Fermented hot sauce

Food fermentation is an utterly fascinating topic; the book by Sandor Katz ---The Art of Fermentation---, and the author himself are a reflection of that fact.

If you like spicy stuff, you haven't got a single excuse not to try this. Find some hot peppers, preferably organic, cut them open, get rid of the stems and of most of the seeds, pack them inside a glass jar along with a few skinless garlic cloves which you have previously crushed. Cover with slightly salted water - preferably seat salt - and make sure all solids are completely submerged in the brine. Cover the jar but keep in mind that some gas will be released as a consequence of the natural fermentation process: if the seal is airtight, the jar might explode.

I let the peppers ferment between September 15 and September 29. Then, I've separated the solids from the brine, reserved the brine, and used an immersion blended to patiently obtain a puree. I've added some of the brine to ease the process. Then, I've sieved the puree, using a silicone spatula to separated the sauce from the skins and seeds, which were discarded.

The jar with the sauce has been sitting in the fridge and I've used its contents whenever possible. The color is absolutely beautiful, almost unnatural. The sauce is spicy, but no unbearably so. Commercial hot sauces have this vinegary aspect which is tiresome. This sauce has some acidity --- again, a byproduct of fermentation --- but not overwhelming. 

All and all, a very enjoyable hot sauce, brighter than anything I've tasted. The peppers I have used are probably malagueta chilies, but it's never easy to identify these things if they are not grown from certified seeds. There where a couple mature Poblano peppers thrown in as well. The brine is still in a glass jar inside the fridge, and I am sure that I'll come up with a few ways of using its contents....