Fermented Habanero Hot Sauce

In talking to a cousin in Manitoba, she told me she had tons of Jalapeño peppers this year and that she had already made and frozen Jalapeño poppers.  This conversation reminded me that I had Habanero peppers in my refrigerator and that I wanted to preserve.  Last year, I had made this recipe and it was dynamite.  Yes, it was so hot that only the wife of the Syrian family we had hosted for three weeks over the Christmas holiday could eat it.  The mixture did mild down and has incredible taste and flavor a year later.

The hot sauce can be used in salad dressings, stews, soups, tacos, burritos and mixed in mayo.

I purchased a bag of locally grown hot habaneros at our Italian supermarket, but not sure of the weight

Lacto Fermented Habanero Hot Sauce

• Hot chilies, de stemmed
• Garlic cloves
• 2 Tablespoons Honey 
• 1 c water with 2 Tablespoons coarse salt
• 1/4 c cider vinegar

Pulse the hot chillies in a food processor to coarse 

Add honey, mix

Place in a clean mason jar

Pour water and salt over mixture

Stir well

Let sit at room temperature, with lid loosely on

Stir everyday

On fourth day, stir in the cider vinegar

Keep on the counter for 2 to 6 weeks then store in refrigerator 

Some of the hot sauce will be given away as Christmas gifts!

Peperonata

My recent thrift find is a beautiful book by Sarah Raven called In Season, cooking with vegetables and fruit which looks at the fruit and vegetables that are available in the different seasons.  I have started reading this book at the August section. I came across this recipe in the September section. 

I could not resist picking up more beautiful peppers that are still available at a new Italian Supermarket for $1.49 per pound 

The peppers are preserved in Vinegar and Olive Oil which is a traditional bottling technique in Italy.  This book explores many different preserving techniques which I am interested in trying.

Peperonata

1 pound peppers
1T pickling Salt
2T white sugar
1 c Vinegar 

3/4 -1 c Olive Oil

The peppers were roasted in my oven for a half an hour at 350.  I did add a splash of  Olive oil. 

The roasted peppers are placed into plastic bag to sweat and then be peeled.  I did skip this step and did not cut the peppers into small strips as the Habaneros are small and wanted to leave them whole! 

The peppers are placed into a sauce pan along with sugar and vinegar and cooked on medium for 5 minutes.

The mixture is then placed into a jar that has been sterilized, 

Olive oil ( 3/4 c to 1 cup) is added and the jar sealed.   The jar is wrapped in a thick cloth to cool slowly for a couple of days which according to the author will be safely preserved. 


The mixture will keep for a year, but when opened refrigerate the peppers.  

The peppers are used with meat or cheese.