Two-Step Ferment For a Just-Hot-Enough Sauce

Ferment a Mother Batch and Store in the Fridge. Then Brew Everyday Batches Using a Little of the Mother to Control the Heat You Seek.

I’ m not the least bit interested in super spicy anything. But I love the smell and flavor of “fruity” hot sauces using—Scotch Bonnets and Habañeros. These colorful chilies are staples in Caribbean cuisine. Add a touch of the bright hot sauce to almost any dish to wake up flavor. These chilies are built to scorch, though.

Over the years I tried to make a mild hot sauce using various amounts of these chilies, but I could never control the resultant super heat. I’ve resolved the problem.

1] Make a mother batch with mostly chilies and store permanently in the fridge.

2] Next, ferment an everyday batch by adding small increments of this batch to any recipe—by the tablespoon— until you get the heat level you desire.

Pepper Power: Peppers can have every kind of heat under the sun. Over the decades I found the habañero and Scotch bonnet varieties offer the best fruity heat. However, their spice level—straight up—is too much for my liking. So let’s solve for flavor and modest heat.

L: With a Mother Batch We can Tame any Pepper R: I visit a Caribbean Supermarket in Orlando

Let’s Make a Mother Batch

Makes 1 Quart

Use mostly chilies and just enough of the remaining produce to make a packed quart. For added smokiness, preheat a heavy skillet and char the chilies and unpeeled garlic. No oil needed, 7-10 minutes

• chilies – about 1 qt, Scotch bonnets or habañeros
• garlic – 1 TBS, sliced
• scallions – 1/2 cup [white part] sliced, [or shallots, or red onion]
• thyme – 1/2 tsp, dried or 4 sprigs fresh
• carrots – 1/2 cup, sliced [or bell pepper]
• BRINE
  • sea salt – 1 TBS [18g]
  • water – 2 cups, filtered

INSTRUCTIONS: WEAR GLOVES WHILE HANDLING CHILIES!

1. Rinse the ingredients
2. Wash your fermenter and parts in hot, soapy water
3. Halve the chilies [don’t remove the seeds], then thinly slice the remaining produce
4. Toss ingredients then add to jar, tamping as you go, until it reaches an inch below the lip [if you run out of ingredients, just add more carrots and/or onions]
5. Combine the salt and filtered water to make brine
6. Pour brine into jar until almost full. Review your fermenter instructions to complete: ensuring the produce is kept under the brine. [I use my invention, the Perfect Pickler]
7. Ferment for 7 days in a conditioned room [temperature at or below 78º]
8. Carefully puree the contents including the brine and pour back into the jar, seal with a standard lid, and refrigerate

This is the Mother Batch [and is Ultra Hot]

L: Mother Batch During Fermentation R: Mother Batch Finished[left] and Start of Everyday Batch [see photo below]

Everyday Batch

For this batch: Scallions, Shallots, Garlic, Carrots, and Cuban oregano

To make your first and subsequent batches, repeat the instructions above; except eliminate all chilies, and increase the other ingredients to fill and pack a one quart jar, [about 2 LBS total.] Add 1 tablespoon of the Mother. Repeat the instructions and ferment for 7 days.

After Fermentation:

1. Strain and reserve the brine
2. Place the batch in a blender and add back a little of the reserved brine and puree; continue with more brine if needed to get the consistency you desire
3. Taste it for heat—add more of the mother batch if needed by the tablespoon
4. Now consider other add-ins: Take time: create 1 TBS samples of your new sauce: use drops of or pinches of add-ons to these samples and decide what makes you excited and proud!

POST FERMENT INGREDIENTS: Your ferment is not done until it tastes good. Add one or more ingredients to tune for your palate.

ADD-INS: If you are planning on codifying your own homemade batch, use measurements and practice on small test amounts. For instance, test a half cup of hot sauce with precise doses of the ingredients below. Stir and taste, write down the winners and then add it to your master recipe.

• Worcestershire
• fish sauce
• oyster sauce
• liquid smoke
• tomato paste
• smoked paprika
• cardamom
• citrus zest
• pineapple juice

---

• raw vinegar – 1/4 cup, any type you choose [red wine, apple cider, distilled white]
• sugar – 1 tsp, [optional]
• sea salt – 1 tsp
• xanthan gum – 1/4 tsp, [optional] used to thicken sauce

STORAGE OPTIONS

You can also store everyday hot sauce in the fridge. If you want a shelf stable sauce, add a 1/4 cup vinegar and 1 tsp sea salt to the fermented everyday batch—SEE BELOW [I use rice or white wine vinegar]. This lowers the pH to reduce mold creation. If by chance you see mold, skim off and add additional vinegar.

If you also want a slightly thickened hot sauce that doesn’t need to be shaken before pouring, add xanthan gum [find in supermarkets]. For me I usually just puree and pour into a long necked spare bottle and shake it when ready to pour.

OPTIONAL STYLE: If you want super fine results, pour the pureed sauce through a fine sieve and press out the liquid into a bowl; then compost the pulp; bottle the rest

Mother Batch is Center Bottle Workshop with Shelby, Charlie, and Mark:

Another happy hot sauce workshop!

---

© 2024 Bill Hettig