Lacto-Fermented Black Pepper & Blueberry Hot Sauce. | Easy home made fermented hot sauce recipe.

Delicious, but simple, lacto-fermented hot sauce, with punchy chili heat, floral black pepper and fruity sweet blueberries. Goes great on just about anything!
Written Recipe down below↓
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Blueberry and Black Pepper Hot Sauce Recipe
Ingredients:
170 grams (approximately 53) fresh medium-heat chilies (e.g., Thai chilies)
2 tablespoons whole black peppercorns
500 grams frozen blueberries (divided)
Filtered Water (enough to fill a 1-liter jar)
43 grams sea salt
1/3 cup white vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
Optional: 1/8 teaspoon xanthan gum
Instructions:
Wash the chilies and remove the green caps from most, leaving a few on to help with fermentation.
Cut the chilies in half lengthwise to maximize contact with the brine.
Add 2 tablespoons of whole black peppercorns to the jar.
Add the chilies to the jar, compacting them gently with a wooden spoon.
Pour in as many frozen blueberries as you can fit, about half of the total amount.
Fill the jar with water, ensuring all contents are submerged, and leave some headspace at the top.
Weigh the contents and subtract the jar's weight to find the total weight. Calculate 3% of this weight to determine the amount of salt needed. For example, 1438 grams of total weight needs 43 grams of salt.
Pour the water from the jar into a jug, add the salt, and stir until dissolved.
Pour the salted water back into the jar, straining it to catch any loose seeds.
Add a weight to keep everything submerged below the brine. You can use a clean glass weight, stiff cabbage leaf, or bell pepper cheek.
Cover the jar with cling film and a rubber band, or use an airlock lid to allow CO2 to escape while keeping oxygen out.
Store the jar in a dark place at room temperature for 5-7 days.
Check the fermentation after 7 days. It should smell clean and fruity without any hint of contamination.
After fermentation, remove the cling film and inspect the mixture.
Add the remaining blueberries, 1/3 cup of white vinegar, and 1 tablespoon of sugar to the fermented mixture.
Transfer everything to a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring periodically to mix in the fruit solids.
Cook for 15-20 minutes until the blueberry skins soften and release their pectin, thickening the sauce.
Blend the mixture with a stick blender until smooth. Optionally, add 1/8 teaspoon of xanthan gum during blending for extra thickness and to prevent separation.
Pass the blended mixture through a sieve to remove any remaining solids.
Check the pH if desired. If below 4, the sauce should be shelf-stable.
Pour the sauce into sterilized bottles. Store in the fridge for freshness.
Tips:
Ensure all ingredients remain submerged during fermentation to prevent spoilage.
Adjust the salt content if the sauce tastes too salty by adding more unfermented blueberries.
Store in the fridge for the best shelf life.

[@nikiTricoteuse]

Great tutorial and great tips. Thanks.

[@AdventuresInSnacking]

Thanks for the feedback! 😊 I appreciate the support 👍 🙏 ❤️

[@stevenwilson5556]

Just love love love this. Very cool idea, well executed. I would love to try your sauce. Also your "cheap as dirt" method of sealing the top using cling wrap was awesome

[@AdventuresInSnacking]

Thanks! I was very happy with the sauce. I've been using the cling film method for a while now for short-term ferments and never had an issue.😊👍

[@motrebal]

Nice work mate, I just stumbled onto your stream and like it, well done

[@AdventuresInSnacking]

Thanks for the feedback and support! 😀 Greatly appreciated! 👍

[@CheeseDud]

Straight, simple, and to the point. I have some habaneros growing so maybe I’ll try this at harvest. Subscribed and am excited for more!

[@AdventuresInSnacking]

Welcome aboard! It's coming to the end of harvest season here, but I've still got another 2 hot sauce videos in the works. This would work great with habareros. I made it with scotch bonnets last year, and it was good. Let me know how it turns out. 😊

[@dejanprole1818]

Hey ! New to the channel and to hot sauce making ! I've read that cooking the fermented sauce can make it lose some good bacteria you created from fermentation, what do you think about that? Also, how does cooking the sauce change its flavor (if it does)? Thanks in advance! Nice video!

[@AdventuresInSnacking]

Hi! Great questions. Yes, cooking the sauce will kill off the good bacteria. Lowering the ph by adding vinegar may also kill off some. If keeping the bacteria is important to you, you can skip these steps. The sauce will still be tasty. Fermentation develops more complex flavours. That's my main reason for fermenting hot sauces. I get my good bacteria from other ferments, like saurkraut and kimchi. Cooking the sauce rounds out and blends the flavours, and melows the acidity a little. The raw sauce would taste fresher and a bit sharper. Cooking also changes the texture. The raw sauce would be a bit chunkier (if you don't strain it) or a bit watery (if you do strain it). It might also separate in the bottle, but that just means you might need to give it a shake before using. None of these are bad things, just different. You could always split the batch, cook half, and see which you like best 😊👍

[@TalentlessCooking]

I bet this sauce will stain anything it touches. Lol. I was going to try blueberries in my spicy aged ketchup, because I don't use sugar the pectin will thicken it nicely. Did it turn to jelly after being in the fridge?

[@AdventuresInSnacking]

Yes, there is definitely a potential for stainage. The pectin seemed to balance well with the ratios of other ingredients. Thick but pourable. No immovable jelly.