FOOD NEWS
The Most Critical Step For Homemade Sriracha Is Worth The Wait
BY PEGGY AOKI
With a heat that's balanced with salt, sugar, and acidity, sriracha is a fermented chili sauce that's beloved for a reason. Making it at home, however, requires some patience.
To make sriracha, a puree of red jalapeños, salt, sugar, garlic, and water is sealed in a loosely-covered jar to let natural lactic acid bacteria in the peppers ferment.
Tasting Table recipe developer Tanika Douglas says the sauce needs to sit for three days. Stir the mixture once a day and look for bubbles that show fermentation is happening.
Douglas says, "if your sriracha isn't quite bubbling by day three, don't give up" and wait for another day or two. Each batch is different, and the final sauce is worth the wait.
Lastly, mix the fermented peppers with vinegar to further flavor the sauce, and strain it. The best part is that you can store the sauce in the refrigerator for up to three months.