Choose which peppers you’d like to ferment. I chose a combination of Anaheim peppers and ‘yellow hot’ peppers. Fresno and jalapeño are another great choice.

Remove stems, slice in half, remove seeds if you wish. Remove the ribs and seeds if you want a milder hot sauce.

You will need 3% salt solution of water to have a successful fermentation when fermenting peppers. Using a kitchen scale, weigh your peppers and filtered water (minus the weight of the jar) to determine how much salt you need. Example: If the peppers and water combined weigh 900 grams, then you’ll need to add 27 grams of salt. (900 x .03 = 27). Add one cup of water at a time to cover the peppers, up to about 3 cups. Then add the amount of salt needed.

Add a fermentation weight and ensure the peppers are below the brine.

Seal the jar loosely or use a pickle pipe, to accommodate for bubbles during fermentation. Place in a dark place at room temperature and not in direct sunlight.

Taste your ferment after three days to see how it’s progressing. Depending on the temperature of your house, it may take anywhere from three to seven days.

Use a mesh strainer to strain the liquid from the fermented peppers and reserve in another container.

Roughly chop peppers and combine in a blender with leftover brine from your ferment, vinegar, sugar, and oil.

Purée in a high-speed blender or food processor to create a very smooth sauce, and then taste and adjust salt if necessary. This is your opportunity to get creative and add other flavors, such as ginger, fresh garlic, lemon, fresh lime, etc.

Pour the strained sauce into the smaller jars and voila!