Cherry Bomb Pepper Sauce

Hot sauce has become a staple in our household. I’ve always loved spicy food, but particularly now that we have to tone down our cooking to make it kid-friendly, I crave the heat that much more. And hot sauce is a great solution for adding spice individually rather than to the entire dish.

Cherry bombs are a medium-heat pepper about equivalent to a mild jalapeño. I used Kraut Source’s Fermented Sriracha as a guide for my pepper sauce, substituting cherry bombs for the peppers in the original recipe. The result was so good I decided I needed to document my version for repeat use!

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups water
1 1/2 tbsp sea salt
1 lb cherry bomb peppers
4 green Thai chiles, stems removed
4 cloves garlic, peeled
1 bay leaf
1 tbsp demerara sugar
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

In a small pot over medium heat, stir the salt into the water until it dissolves. Allow to cool completely. This is your brine, the base for fermentation.

Trim the stems from the cherry bomb peppers and remove the seeds. Cut into quarters. Pack into a clean glass jar (quart size) along with the Thai chilis, garlic and bay leaf. Pour in the brine, filling to the shoulder of the jar (the point near the top where the sides of the jar slope inward).

Top the jar with your fermentation device of choice. I’ve used Kraut Source and Easy Fermenter lids. For the latter you need a fermentation weight; I’m currently using Easy Weights. Ferment at room temperature for 10-12 days.

Drain the jar, reserving the brine in a separate bowl. Remove the bay leaf, then place the rest of the fermented ingredients in a blender. Add the sugar, vinegar and 1/2 cup of the reserved brine and puree until smooth.

Check the sauce for consistency — if it’s too thick, add more brine. When you’re satisfied, taste for flavor. Add more salt, sugar and/or vinegar to taste. Pour back into your jar and store in the refrigerator.

Pictured: Pyrex Terra 472 Cinderella Round Casserole, Pyrex Spring Blossom 442 Cinderella Mixing Bowl