The project.
Fermented hot sauce
PHOTOGRAPHS INDIA WHILEY-MORTON FOOD STYLING EMILY GUSSIN
Far more complex in flavour than its vinegar-based cousins, James Read’s fermented hot sauce is one of the easiest ways to venture down the rabbit hole of home fermentation. All you need to get started is a clean jar, chillies, salt and some patience – before you know it you’ll be filling your shelves with gently fizzing jars of fiery goodness
The recipe
Makes About 300ml, depending on how much you dilute it
Hands-on time 10 min, plus at least 3 weeks fermenting
S
pecialist kit
1 sterilised 300ml jar; 1 (optional) sterilised 300ml bottle
• 150g chillies
• 9g salt
1 Wearing gloves, remove the stems and chop the chillies into wide slices, then pack as tightly as possible into a sterilised jar.
2 Mix the salt with 250ml lukewarm water and stir until dissolved. Pour over the chillies until just covered (you probably won’t need all the brine). Push down any chillies that try to float – a small (sterilised) weight to put on top to keep the chillies submerged is helpful here.