Fermented Hot Pepper Relish

Make up a batch of this easy fermented hot pepper relish so you'll always have your favorite spicy flavor on hand.

4.82 from 11 votes

Print Pin

Prep Time: 20

Fermentation Time: 4

Total Time: 4 20

Servings: servings

Author: Kris Bordessa, National Geographic author

Wash and dry peppers. Remove stems
1 pound mixed hot peppers
Finely chop peppers and garlic into a quarter-inch dice by hand or use a food processor.
2 cloves garlic
Transfer chopped peppers to a quart sized jar.
Add salt to jar. Place the lid on the jar and shake to combine.
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
Use dowel or wooden pounder to smash peppers until softened and juicy.
Press peppers down into the jar and use a weight to hold the mixture down. The liquid should rise above the solids so that they are completely submerged.
Cover with a fermenting lid or a regular lid, screwed on loosely.
Sit at room temperature for 4-5 days.

To protect your skin from the volatile oils, consider wearing protective gloves while you work with the peppers.
Use about 2 teaspoons of this hot pepper sauce to replace one hot pepper in recipes.
If there’s not enough liquid to keep the peppers completely submerged, add a bit of non-chlorinated water to the jar to cover them.
If you’d prefer a fermented hot sauce, you can make a hot pepper puree. Transfer the fermented peppers from the jar into a blender, reserving extra brine. Blend, then add more brine as needed to achieve the proper consistency. You can also blend it in a wide-mouth canning jar if you have an immersion blender. Taste and add salt or apple cider vinegar if you feel it needs some extra kick.