This Fermented Pineapple Hot Sauce is an easy to make lightly spicy condiment. It is perfect anywhere you want a light touch of heat and some sweetness.
My Journey into Fermentation
I have been enjoying learning about the practise of fermentation. I had some fun experimenting with cabbage last year after a bumper crop of beautiful cabbage. Sauerkraut was the first technique I tried. Sauerkraut has been something I have enjoyed for years and have always wanted to make some of my own. It turned out fabulous and was a great learning experience.
My next adventure was making Kimchi. I have had it in the past and was never a fan and then was gifted a jar of homemade kimchi last year and I was hooked. I enjoy the different flavours, component and spice levels we can experiment with in making kimchi. No two batches are ever the same!
Next Up, Hot Sauce
In my research I’d often see different recipes and techniques for hot sauces. I was reminded of a dill pickle hot sauce I tried years ago and was inspired to get busy creating one of my own.
My first recipe was a Spicy fermented dill pickle hot sauce. I love the healthy aspect of fermented foods and wanted to try fermentation with the hot sauces. It turned out quite nice though I will be making some changes to refine the process for a spectacular finished product. Watch for that recipe coming soon!
For this hot sauce I was wanting to add some sweetness. I naturally gravitated towards pineapple. It is one of my favourite fruits and it pairs will with hot and spicy. There is a fabulous pineapple salsa on the website and that was the inspiration for this sauce. I decided to go with jalapenos for this first batch. The last hot sauce I made ended up too hot and it took a lot to tame it down. I knew jalapenos were a good starting point. I will add a few chili peppers in my next batch to kick the heat level up a notch.
A few Tips before you start
It is very important to remove the white pith from inside the peppers. Leaving it will create an unpleasant bitterness to the sauce. It is also a good idea to remove most of the seed. Adding some back will elevate the heat level. Leaving them all in will add bitterness and you risk adding too much heat.
Be sure to wear gloves when dealing with hot peppers. Their oils can be quite volatile and can burn the skin.
It is imperative to get all of the air pocket out of the jar when you are adding the brine. Use a knife inserted again the side of the jar and the hot sauce ingredients. Push against the ingredients forcing the air out with pressure. Make your way around the jar and add brine as needed.
Add the jar weight pushing all of the ingredients under the brine. Top up the jar with the brine and wipe the rim of the jar with a clean cloth. Place a lid on the jar and tighten finger tight. If using a traditional jar lid be sure to burp the jars daily to allow excess gases out. If using a fermenting lid place the lid on finger tight then insert the water/venting valve.
Store the jars on a tray to catch any overspill. Place in a cool dark location for up to 1 week
Fermented Pineapple Hot Sauce
- 3 Medium yellow onions
- 2 heads of garlic
- 6 jalapeno peppers
- 1 large pineapple
- 4 cups of water
- 2 tablespoons of coarse salt
- Peel 2 heads of garlic.
- Slice any large cloves in half.
- Divide them between 2 large mason jars.
- Chop the onions into wedges and divide them between the jars.
- Cut the jalapenos in half.
- Using a knife remove the white pith and most of the seeds.
- Divide the jalapeno between the jars.
- Slice a large pineapple in half.
- Remove the core and chop the pineapple into 1 inch pieces.
- Divide the pineapple between jars.
- Press down the pineapple as you layer it in the jars.
- Make the brine of 2 tablespoons of course salt in 4 cups of water.
- Bring to a simmer and stir well to dissolve the salt.
- Using a jar funnel add the brine to the jars.
- Take a knife and place it in the jar, pushing the pineapple, peppers, onions and garlic to the center.
- This assures that the brine thoroughly surrounds the ingredients and remove all the air bubbles.
- Place a jar weight on top of the ingredients pushing the pineapple under the brine.
- If using a fermenting lid secure it to the jar then add the water valve.
- Place the jars in a cool dark spot for 5 - 7 days.
- After 7 days strain the brine from the contents of the jars.
- Place the strained pineapple, garlic and onions into a blender.
- Blend for several minutes.
- Test the thickness of the sauce.
- Add some of the brine and blend the sauce until the desired thickness is achieved.
- Bottle and store in the refrigerator.
This hot sauce is quite onion and garlic forward. It added a nice flavour thought it does dominate the flavour of the pineapple. My next batch will be a bit lighter on the onions and garlic and have a bit more pineapple.
The addition of pineapple to this sauce does shorten the shelf life of the sauce. Be sure to keep the hot sauce un the fridge and use it within 3 weeks.
