Take advantage of the bounty: Habanero peach hot sauce will add spice to your summer

As I sit at home, like so many people waiting for the pandemic and subsequent boredom to end, I have dedicated some time and passion to two of my favorite aspects of cooking; lacto-fermentation and sauce-making. Yes, we’re talking hot sauce.

So what is lacto-fermentation and why is it important? Most simply, lacto-fermentation is described as the process in which bacteria (lactobacillus) metabolize starch and sugars and they produce lactic acid and carbon dioxide as byproducts. This benefits us in a few ways. Lacto-fermentation is an important method used for preserving food worldwide. It also can enhance the flavor and create delicious condiments and pickles. There have also been studies showing improvement in digestion functions as a result from eating lacto-fermented foods.

As a popular example, let’s talk about making sauerkraut. Most people, I assume, are familiar with sauerkraut. From my living room couch, I can see your heads nodding. The most basic version of kraut is cabbage, salt and time. Voila! You go from fairly bland cabbage to a funky and acidic condiment/side that you can use to add brightness to a dish.

You have also transformed the cabbage that otherwise would have a relatively short shelf life into a product that will last a long time in the fridge.

The process is fairly simple, you mix salt with cabbage in a mason jar or some other sealable container until enough liquid is drawn out of the cabbage so it is submerged. Then create an airlock with a bag full of water that is sealed tight. Place the bag on top of the cabbage, loosely cover it with a lid and put it somewhere warm. Forget about it for a week or two and you’ve made sauerkraut. The salt creates an environment that prevents harmful bacteria, mold or yeast from thriving until you grow enough lactobacillus, which in turn prevents other bacteria/yeast/mold from growing.

The same principles apply to lacto-fermented hot sauces.

To preface, I want to say that I’ve never considered myself a “chilihead” or even overly fond of spicy food. But as I experiment more and more with different chilis, I have truly come to appreciate the diversity and subtle nuance in flavor that can be found by fermenting chilis and I have grown to appreciate the spice that comes along with the flavors. So with the bounty of summer upon us, and a cornucopia of produce available, I share this recipe in hopes that you can experience some of the joy that I have found with making my own lacto-fermented hot sauce.

Habanero Peach Hot Sauce

Yield: 1 quart

Equipment:

Kitchen scale (Use grams. They are better)

Blender

1-quart mason jar, wide mouth

1-quart plastic bag

The Ferment:

50 grams habanero, quartered, seeds left in

50 grams shallot, roughly chopped

25 grams garlic clove, roughly chopped

250 grams water, 70 degrees

14 grams salt

After the Ferment:

350 grams peaches, fresh, pitted, pureed

30 grams cilantro, washed, roughly chopped

5 grams sugar

3 grams cumin, ground

Distilled vinegar

Process:

▪ Wash and prep the chilies, shallot and garlic and place them in the mason jar

▪ Add the salt to the jar and mix

▪ Add the water and mix again

▪ Place the plastic bag in the jar, open-side up, and fill the bag with water. Close the bag if it is a Ziploc, or use a twist tie to close it (the water-weighted bag should be pressing down the chilies and creating an airlock on the inside the jar).

▪ Place the jar in a warm spot and let ferment for at least a week. You can check the ferment after a week and continue the process, or let it go longer to get funkier and more sour.

After the Ferment:

▪ Remove the pits from the peaches, wash the cilantro, and puree them with the sugar and the ground cumin in the blender until smooth.

▪ Add the ferment to the blender and puree again (If it is too much liquid to puree in one round, you can split the mixture into multiple batches to puree and combine later in a mixing bowl or similar vessel).

▪ Taste the mixture and adjust the flavor by adding distilled vinegar. The amount will vary by preference and by how long you let the ferment go. I like to ferment mine for a week and add 100 grams distilled vinegar after.

▪ Store the hot sauce in a mason jar or squirt bottle in the fridge.