Thicker and more concentrated than our fermented hot sauce, this chili paste skips the straining and blending-thin step — just deep, complex heat you can spoon straight onto anything.
Not sure how much salt to use? Try our salt & brine calculator — enter your amount and get the exact measurement in grams, ounces, or teaspoons.
Ingredients & Equipment
- 1 lb fresh red chilies, stems removed
- 3 garlic cloves
- 2 cups water + 1 tbsp fine sea salt (2% brine)
- A clean wide-mouth glass jar (paid link)
- A fermentation weight (paid link)
- A food processor or blender
Step-by-Step
- Chop. Roughly chop the chilies and garlic.
- Brine. Dissolve the salt in water.
- Pack and submerge. Pack chilies and garlic into the jar, cover with brine, weigh down.
- Ferment. Cover loosely and ferment 1-2 weeks at room temperature.
- Blend thick. Blend the fermented chilies with just a splash of the brine — enough to move the blades, not enough to thin it into a sauce. Skip straining for a rustic, chunky paste.
How to Use It
Stir it into marinades, spread it on sandwiches, mix it into mayo or butter, or use it anywhere you’d want concentrated chili flavor without added liquid.
Storage
Keep refrigerated in a sealed jar. It keeps for several months and the flavor deepens over time.
FAQ
How is this different from the hot sauce recipe?
Same fermentation process, but the paste is blended thicker with far less liquid — more of a condiment than a pourable sauce.
Can I can or jar this for long-term storage?
This recipe is meant for refrigerator storage, not shelf-stable canning, which requires different safety steps.
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Related: Fermented Hot Sauce · Fermentation for Beginners