Fruity fermented pineapple hot sauce

If you search for fermented pineapple, you won't find this fermented pineapple hot sauce in the first place, but quite a few recipes for tepache. You will find instructions at my site as well. Tepache is a traditional fermented drink from Mexico that is quite straightforward to brew and served cold, and it''s the ultimate in sustainability because tepache is made from the waste of the pineapple.

Since I ferment tepache myself, my ecological conscience is much less troubled when I eat this delicious and very healthy, but not at all local fruit. I don't waste any part of the fruit that has traveled so far. When I make fermented pineapple hot sauce, you can be sure that I'm making tepache at the same time.

You can then either eat the flesh of the pineapple, or make fermented pineapple sauerkrautfrom it, or this fruity and spicy fermented pineapple hot sauce.

INGREDIENTS

* the sugar is needed for seasoning after fermentation in around 8 weeks.

PREPARATION

Make a brine from the water and the salt. The water does not have to be warm for this, it is enough if you do this step first and stir diligently.

Chop the pineapple, bell pepper and onion randomly into larger pieces. Remove the stalks and caps from the habañeros. It may be advisable to wear gloves - depending on what else you are going to do that day...

Place everything in a suitable container and weigh it down with a weight. The weight is important because peppers and habañeros have strong buoyancy and a tendency to mold. For more information, feel free to read about weights or other ways to prevent mold: https://fermentation.love/en/fermentation/fermentation-f-a-q/#do-i-really-need-a-fermentation-weight. For a vessel, the best choice is a bail jar. The gases that develop during the fermentation of the fermented pineapple hot sauce can escape, but oxygen does not get in. The best conditions against mold and for success!

If you do not want to sterilize the sauce later, so as not to destroy the positive health effects of lactic acid fermentation, you must let it ferment for at least 8 weeks. Leave it in the warm kitchen for the first 4-5 days and observe. The yeasts on the fruit can lead to increased gas formation, in case of doubt it is better to release pressure more often. When pressing down the rubber tab, you will quickly notice how much pressure has been created inside. After 5 days, move to a cooler room. In my case, the ferments are stored in the hallway shelf at approx. 18°C.

How long should the hot sauce ferment for?

After 8 weeks the sauce is pureed. Pour off the brine and fill the rest into the food processor. In small sips, add only as much brine as necessary to create a nice, viscous consistency.

The sauce is very hot and sour. The pineapple flavor comes out well when the large pieces are pureed, but the sweetness has disappeared due to the long fermentation. I have added 3 tablespoons of raw cane sugar. This can be more or less, depending on your taste, of course.

Fill the sauce into glasses and place in the refrigerator until consumed. Since the sauce is unpasteurized, do not screw the lids on tightly, it will continue to ferment silently and quietly. The full aroma unfolds after another 2-3 weeks in the refrigerator.

I keep fermented hot sauces in the refrigerator for at least 10 months.