Fermented hot sauce
20 MINUTES + FERMENTING | MAKES 250ML | EASY |
sea salt flakes 25g golden caster sugar 1 tbsp plus extra to blend red scotch bonnet chillies 5 mild red chillies 15 apple cider vinegar 2 tbsp
• Dissolve the salt and sugar in 100ml boiling water then top up to 600ml with cold water.
• Trim the stalks from the chillies but leave the green caps. Halve and deseed, then roughly chop.
• Put the chillies in a sterilised Kilner jar (one with a clip-top lid is ideal). Pack them in and pour the brine over the top to cover. Close the lid and leave in a cool place for 2 weeks. Give the jar a shake twice a day and after 2 days open the jar once a day to release the gas that will form on fermenting.
• After 2 weeks the liquid will be cloudy, the peppers will be soft and they should have a tangy, sour, but not unpleasant flavour. Strain the chillies and keep the brine. Put the chillies in a blender (the more powerful the better) and whizz until smooth, adding the cider vinegar and enough brine until you have a sauce consistency you like. Blend in another 2-3 tsp of sugar depending on how much of a sweet edge you want. Decant into sterilised bottles and keep in the fridge for 2-3 weeks.
PER SERVING 6 KCALS | FAT 0G SATURATES 0G | CARBS 1.3G | SUGARS 1.3G FIBRE 0G | PROTEIN 0.1G | SALT 0.8G