Fermented Pineapple Habanero Hot Sauce
Fermented Pineapple Habanero Hot Sauce is a flavorful and zesty addition to your culinary repertoire. This delicious sauce brings a perfect balance of heat and sweetness, making it just the right condiment for tacos, grilled meats, or even as a fiery dip. The fermentation process enhances the flavors and adds a unique tanginess, elevating your basic hot sauce to a gourmet level.
Ingredients
- 60 grams habaneros (approx. 2 oz)
- 240 grams orange bell pepper (approx. 8.5 oz)
- 100 grams red onion (approx. 3.5 oz)
- 200 grams pineapple (approx. 7 oz)
- 50 grams garlic (approx. 1.75 oz)
- 180 grams water (approx. 6.4 oz)
- 38 grams salt (approx. 1.35 oz)
- 100 grams pineapple juice (approx. 3.5 oz), sugar, or honey (after fermentation)
- 100 grams vinegar (approx. 3.5 oz) (after fermentation)
Directions
This recipe at 1x works best with a 32-ounce jar for the fermentation and a 12-ounce bottle for the sauce.
- Wash your fermentation equipment, including the jar, weight, and lid with hot water and soap.
- Wash and chop the peppers, onion, and pineapple (wear gloves if you are sensitive to peppers).
- Crush and peel the garlic.
- Place your kitchen scale on the counter. Turn it on and set it to weigh in grams. Place a mixing bowl on your kitchen scale and tare/zero the scale.
- Measure out the designated amounts of habanero, bell pepper, onion, pineapple, and garlic.
- Remove the bowl from your scale and set it aside. Place your empty, clean mason jar on the scale, and tare/zero the scale. Ensure your scale is still set to grams, and add the designated amount of filtered water to your mason jar.
- Place a small bowl on your scale and tare/zero the scale. Weigh out the sea salt. Then add the salt to the jar with the water. Stir until all the salt is fully dissolved.
- Add the peppers, onion, pineapple, and garlic into the mason jar with water. You will need to mash the peppers into the jar with a tamper or spoon to pack them in; as you do, the brine will come up.
- Place your fermentation weight in the jar, ensuring that all the pepper pieces and the weight are fully submerged in the liquid. You can use a big ring slice of onion or an outer cabbage leaf under the weight to help tuck everything in if necessary.
- Secure the lid to the jar and ferment at room temperature for 5 to 6 weeks.
- After fermentation, add all of the fermented peppers, garlic, and brine to a blender with the sugar (or pineapple juice/honey) and vinegar. Blend on high until smooth.
- Scoop everything from the blender into a pot and simmer for about 10 minutes.
- Place a colander over a large bowl and strain the sauce. You can mash the pulp in the colander with a spoon to get all the juices out. (Don’t forget to save the pulp to use as a pepper paste!)
- Return the strained liquid to the same pot and cook for 10-15 more minutes at a simmer with regular stirring until it reduces down and thickens a bit.
- Using a funnel, bottle the sauce. Wait to cap the bottle until the sauce cools down a little.
- Store in the refrigerator. Use within a year for the best flavor.
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Fermentation Time: 5-6 weeks
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 5-6 weeks and 45 minutes
Servings: Approximately 12 ounces
Nutrition Info: Calories may vary based on the use of sugar/honey.
How to Serve
Fermented Pineapple Habanero Hot Sauce is versatile and can be used in various ways. Drizzle it over grilled meats, tacos, and burritos, or use it as a dipping sauce for appetizers. You can also mix it into marinades or salad dressings for an added kick. For those who enjoy spice, this hot sauce can be served in small dishes for a fiery finish to your favorite dishes.
FAQs
Q: How spicy is this hot sauce?
A: The level of heat primarily comes from the habaneros. It is quite spicy, so adjust the number of peppers according to your heat tolerance.
Q: Can I use other types of peppers?
A: Yes! Feel free to experiment with different pepper varieties. Just keep in mind that this will alter the flavor and heat level of the sauce.
Q: How long can I store the sauce?
A: The sauce can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a year for the best flavor.
Fermented Pineapple Habanero Hot Sauce
Ingredients
Method
- Wash your fermentation equipment, including the jar, weight, and lid with hot water and soap.
- Wash and chop the peppers, onion, and pineapple (wear gloves if you are sensitive to peppers).
- Crush and peel the garlic.
- Place your kitchen scale on the counter. Turn it on and set it to weigh in grams. Place a mixing bowl on your kitchen scale and tare/zero the scale.
- Measure out the designated amounts of habaneros, bell peppers, onions, pineapples, and garlic.
- Remove the bowl from your scale and set it aside. Place your empty, clean mason jar on the scale, and tare/zero the scale. Ensure your scale is still set to grams, and add the designated amount of filtered water to your mason jar.
- Place a small bowl on your scale and tare/zero the scale. Weigh out the sea salt. Then add the salt to the jar with the water. Stir until all the salt is fully dissolved.
- Add the peppers, onion, pineapple, and garlic into the mason jar with water. You will need to mash the peppers into the jar with a tamper or spoon to pack them in; as you do, the brine will come up.
- Place your fermentation weight in the jar, ensuring that all the pepper pieces and the weight are fully submerged in the liquid.
- Secure the lid to the jar and ferment at room temperature for 5 to 6 weeks.
- After fermentation, add all of the fermented peppers, garlic, and brine to a blender with the sugar (or pineapple juice/honey) and vinegar. Blend on high until smooth.
- Scoop everything from the blender into a pot and simmer for about 10 minutes.
- Place a colander over a large bowl and strain the sauce. You can mash the pulp in the colander with a spoon to get all the juices out.
- Return the strained liquid to the same pot and cook for 10-15 more minutes at a simmer with regular stirring until it reduces down and thickens a bit.
- Using a funnel, bottle the sauce. Wait to cap the bottle until the sauce cools down a little.
- Store in the refrigerator. Use within a year for the best flavor.