# Smoking hot peppers for hot sauce.



## lukrady (Oct 28, 2016)

Anyone have any advice? I have some have ghost peppers and chilli peppers. I usually ferment them for a couple months. I figure smoking the peppers will add a lot of flavor and cut down on the heat a bit. Then I can ferment them to also make them easier to handle.


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## dkganz (Oct 28, 2016)

I smoke most of the peppers I grow. They taste great, but it doesn't seem to cut down on the heat much, if at all. A couple hours in the smoker and then dry them. They take on a lovely chipotle-like flavor. I actually prefer them to fresh peppers for most applications. My personal favorite is Thai chiles. The plants produce copious amounts of fruit and the heat level is just right after a good smoke. I've done Carolina reapers, ghosts, scorpions, habaneros, etc. But the thais are the best in my opinion. Great flavor without your head exploding.


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## chilerelleno (Oct 29, 2016)

Smoked/dried chiles aren't going to ferment, at least not without a _starter_ and/or _probiotics_.
You could start a batch of fresh fermenting and later add smoked chiles for flavor.

I'm no expert, but I am a Chilehead and stayed at a Holiday Inn last night.


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## tjdcorona (Oct 30, 2016)

How do you ferment them ?

I like the idea below about fermenting some and then adding some smoked ones in there. Now, I just need to know how to ferment! Help please


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## lukrady (Oct 30, 2016)

I usually steam the peppers for a minute or so to kill any  bacteria. Then I use about a three percent salt solution. If you google salt solutions for fermenting you will find a website that gives you ratios for the water and salt. I then put the peppers in a bottle with the solution and a couple cloves of garlic. I use a water lock that I use for making beer. It will bubble slowly for a out a month, sometimes longer. Then I blend it with Apple cider vinegar. I've done it a few times, turns out great!


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## chilerelleno (Oct 30, 2016)

tjdcorona said:


> How do you ferment them ?
> I like the idea below about fermenting some and then adding some smoked ones in there. Now, I just need to know how to ferment! Help please


Mince fresh chiles, add salt at approx 3% by weight, place in container to ferment.  Container should be able to breathe. Ferment for several months for best results.
After fermentation mix with vinegar or other brine and set aside for another few month, stirring daily.
Strain solids out and bottle liquid.

Tabasco uses Jack Daniels barrels that have been de-charred, fills with chiles/salt mix, caps the barrel, seals the top of the barrel lid with a few inches of slat and leaves them to ferment for up to three years.


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## tjdcorona (Oct 30, 2016)

Thank you for the responses - I have two bags of Chiles and Im looking forward to trying this!


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## sqwib (Oct 30, 2016)

I mince and ferment peppers, after 8 weeks or so, strain the pulp, dehydrate the pulp, place the pulp in a smoker, grind the pulp in a coffee grinder then add back to the sauce.
I'll be posting this year's hot sauces this week if I have time.


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## sqwib (Oct 31, 2016)

2016 Hot Sauces


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## gary s (Oct 31, 2016)

*Good morning and welcome to the forum, from a hot day for the end of October here in East Texas, and the best site on the web. Lots of great people with tons of information on just about  everything.*

*Gary*


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## lukrady (Nov 24, 2016)

IMG_20161113_183153.jpg



__ lukrady
__ Nov 24, 2016


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## lukrady (Nov 24, 2016)

IMG_20161113_183143.jpg



__ lukrady
__ Nov 24, 2016


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## lukrady (Nov 24, 2016)

Did a mixture of all the peppers I grew this year. Gonna add some smoked ghost peppers in after it ferments for a while.


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