panic, it’s just fine. This growth is known as Kahm yeast and is perfectly safe.

However, if you notice any fuzzy green, grey, or purple molds forming, that’s another story. If you find any mold present, start over. Don’t try to save the batch. Your health isn’t worth the risk. If in doubt, throw it out.

Toasting The Garlic

Once your jalapeños are nicely fermented – you’re ready to make some hot sauce! But first – peel your garlic cloves and slice thinly.

Toss them in a cold saucepan with one-half cup of neutral oil. Olive oil is our favorite! Gently toast the garlic over medium-low heat until they are barely golden – not dark golden, not brown, but a scarcely golden color with a slightly crispy texture.

Remove the toasted garlic slices from the oil. Let the oil cool and pour half into a squeeze bottle. Garlic oil gets packed with flavor, and we’ll use this to our advantage later.

First Blend of Fermented Jalapeño Hot Sauce

Remove the fermented jalapeños from the brine (reserve the brine) and blend them with the crispy garlic until homogenous. Pass the jalapeño and garlic slurry through a fine mesh strainer.

Second Blend of Fermented Jalapeño Hot Sauce

Once strained, place the hot sauce back into the blender and add the apple cider vinegar and a few tablespoons of brine. If the fermented jalapeños hot sauce is too thick, add more water or brine to thin it out. Taste frequently and adjust salt according to taste. 

Blend on high until smooth, and slowly stream half of the garlic oil into the mix. Blending will cause light emulsification, slightly thicken the hot sauce and add more body. Bottle the hot sauce and keep it in the fridge.

Bottle Your Hand Forged Fermented Hot Sauce!

But don’t throw out the remaining brine! Instead – bottle it for a kid-friendly hot sauce. It will still be a bit spicy, but on a level that most kids can handle.

This fermented jalapeño hot sauce will stay in the fridge for over a year, but it’s unlikely to last long because it’s too delicious!

Garlic Oil and Its Many Uses

Use the remaining garlic oil as a flavor enhancer for salads, soups, ramen, stews, or any savory or meaty dish.

Fermented Jalapeño Hot Sauce Recipe Instructions Summary

1. Slice off the tops of your jalapeño peppers, then slice them lengthwise.
2. Fill the jar one-quarter of the way (twenty-five percent) with water and add the salt. Swish around until dissolved.
3. Pack the jalapeños and optional celery in the mason jar until submerged.
4. Ensure the jalapeños stay submerged utilizing a weight. You can use a Ziploc bag partially filled with water as a handy weight.
5. Set the jar on the countertop and allow it to ferment for five days to two weeks.
6. Once fermented, strain the jalapeños and reserve the brine.
7. Peel and thinly slice the garlic, then place in a cold saucepan with the oil.
8. Gently toast the garlic to a light golden brown over medium to low heat.
9. Strain the garlic slices from the oil, reserving the oil.
10. Pour half of the garlic oil into a squeeze bottle.
11. Blend the garlic with the fermented peppers and press through a fine mesh strainer.
12. After straining, pour the fermented jalapeño hot sauce back into the blender.
13. Add apple cider vinegar and three tablespoons of fermented brine.
14. If the hot sauce is too thick, add more brine salt according to taste. Blend on high until sauce is smooth.
15. While blending, slowly stream half of the garlic oil into the fermented hot sauce. Adding the oil to the blend will create light emulsification that thickens the sauce and adds a luxurious texture.

More Fermented Jalapeño Pepper Recipes! (Plus Tips for a Successful Ferment!)

Have you ever found yourself with way too many peppers? Maybe you need more than one pepper recipe?

If so – we’ve got you covered.

We searched for the best pepper mixtures and yummy ideas with spicy pepper flavor. We love these recipes if you have a hefty pepper harvest!

Sound good?

Let’s take a look!

1. Fermented Spicy Chili Garlic Sauce

2. Homemade Pickled Peppers

3. Lacto-Fermented Salsa

4. Pickled Jalapeño Recipe

5. Homemade Pepper Salsa Recipe Guide

6. The Complete Guide to Home Canning

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Conclusion

Enjoy your fabulous fermented jalapeño hot sauce recipe! You can use it on anything from crackers and cheese to tacos and salads. Homemade bottled hot sauce also makes a great gift!

Remember to keep the jalapeños adequately submerged throughout the fermentation process. Learn the difference between Kahm yeast and mold. Kahm yeast is harmless. Mold is not! If you suspect mold, if ever in doubt – throw it out. It’s easy enough to start over.

Fermentation adds a beautiful flavor to hot sauce and other dishes!

We hope you enjoyed our epic fermented jalapeño hot sauce recipe! Feel free to share it with friends.

Also – would you change anything? Or – do you have secret hot sauce ingredients you would add?

Either way – we love to hear your thoughts!

Thanks again for reading.

And – have a great day!

Read More – 14 Best Zucchini Companion Plants!