June 21, 2025

This recipe creates a vibrant, flavorful hot sauce by fermenting habanero peppers with dark cherries and other aromatics. The process is divided into two main parts: fermentation and finishing.

Part 1: Fermentation

Yields: Approximately 1 quart of fermented mash (5 Woozy Bottles 5-oz each)

Equipment:

• 1-quart Mason jar with a rubber burp top or airlock

• Kitchen scale

Ingredients:

• 189g red habanero peppers

• 282g dark red cherries, pitted

• 122g red onion

• 27g garlic

• 3g cinnamon stick

• 26g salt (this is a 3% salt by weight ratio)

• Water to fill the jar

Instructions:

1. Finely dice the habanero peppers, red onion, and garlic.

2. In the quart-sized Mason jar, combine the diced habaneros, cherries, red onion, garlic, and cinnamon stick.

3. Place the jar on your kitchen scale and zero it out. Add enough water to cover all the ingredients.

4. Record the total weight of the ingredients and water. To calculate the exact amount of salt needed, multiply the total weight by 0.03. For example, if your total weight is 852g, you would add 26g of salt (852g x 0.03 = 25.56g, rounded to 26g).

5. Add the calculated amount of salt to the jar and stir gently to dissolve.

6. Close the jar with the rubber burp top or airlock. This allows gases to escape without letting air in.

7. Store the jar in a cool, dark place and allow it to ferment for one week.

Part 2: Finishing the Hot Sauce

Equipment:

• High-speed blender

• Sous vide machine

• Hot sauce bottles

Ingredients:

• Fermented habanero and cherry mash from Part 1

• 57g white vinegar

• 4g salt

• 3g xanthan gum

Instructions:

1. Carefully transfer all the fermented mash from the jar into a high-speed blender.

2. Add the white vinegar, salt, and xanthan gum.

3. Blend on high until the mixture is completely smooth and pureed.

4. Pour the finished hot sauce into your desired bottles.

5. To pasteurize: Set a sous vide machine to 170°F (77°C). Place the sealed bottles of hot sauce in the sous vide bath and pasteurize for one hour. This step helps to stabilize the sauce and extend its shelf life.

6. After pasteurization, let the bottles cool.

7. Refrigerate the hot sauce after opening.

Enjoy your homemade hot sauce!