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Garlic chili paste
Level 2 · some practice
Small red chilies and garlic, chopped coarse with their salt, fermented and finished with a splash of vinegar. A red, hot, very garlicky paste, by the teaspoon in stir-fries, noodles, eggs or marinades.
- Salt
- 2.5% 25 g per kilo of vegetables
- Time
- 3–4weeks
- Temperature
- 68–72°F
- Jar
- 1L
The golden rule: never less than 2% salt, and the blended sauce below pH 4.6 before bottling; always in the fridge.
No sign-up. We guide you step by step, from the scale to the fridge.
Reviewed October 27, 2026 · 60 facts, each with its source
You'll need
- 1-liter glass jar (about a quart)
- Glass weight, or a sealed freezer bag filled with brine
- Airlock lid or a regular lid
- Kitchen scale
- Disposable gloves
- Food processor, or a good knife
- Stainless steel pot, if you're boiling it
- Small clean glass jars with lids
- Calibrated pH meter: strips only count if they read below 4.0
Step by step
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Stem the chilies and peel the garlic
Wash the jar, the weight and the food processor in hot soapy water and rinse them well. Put on gloves. Rinse the chilies with water, without scrubbing them, and pull off the stems. Keep the seeds: they're part of this paste. Peel the garlic and remove any green sprout, which is bitter. Weigh everything together: the salt is worked out from that weight.
Tip: These are small, very hot chilies. Keep your gloves on from start to finish and don't touch your face.
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Chop it coarse with the salt
Chop the garlic fine. Sprinkle the salt over the chilies and garlic and chop them, by knife or with short pulses of the food processor, until the pieces are the size of a grain of rice. Don't make a purée. Cover it and let it sit for half an hour: the salt draws out the liquid.
Tip: The garlic goes spread through the chilies, never in a separate heap.
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Press the paste into the jar
Spoon the paste into the jar and press it down until the liquid covers it. Leave room at the top: in the first days it rises and gives off gas.
Tip: Everything has to stay under the liquid: mold needs air. If by the next day the liquid still doesn't cover it, add brine of about 28 g of salt per liter of water (about 1½ tablespoons per quart), boiled and cooled. Never plain water: it would dilute the salt.
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Add the weight, close the jar and let it ferment
Set the weight so everything stays under the liquid and close the jar whichever way suits you. With no weight, a zip-top freezer bag filled with brine and sealed does the same: it fits the mouth of the jar and, if it leaks, does not dilute the salt. At 68–72 °F it takes 3 to 4 weeks; colder, 5 to 6. Below 60 °F it may not ferment, and above 78 °F it can over-ferment and spoil. It's ready when the bubbling stops and the pH is 4.6 or lower. If the bubbling has stopped but the pH is still above, give it longer and measure again every day or two.
Close it the way you prefer
- Airlock lid
- Lets the gas out without letting air in: nothing to do.
- Regular lid
- Close it, and each time you check on it, loosen it for a moment to let the gas out. Close it again right away.
Tip: Measure with a pH meter calibrated in the 4.0 and 7.0 solutions. Strips only count if they read below 4.0: between 4.0 and 4.6, which is where it's decided, they aren't precise enough.
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Finish it with the vinegar, without blending
When the mash is ready, take out the weight and add the vinegar: about two teaspoons for every 100 g of paste. Stir it in with a spoon, without blending, so it stays coarse. Don't add water, oil or anything raw.
Tip: If you want it finer, give it two or three pulses. Any more and it turns into a sauce.
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Pack it into jars and check the pH the next day
Fill clean jars, pressing the paste down with a spoon so the liquid covers it and no air bubbles are left. Close them and keep them in the fridge, where the fermentation slows right down and it keeps up to 9 months. The next day, measure the pH: since it isn't boiled, it must be below 4.4; better, 4.2 or lower. If it isn't there, add a little more vinegar, stir and measure again the next day. Always scoop it out with a clean spoon.
Tip: To measure the pH of a coarse paste, take 100 g, mix it with 10 to 20 ml of distilled water and measure that. The water goes only in the sample you measure. On a red paste, strips are hard to read: a meter works better.
No sign-up. We guide you step by step, from the scale to the fridge.
Variations
The same method, a different flavor. Once you have this one down, try one of these.
What you'll see
This is the chili garlic paste of Southeast Asian and Chinese tables: red chili chopped coarse, seeds and all, plenty of garlic and a touch of vinegar. Here the garlic ferments with the chilies from day one, and it's never more than 6% of the weight. Garlic is low-acid, there are no validated recipes for fermenting it on its own, and kimchi has been studied with up to 6%: at that amount, the lactic acid bacteria grew as well or better at first. For more garlic flavor, chop it finer; don't add more. As it sours, a bit of garlic may turn blue or purple: that's a pigment in the garlic itself. And never turn it into chili oil: homemade chili and garlic in oil are exactly what to avoid.
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How to tell it's going well
- Never less than 2% salt on the weight of the chilies and aromatics.
- Everything under the liquid while it ferments. If it falls short, brine; never plain water.
- The finished sauce's pH, the next day: 4.6 or lower if you boil it; below 4.4 if you don't, because Listeria lasts for months in the fridge. We recommend 4.2 or lower.
- With a calibrated meter. Strips only count if they read below 4.0.
- With sweet fruit or anything raw added at the end, boil it. And none of this without measuring the pH.
- Boiling doesn't replace the pH: botulism spores survive boiling.
- Always in the fridge. Keeping it out would take a controlled pH and a heat treatment that can't be checked at home.
- Never in oil. Neither the paste under oil nor the sauce.
- A white, grey or pink film on the surface: usually kahm yeast. Skim it off and keep an eye on the pH: if it grows too much, it takes away acidity.
- Fuzz or green, blue, brown or black spots: that's mold. Throw out the whole batch; it can't be scooped off.
- A putrid smell: throw it out.
Where every number comes from
Every number in this recipe comes from a food safety guide. We keep a copy of each source and quote its exact words.
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1
25 g of salt per kilo
“2.5% 25 g / kg food”
UC Master Food Preservers, Inyo-Mono · Brine Math Made Easy · read on October 20, 2026
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2
Tested recipes range from 2 to 10% salt
“Tested recipes will fall between 2% and 10% brine concentrations.”
UC Master Food Preservers, Inyo-Mono · Brine Math Made Easy · read on October 20, 2026
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3
It is not safe to cut the salt
“It is unsafe to reduce salt in lactofermented vegetables.”
UC Master Food Preservers, Inyo-Mono · Brine Math Made Easy · read on October 20, 2026
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4
Salt without additives, such as canning salt
“The salt used in fermentation should contain no additives. Canning or pickling salt is recommended”
University of Illinois Extension · Fermentation handout (2020) · read on October 20, 2026
-
5
Good stainless steel is fine
“High-grade, commercial stainless steel can be used”
University of Illinois Extension · Fermentation handout (2020) · read on October 20, 2026
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6
Don't scrub the chilies, or you'll remove the bacteria that ferment them
“Do not scrub the produce, as you may remove the good bacteria needed for fermentation.”
University of Minnesota Extension · Preserving food at home: Fermentation (reviewed 2026) · read on October 25, 2026
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7
3 to 4 weeks; 5 to 6 below 68 °F
“Allow your product to ferment for 3 to 4 weeks. If temperatures are below 68 degrees Fahrenheit, fermentation may take 5 to 6 weeks.”
University of Minnesota Extension · Preserving food at home: Fermentation (reviewed 2026) · read on October 25, 2026
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8
Above 78 °F it can over-ferment and spoil; below 60 °F it slows to a halt
“Temperatures over 78 degrees Fahrenheit can cause over fermentation and spoilage. Temperatures below 60 degrees Fahrenheit will inhibit fermentation.”
University of Minnesota Extension · Preserving food at home: Fermentation (reviewed 2026) · read on October 25, 2026
Show the remaining 52 claims
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9
Ready at pH 4.60 or lower, with the bubbling stopped
“When a pH of 4.60 or lower is reached and bubbling has stopped, the ferment is ready.”
University of Minnesota Extension · Preserving food at home: Fermentation (reviewed 2026) · read on October 25, 2026
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10
If the pH is still above, keep going and measure every day or two
“If bubbling has stopped but the pH is still above 4.60, continue to ferment and check the pH every 1 to 2 days.”
University of Minnesota Extension · Preserving food at home: Fermentation (reviewed 2026) · read on October 25, 2026
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11
Heat kills the lactic acid bacteria
“However, the high temperatures of canning will kill any beneficial Lactobacillus bacteria.”
University of Minnesota Extension · Preserving food at home: Fermentation (reviewed 2026) · read on October 25, 2026
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12
In the fridge it keeps up to 9 months
“Fermented produce can be kept refrigerated for up to 9 months.”
University of Minnesota Extension · Preserving food at home: Fermentation (reviewed 2026) · read on October 25, 2026
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13
Open the lid only briefly
“The lid should only be opened briefly to limit oxygen from entering the container.”
University of Minnesota Extension · Preserving food at home: Fermentation (reviewed 2026) · read on October 25, 2026
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14
Gloves to protect yourself from the chili
“Disposable food handler gloves (highly recommended) for protection from red pepper powder”
Colorado State University Extension · Understanding and Making Kimchi (2025) · read on October 20, 2026
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15
Everything washed in hot soapy water and rinsed well
“Wash all surfaces and containers that will be used with hot sudsy water and rinse well before use.”
K-State Research and Extension (Kansas State University) · Taking a New Look at Fermented Foods (MF3491, June 2020) · read on October 20, 2026
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16
The airlock lets the gas out
“it is important to vent the jar with a one-way valve to release the gases that form during fermentation.”
K-State Research and Extension (Kansas State University) · Taking a New Look at Fermented Foods (MF3491, June 2020) · read on October 20, 2026
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17
Without an airlock, loosen the lid now and then
“If a one-way valve is not used, the gases will need to be released manually by loosening the lid occasionally.”
K-State Research and Extension (Kansas State University) · Taking a New Look at Fermented Foods (MF3491, June 2020) · read on October 20, 2026
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18
Everything under the liquid
“All produce should be submerged in the brine liquid.”
UC Davis, Department of Food Science and Technology · Common issues with fermented fruits and vegetables (v1.0, 15-mar-2022) · read on October 20, 2026
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19
Mold needs air
“Molds require oxygen to grow.”
UC Davis, Department of Food Science and Technology · Common issues with fermented fruits and vegetables (v1.0, 15-mar-2022) · read on October 20, 2026
-
20
If there's mold, the whole batch goes
“If you confirm mold growth on any part of a ferment, it should be immediately discarded.”
UC Davis, Department of Food Science and Technology · Common issues with fermented fruits and vegetables (v1.0, 15-mar-2022) · read on October 20, 2026
-
21
Mold is usually green, blue, brown or black
“Mold is typically green, blue, brown, or black in color.”
UC Davis, Department of Food Science and Technology · Common issues with fermented fruits and vegetables (v1.0, 15-mar-2022) · read on October 20, 2026
-
22
The film is usually kahm yeast
“This film is typically yeast, often referred to by home fermenters as Kahm yeast.”
UC Davis, Department of Food Science and Technology · Common issues with fermented fruits and vegetables (v1.0, 15-mar-2022) · read on October 20, 2026
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23
A white, grey or pink film may form
“White, grey, or pink films may form on the surface of fermenting fruits or vegetables.”
UC Davis, Department of Food Science and Technology · Common issues with fermented fruits and vegetables (v1.0, 15-mar-2022) · read on October 20, 2026
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24
Too much yeast takes away acidity
“Excessive yeast growth can lead to off flavors or textures and reduce acidity.”
UC Davis, Department of Food Science and Technology · Common issues with fermented fruits and vegetables (v1.0, 15-mar-2022) · read on October 20, 2026
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25
Skim the yeast off now and then
“For other ferments, such as sauerkraut, yeast should be periodically removed during fermentation.”
UC Davis, Department of Food Science and Technology · Common issues with fermented fruits and vegetables (v1.0, 15-mar-2022) · read on October 20, 2026
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26
A putrid smell means a failed ferment
“A putrid smell indicates a failed fermentation.”
UC Davis, Department of Food Science and Technology · Common issues with fermented fruits and vegetables (v1.0, 15-mar-2022) · read on October 20, 2026
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27
The pH must not rise above 4.6
“The pH can be checked periodically to ensure it does not rise above 4.6.”
UC Davis, Department of Food Science and Technology · Common issues with fermented fruits and vegetables (v1.0, 15-mar-2022) · read on October 20, 2026
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28
If the juice doesn't cover it, boiled and cooled brine
“If juice does not cover cabbage, add boiled and cooled brine (1-1/2 tablespoons of salt per quart of water).”
National Center for Home Food Preservation (USDA, University of Georgia) · Sauerkraut · read on October 20, 2026
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29
At pH 4.0 or above, a two-decimal pH meter is needed
“the processor must use a pH meter with two decimal places accuracy if the final pH is 4.0 or above”
Cornell Food Venture Center (Cornell AgriTech) · Acid & Acidified Foods · read on October 25, 2026
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30
Below 4.0, strips will do
“If the pH is below 4.0, other methods can be used such as pH paper or a pH meter with one decimal place.”
Cornell Food Venture Center (Cornell AgriTech) · Acid & Acidified Foods · read on October 25, 2026
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31
In practice, 4.2 or lower
“but in practice this value is usually 4.2 or below for safety reasons.”
Cornell Food Venture Center (Cornell AgriTech) · Acid & Acidified Foods · read on October 25, 2026
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32
The pH that counts is the blend's, once it has evened out
“Equilibrium pH means the final pH measured in the acidified food after all the components of the food have achieved the same acidity.”
Cornell Food Venture Center (Cornell AgriTech) · Acid & Acidified Foods · read on October 25, 2026
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33
The final pH is measured after heating
“The final equilibrium pH is checked and documented after the product has received the heating step.”
Cornell Food Venture Center (Cornell AgriTech) · Acid & Acidified Foods · read on October 25, 2026
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34
The meter is calibrated first in the pH 4.0 solution
“To calibrate the meter, turn on the meter and place the electrode into the 4.0 buffer solution.”
Oregon State University Extension Service · pH meter calibrating and testing for pickled food products (video transcript, 2022) · read on October 26, 2026
-
35
Then in the pH 7.0 one
“Rinse the electrode with distilled water and repeat the process with the 7.0 buffer solution.”
Oregon State University Extension Service · pH meter calibrating and testing for pickled food products (video transcript, 2022) · read on October 26, 2026
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36
Measured after at least 24 hours, once it has evened out
“Wait at least 24 hours after processing to test the pH of a product; this is the minimum time necessary for it to come to an equilibrium pH.”
Oregon State University Extension Service · pH meter calibrating and testing for pickled food products (video transcript, 2022) · read on October 26, 2026
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37
A hot sauce must end below pH 4.6
“When making a hot sauce, the pH must be less than 4.6.”
SDSU Extension (South Dakota State University) · How to Make a Safe Hot Sauce (updated October 2023) · read on October 25, 2026
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38
Vinegar makes sure the pH ends below 4.6
“an acid, such as vinegar, should be added to ensure that the pH is below 4.6”
SDSU Extension (South Dakota State University) · How to Make a Safe Hot Sauce (updated October 2023) · read on October 25, 2026
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39
Bring the sauce to a boil
“Additionally, hot sauces should be brought to a boil.”
SDSU Extension (South Dakota State University) · How to Make a Safe Hot Sauce (updated October 2023) · read on October 25, 2026
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40
The pH alone doesn't kill whatever microbes are there
“as the pH alone would not control growth of pathogens or kill any pathogens that would be present”
SDSU Extension (South Dakota State University) · How to Make a Safe Hot Sauce (updated October 2023) · read on October 25, 2026
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41
Once all of it boils, the active cells of botulism die
“But if all particles of food have reached boiling temperature (212 degrees Fahrenheit), then it would be reasonable to assume the vegetative cells of C. botulinum have been destroyed.”
SDSU Extension (South Dakota State University) · How to Make a Safe Hot Sauce (updated October 2023) · read on October 25, 2026
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42
The spores survive boiling
“The spores, however, would survive.”
SDSU Extension (South Dakota State University) · How to Make a Safe Hot Sauce (updated October 2023) · read on October 25, 2026
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43
Only what has a proven benefit can be called probiotic
“the term ‘probiotic’ should only be used when there is a demonstrated health benefit conferred by well-defined and characterized live microorganisms”
Nature Reviews Gastroenterology & Hepatology, Marco et al. · The International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics (ISAPP) consensus statement on fermented foods (2021) · read on October 26, 2026
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44
Vinegar leaches iron and aluminum
“Vinegar leaches molecules from iron and aluminum”
NC State Extension · Vinegar Making (July 2022) · read on October 25, 2026
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45
Under pressure, bottles can burst when opened
“The build-up of pressure in the bottles may cause them to explode upon opening.”
Singapore Food Agency · Recall of “Huy Fong Sriracha Hot Chilli Sauce” (media release, 27 December 2019, updated) · read on October 25, 2026
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46
Bottles that bloated because they kept fermenting
“due to lactic acid build up, which may cause certain bottles to bloat and continue to ferment.”
Singapore Food Agency · Recall of “Huy Fong Sriracha Hot Chilli Sauce” (media release, 27 December 2019, updated) · read on October 25, 2026
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47
Unpasteurized and refrigerated, below pH 4.4 to control Listeria
“A pH of lower than 4.4 is recommended for unpasteurized pickled vegetables held under refrigeration for L. monocytogenes control.”
BC Centre for Disease Control, Environmental Health Services · Safety of Fermented Foods, Section 3.1: Fermented Vegetables (August 2024, updated December 2024) · read on October 25, 2026
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48
Listeria can last for months in refrigerated pickles
“Listeria monocytogenes can persist in refrigerated pickled vegetables for months.”
BC Centre for Disease Control, Environmental Health Services · Safety of Fermented Foods, Section 3.1: Fermented Vegetables (August 2024, updated December 2024) · read on October 25, 2026
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49
The fridge slows the fermentation down
“Refrigeration slows down the fermentation process”
University of Georgia Cooperative Extension · Homemade Kimchi: A Science-Based Guide to Safe Fermentation (Circular 1362, 2025) · read on October 20, 2026
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50
Don't keep homemade vegetables in oil
“Das BfR rät daher davon ab, selbst erzeugte Produkte wie Gemüse in Öl oder Kräuter in Öl im Privathaushalt auf Vorrat zu produzieren und zu lagern.”
Bundesinstitut für Risikobewertung (BfR) · Selbst hergestellte Kräuteröle und in Öl eingelegtes Gemüse bergen gesundheitliche Risiken (Mitteilung Nr. 001/2016) · read on October 25, 2026
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51
Don't keep homemade chili or garlic oil
“Daher rät das BfR von einer Lagerung selbsterzeugter Produkte wie Chili- oder Knoblauchöl, Gemüse in Öl oder Kräuter in Öl im Privathaushalt ab.”
Bundesinstitut für Risikobewertung (BfR) · Selbst hergestellte Kräuteröle und in Öl eingelegtes Gemüse bergen gesundheitliche Risiken (Mitteilung Nr. 001/2016) · read on October 25, 2026
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52
Mold can't be scooped off
“The mold cannot be scooped out, as the roots will still be in your food and could make you sick.”
Ask Extension (Clackamas County Extension, Oregon State University) · Pickle/olive brine surface mold spots #889210 · read on October 20, 2026
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53
The bag holds brine: if it leaks, the salt is not diluted
“It is recommended that the brine solution be stored in plastic bags to ensure that the fermentation brine is not diluted should the bag leak or break.”
Virginia Cooperative Extension (Virginia Tech) · Vegetable fermentation (FST-328, reviewed 2025) · read on October 26, 2026
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54
The bag, well sealed
“Be sure to seal the plastic bag.”
National Center for Home Food Preservation (USDA, University of Georgia) · Suitable Containers, Covers, and Weights for Fermenting Food · read on October 26, 2026
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55
There are no validated recipes for fermenting garlic
“There are currently no validated recipes for fermenting garlic.”
Ask Extension (Loretta Sweeney, Franklin County, Ohio) · Food preservation and safety: lacto-fermenting garlic #930666 (2026) · read on October 25, 2026
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56
Garlic is low-acid and, preserved badly, a botulism risk
“Garlic is a low acid food (high pH/acidity); therefore, it must be preserved safely or there is a risk of botulism.”
Ask Extension (Loretta Sweeney, Franklin County, Ohio) · Food preservation and safety: lacto-fermenting garlic #930666 (2026) · read on October 25, 2026
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57
Kimchi studied with up to 6% garlic
“Kimchis containing 0, 1, 2, 4, and 6% garlic”
Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology, Cho et al. · Effect of Garlic Concentrations on Growth of Microorganisms during Kimchi Fermentation (1988) · read on October 27, 2026
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58
With more garlic, lactic acid bacteria grew more at first
“Lactic acid bacterial population increased more at higher garlic concentrations during the initial period of the fermentations”
Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology, Cho et al. · Effect of Garlic Concentrations on Growth of Microorganisms during Kimchi Fermentation (1988) · read on October 27, 2026
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59
Garlic can turn blue or purple when it's in acid
“Garlic contains anthocyanins, watersoluble pigments that can turn blue or purple in acidic environments like vinegar or pickling brine”
University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources (Harris, UC Davis) · Garlic: Safe Methods to Store, Preserve, and Enjoy (ANR Publication 8568, October 2016) · read on October 25, 2026
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60
To measure a paste's pH, 10 to 20 ml of distilled water per 100 g
“If more fluidity is required, 10 to 20 milliliters of distilled water may be added to 100 grams of product.”
U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Code of Federal Regulations (eCFR) · 21 CFR 114.90 Methodology: determining pH · read on October 26, 2026
