Simple Living With Nature

Grow Forage Cook Ferment logo
  • Grow
  • Forage
  • Cook
  • Ferment
  • Herbalism
  • Homestead
  • Start Here
  • Resources
  • Books
    • Healing Herbal Infusions
    • Wildcrafting Weeds
    • Simple Mead Making
    • Healing Kitchen Herbs
    • The Backyard Forest Garden
  • About
    • About Me
    • Contact
  • Foraging Course
  • Subscribe!
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Home » Ferment » Vegetable Ferments » Fermented Jalapeño Hot Sauce

Fermented Jalapeño Hot Sauce

May contain affiliate links or sponsored content. Please see my privacy policy and affiliate disclosure.

Originally published on July 9, 2020. Last updated on March 14, 2022

4.4K shares
  • 1.0K
Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

{This post is sponsored by Ball® Fresh Preserving}

Fermenting is one of the best ways to naturally preserve foods, and is a great way to use up a bumper crop of veggies from your garden. If you’ve never had fermented jalapeño hot sauce before, you’re in for a treat! It is a little spicy without being overwhelmingly so, a little tangy, and with a depth of flavor that is incomparable!

finished jar of fermented jalapeno hot sauce

Ball® Fermentation Kit

The new Fermentation Kit from Ball® Jars has become a new favorite of mine! It is easy to use and has everything you need for simple vegetable ferments.

I first used the Ball® Fermentation Kit in my recipe for fermented kimchi.

ball fermentation kit contents

Each Fermentation Kit includes:

  • 1 Ball® Wide Mouth Quart Jar
  • 1 Wide Mouth Fermentation Lid
  • 1 Fermentation Spring
  • 1 Package Salt for Pickling & Preserving
  • 1 Recipe Booklet

The spring is used as the fermentation weight, and is so easy to use! It holds the vegetables down in the jar, and is a snap to remove once fermentation is finished.

The recipe booklet is handy and includes four delicious fermentation recipes, including this jalapeño hot sauce recipe!

Get the Ball® Fermentation Kit here!

How to Make Fermented Jalapeño Hot Sauce

This fermented hot sauce is simple to put together!

The first step is to process the jalapeños. You may want to wear gloves while doing this, especially if your skin is sensitive to spicy foods.

a hand holding a wooden bowl full of fresh jalapenos

Cut the stem off of the jalapeños, then cut in half lengthwise. Remove the white ribs and seeds if you want a milder hot sauce, or leave them in if you like it spicier. Then roughly chop them.

Chop a celery heart (the inner stalks of a celery bunch) along with the leaves, which provide a lot of flavor.

Add the chopped jalapeños, celery hearts, onions, garlic, and coriander seeds to a large bowl, and mix it all together.

mixing vegetables to make fermented jalapeno hot sauce

Then put all of the chopped veggies into a Ball® Wide Mouth Quart Jar, packing it in as much as possible. Leave at least 2 inches (5 cm) of headspace at the top of the jar.

Make a brine by dissolving 1 1/2 tablespoons (22 ml) Ball® Salt for Pickling and Preserving in 2 cups of water.

Pour that over the vegetables in the jar to cover them by 1 inch (2.5 cm). You may have some extra brine left over.

jalapeno hot sauce before fermenting with spring

Place the fermentation spring on top of the vegetables, flat side down, to keep them submerged under the brine, then twist the lid on.

jalapeno hot sauce in jar before fermenting

Wipe the jar down and cover it with a cloth. Store in a cool place away from direct sunlight.

Check daily to make sure that the vegetables stay under the brine. After 24 hours there should be visible bubbles on top of the brine.

Fermentation is complete in 2 weeks. For a stronger flavor, you can leave it to ferment for up to 3 weeks total.

jalapeno hot sauce in jar after fermenting

Once the hot sauce has fermented to your liking, remove the spring from the jar.

Have I mentioned how much I love this fermentation spring? It’s so easy to use!

jalapeno hot sauce with fermentation spring

Now it’s time to blend everything together into a hot sauce!

Strain the vegetables from the brine, saving the brine in a bowl. Add all of the vegetables and 1/2 cup of brine to a blender or food processor. Process until smooth, adding more brine as necessary to thin if desired.

If you’d prefer an even smoother sauce, you can strain it again through a fine mesh strainer after blending. I did not do this step as I like it to be slightly chunky.

finished fermented jalapeno hot sauce in a small jar

Store the fermented jalapeño hot sauce in a Ball® Wide Mouth Quart Jar, or in several smaller Ball® Jars. Top with Ball® Leak-Proof Storage Lids, which are perfect for storing the jars!

This hot sauce can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 6 months.

top view of fermented jalapeno hot sauce

The flavor of the fermented jalapeño hot sauce is incredible! If you’ve never tried fermented hot sauce before, I recommend you give it a try this summer.

You will be amazed by how good it is! It has become a new family favorite, and one that I will be making year after year.

More Spicy Fermented Recipes

Here are more spicy and delicious fermented recipes!

  • Fermented Red Pepper Hot Sauce (like sriracha)
  • Fermented Pepperoncini Hot Sauce
  • Fermented Chili Paste
  • Fermented Kimchi

If you want to learn more about fermentation, check out my favorite books on fermenting and homebrewing!

Print Recipe Pin Recipe
4.78 from 9 votes

Fermented Jalapeño Hot Sauce

If you've never had fermented jalapeño hot sauce before, you're in for a treat! It is a little spicy without being overwhelmingly so, a little tangy, and with a depth of flavor that is incomparable!
Course Condiment
Cuisine American, Mexican
Prep Time 30 minutes
Fermenting Time 14 days
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 32
Calories 6kcal
Author Colleen @ Grow Forage Cook Ferment

Equipment

  • Fermentation Kit from Ball® Jars
  • Large Bowl
  • Blender

Ingredients

US Customary - Metric
  • 3/4 pound green jalapeños roughly chopped, seeded if desired
  • 1/2 pound celery heart and leaves roughly chopped
  • 1 medium onion small diced
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 tsp coriander seeds
  • 2 cups non-chlorinated water
  • 1 1/2 Tbsp Ball® Salt for Pickling and Preserving

Instructions

  • Add the chopped jalapeños, celery hearts, onions, garlic, and coriander seeds to a large bowl, and mix it all together.
  • Pack the vegetables into a clean Ball® Wide Mouth Quart Jar, leaving 2 inches (5 cm) of headspace.
  • Then put all of the chopped veggies into a Ball® Wide Mouth Quart Jar, packing it in as much as possible. Leave at least 2 inches (5 cm) of headspace at the top of the jar.
  • Make the brine by dissolving the salt into the water. Pour that over the vegetables in the jar to cover them by 1 inch (2.5 cm). You may have some extra brine left over.
  • Place the fermentation spring on top of the vegetables, flat side down, to keep them submerged under the brine, then twist the lid on.
  • Wipe the jar down and cover it with a cloth. Store in a cool place away from direct sunlight.
  • Fermentation is complete in 2 weeks. For a stronger flavor, you can leave it to ferment for up to 3 weeks total.
  • Once the hot sauce has fermented to your liking, remove the spring from the jar. Strain the vegetables from the brine, saving the brine in a bowl.
  • Add all of the vegetables and 1/2 cup of brine to a blender or food processor. Process until smooth, adding more brine as necessary to thin if desired.
  • Store in the refrigerator for up to 6 months.

Notes

  • If you'd prefer an even smoother sauce, you can strain it again through a fine mesh strainer after blending.
  • Store the fermented jalapeño hot sauce in a Ball® Wide Mouth Quart Jar, or in several smaller Ball® Jars. Top with Ball® Leak-Proof Storage Lids, which are perfect for storing the jars!

Nutrition

Serving: 1ounce | Calories: 6kcal
  • Join My Free Foraging & Herbalism Email Course!

  • This will also subscribe you to the Grow Forage Cook Ferment newsletter. You can unsubscribe at any time. Please see my Privacy Policy.

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Previous Post: « How to Make Kimchi: Simple Fermented Recipe
Next Post: How to Cook Dried Beans: Easy, Healthy, and Cheap »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Lisa says

    October 20, 2022 at 3:21 pm

    Can you freeze this so it can last longer?

    Reply
    • Grow Forage Cook Ferment says

      October 24, 2022 at 10:17 am

      Hi Lisa. You could, but you may lose some of the healthy bacteria that you cultivated during fermentation.

      Reply
  2. Erin Jenkins says

    December 22, 2021 at 11:32 am

    The batch that I made didnt seem to have any bubbles. Does that mean it did not do it right? It smells amazing so i know it isnt bad but did it ferment? with no bubbles. thanks

    Reply
    • Grow Forage Cook Ferment says

      December 29, 2021 at 1:43 pm

      Hi Erin. It’s really hard to say, sometimes you won’t see bubbles at all, other times you will. There are several variables such as how much natural yeast existed on your vegetables prior to fermentation (store-bought conventional ingredients may have very little) and temperature of where you’re fermentation is taking place. It could be that they have not fermented long enough for your room temperature.

      Reply
  3. Royce Mydler says

    October 3, 2021 at 11:46 am

    Once the fermentation is complete and you it blend it…can you add tomato sauce to make it more like traditional hot sauce?

    Reply
    • Grow Forage Cook Ferment says

      October 4, 2021 at 9:00 am

      Sure, that should be fine.

      Reply
  4. Ashleigh says

    August 6, 2021 at 5:11 am

    I couldn’t fit everything in to my jar, I weighed everything out and packed it as tightly as possible but still had about 3/4 cup of the mix that wouldn’t fit. Has this happened to you?

    Reply
    • Grow Forage Cook Ferment says

      August 9, 2021 at 10:12 am

      Hi Ashleigh. Yes, that sometimes can happen.

      Reply
  5. Chris says

    July 24, 2021 at 4:59 am

    I have some weights to keep the peppers down, but a couple onion pieces and a couple pepper pieces floated to the top. Very similar to your picture. Do I need to scrape those off during the fermentation process.

    Reply
    • Grow Forage Cook Ferment says

      July 26, 2021 at 10:31 am

      Only if they look like they’re moldy. I usually just resubmerge them periodically as they ferment and have had no issues.

      Reply
  6. Erin Jenkins says

    July 13, 2021 at 12:18 pm

    the metal of the spring doesn’t affect the fermentation? I thought we were not even supposed to use a metal spoon? Please advise.

    Reply
    • Grow Forage Cook Ferment says

      July 20, 2021 at 9:11 am

      The spring is stainless steel, which is so totally fine to use.

      Reply
  7. Kim says

    April 17, 2021 at 2:53 pm

    My fermented jalapeños were prepped with the seeds and pulp, and as a result are way too hot for my liking! I was wondering if you had any suggestions of what I could add to my pureed jalapeños to “tame” the taste a bit?

    Reply
    • Grow Forage Cook Ferment says

      April 21, 2021 at 8:41 am

      The only way to tame them that I can think of is to double the batch with seeded jalapenos and maybe that will balance out the heat.

      Reply
    • Lisa says

      August 30, 2021 at 7:15 pm

      try adding a little honey, that will help tame the heat.

      Reply
  8. Amy Clark says

    October 29, 2020 at 8:29 am

    5 stars
    An easy and delicious solution to using up end of season jalapenos! My first foray into fermentation and it was a great success. The hot sauce is complex, clean tasting and HOT! Love it.

    Reply
    • Grow Forage Cook Ferment says

      November 2, 2020 at 2:32 pm

      Yay! I’m so glad you loved it, Amy!

      Reply
  9. Kat says

    September 28, 2020 at 6:35 am

    5 stars
    The flavor in this recipe is insane! I made this with jalapeños from my garden. One thing I will change with my second batch of hot sauce is the amount of brine I add. I though 1/2 c was perfect for flavor but I wanted a more liquid sauce so I added more. The sauce ended up being too salty so I used it as a marinade. Next time I’m going to try adding some vinegar in addition to the brine. Thank you

    Reply
    • Grow Forage Cook Ferment says

      September 28, 2020 at 12:03 pm

      Yes, isn’t the flavor awesome?! I’m glad you enjoyed it!

      Reply
  10. Eric says

    September 16, 2020 at 2:21 pm

    How do you actually keep at the vegetables under the brine, given that they’re chopped much smaller than, say, a pickle? You can see in your own image above, where it says “Place the fermentation spring on top of the vegetables, flat side down, to keep them submerged under the brine, then twist the lid on,” that there are chopped peppers and onion floating at the surface. Did they eventually just sink? How do you get them under the surface, as in the photos that follow? Thanks!

    Reply
    • Grow Forage Cook Ferment says

      September 23, 2020 at 11:32 am

      Every once and a while, I’ll give it a stir and readjust the spring to make sure everything is resubmerged. A few floaters are fine as long as you are consistently resumbmerging them throughout the fermentation process.

      Reply
    • Charles says

      October 6, 2020 at 1:24 am

      I didn’t have a fermentation spring, but I found an alternative method. I just put all the finely chopped onions and celery at the bottom of the bottle, followed by my jalapeno rings. Then I took three or four jalapenos, halved them lengthwise and crammed them just below the narrow section at the top of the jar. This worked nicely to keep everything submerged.

      Reply
  11. Makenzie says

    July 14, 2020 at 6:52 am

    I’ve been growing datil peppers like crazy, and I need ideas on how to use them!. Do you think this recipe would be good if I use datil peppers in place of the jalepenos? This looks amazing!

    Reply
    • Grow Forage Cook Ferment says

      July 14, 2020 at 9:35 am

      I’ve never had a datil pepper, but from what I’ve read, they’re very hot! If you can handle the heat (and I assume you can if you’re growing them!) then I’m sure they’d be awesome in this recipe! 😀

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

Hello there! I’m Colleen.

I want to inspire you to live seasonally, become more self sufficient, and protect your health. I share information on foraging and wildcrafting, fermenting and preserving, cooking whole foods from scratch, permaculture gardening, and making herbal products. And that’s just the beginning! Learn more.

CBD

Browse my homemade CBD recipes & how-tos

My Books

Spring Favorites

purple dead nettle uses benefits look alike

Foraging for Purple Dead Nettle: an edible backyard weed

50+ Dandelion Recipes: Drinks, Sweets, Soap, Remedies + More!

Lilac Flower Infused Honey

Dandelion Mead Recipe (Dandelion Wine Made With Honey)

Popular Posts

How to Make Soap For Beginners + Calendula Soap Recipe

5 Easy to Identify Edible Mushrooms

10 Reasons to Grow Mint (Without Fear)

How to Make and Use Dandelion Salve

What to Forage in Spring: 20 Edible and Medicinal Plants and Fungi

how to make mead

How to Make a Gallon of Mead: A Simple Mead Recipe

How to Make Hard Cider: Homebrew it!

Fermented Honey Garlic

Mountain Rose Herbs
×

Join list.

More info

Footer

Explore

  • Grow
  • Forage
  • Cook
  • Ferment
  • Herbalism
  • Homestead

Learn To Forage

The gather + root online foraging course will help you to safely identify, harvest, and use common edible and medicinal plants with confidence.

Enroll Now

As Featured On

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • Privacy Policy
  • Affiliate Disclosure
  • Amazon Affiliate

Copyright © 2023 Grow Forage Cook Ferment & Cocos Creations LLC.

4.4K shares
  • 1.0K