AI
Tabasco-style hot sauce
Level 3 · experienced
Just chili, salt and vinegar. The mash ferments for a few weeks, matures with the vinegar in the fridge and gets strained. The result is a thin, very hot sauce you use by the drop.
- 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 26, 2026 · 32 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
- Blender or food processor, and a fine-mesh strainer
- Small clean glass bottles with caps
- pH strips or a pH meter
Step by step
-
Stem the chilies, leaving the seeds in
Wash the jar, the weight and the blender in hot soapy water and rinse them well. Put on gloves. Rinse the chilies with water, without scrubbing them, and pull off the stems with their green caps. Leave the seeds in: they get strained out at the end. Weigh them stemmed: the salt is worked out from that weight.
Tip: That's a lot of small, very hot chilies. Keep your gloves on from start to finish and don't touch your face.
-
Chop them with the salt and let them release their juice
Sprinkle the salt over the chilies and chop them, seeds and all, into a coarse paste. Cover it and let it sit for half an hour: the salt draws out the liquid. Small chilies have little flesh and give up less juice than a jalapeño.
Tip: Don't add water to cover the paste: it would lower the share of salt. Press it down firmly in the jar and let the weight do the rest.
-
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.
-
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. 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.
-
Mix it with the vinegar and let it rest in the fridge
When the mash is ready, take out the weight and add the vinegar: roughly the same volume as the mash. Stir, close the jar and keep it in the fridge for 2 to 4 weeks. Shake it every few days. In the fridge it no longer ferments, but the vinegar takes on the chili's flavor and color.
Tip: Don't blend it smooth: it strains better coarse. The pH is measured at the end, on the strained sauce.
-
Strain it, check the pH and bottle it
Pour the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer and press the pulp with a spoon to get all the liquid out. Measure the pH of the strained sauce: it must be 4.6 or lower; in practice, 4.2 or lower. Fill clean bottles and keep them in the fridge. Bringing it to a boil before bottling stops the fermentation completely, so the bottles don't build pressure.
Tip: The pulp left in the strainer is very hot and good for cooking. Keep it in a clean jar in the fridge.
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
Tabasco sauce has just three things in it: a small, very hot chili, salt and vinegar. The chili is mashed with the salt, and the mash matures for a long time in barrels before it's mixed with vinegar and strained. In sauces like this one, the chili ferments for anywhere from two weeks to three years. Home guides don't cover those years of aging. So here the mash ferments as long as the method says, 3 to 4 weeks, and then matures in the fridge, with the vinegar, where fermentation all but stops. It's level 3 because it takes patience: between fermenting, resting and straining, it takes 5 to 8 weeks. Tabasco peppers are hard to find; fresh cayenne or bird's eye chilies come out much the same.
AI
AI
AI
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.
- The finished sauce below pH 4.6, measured once the blend has evened out. We recommend 4.2 or lower.
- 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.
- Fuzz or green, blue, brown or black spots: that's mold. Throw out the whole batch.
- 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.
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
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
-
6
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
-
7
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
-
8
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
Show the remaining 24 claims
-
9
In the fridge it stops fermenting and keeps up to 9 months
“Refrigeration stops the fermentation process. 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
-
10
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
-
11
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
-
12
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
-
13
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
-
14
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
-
15
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
-
16
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
-
17
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
-
18
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
-
19
A white 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
-
20
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
-
21
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
-
22
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
-
23
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
-
24
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
-
25
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
-
26
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
-
27
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
-
28
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
-
29
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
-
30
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
-
31
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
-
32
In sauces like Tabasco or sriracha, the chili ferments for two weeks to three years
“The production processes of some of these sauces (e.g., tabasco, sriracha) include a fermentation process of the peppers, which can last from two weeks to three years”
Foods (MDPI), Torán-Pereg et al. · Physicochemical and Sensory Evaluation Data to Drive the Development of a Green Chili Pepper Hot Sauce from Unexploited Raw Materials (2023) · read on October 25, 2026
