Food - Drink
The Sign Your Fermented Hot Sauce Is Safe To Eat
By AMANDA BRETZ
Fermentation is a great preservation and flavor-developing method for homemade hot sauce, but it’s very important that you know how to tell if your sauce is safe to eat.
One of the easiest ways to determine safety is to smell the hot sauce. The sauce should have a slightly sour smell, but shouldn’t have a bad smell akin to rotten food.
Another way to tell if your fermented hot sauce is safe is when the pepper brine has a cloudy appearance in addition to that tart smell, which are signs of healthy fermentation.
If you see mold or fuzz growing, if the peppers feel slimy, or if it has a rancid taste, it’s best to throw out the batch. If it’s healthy, feel free to puree your sauce and store it.