Years ago, after lamenting the distance between New Mexico and London, I lucked into a partnership with Hatch Chile Store which once again gave me access to the ubiquitous New Mexican product I first experienced, living in Albuquerque. Recently, I have been lucky enough to rekindle that relationship, adding to it a budding relationship with fermentation.
I hesitate to write too much about my New Mexico years. Not having been back to the city or state in over fifteen years, much to my dismay, I recognize I can no longer decipher fact from nostalgia. I will say that despite many of the political and personal circumstances at the time (hurricane Katrina, Bush’s second presidency) I was lucky. I landed in an arts and advocacy community comprised of people who still matter to me today despite the years and the distance.
Recently, I’ve had the pleasure of speaking with two wonderful, knowledgeable fermenters, Pao Liu of Pao Pop n Pickles and cookbook author and recipe developer Helen Graves. Through their generous knowledge sharing for a separate and upcoming article, this new guidance, coupled with the shipment of a gifted bag of dehydrated Hatch green chiles, have worked in tandem to encourage my own experimentation with fermentation and the ability to experience a small taste of New Mexico once more.
Though my desire to return the state hasn’t waned, it has shifted from an interest in revisiting my past to a desire to embrace its present, built upon and enhanced by time and experience. Fermentation, like grey hair and smile lines, can only be achieved through living.
Fermented Hatch Green Chile Hot Sauce
This base recipe uses dehydrated chiles that were kindly sent to me in the post from New Mexico to England. Yet, you would never know the difference between dehydrated and fresh in the final resulting flavor. You can also play around with adding additional ingredients like fruits, tomatoes, other types of chiles, or final seasonings after fermenting. The resulting flavor of this sauce is fruity and tangy with a relatively mild to medium heat. You can of course play around with intensity by adding chiles but as a basic hot sauce that appeals to a wide number of tastes and heat tolerances, this feels like a good jumping off point.
15g dehydrated Hatch green chiles
2 cloves garlic, peeled
300ml water
10g sea salt
9 days
Glass jar with lid larger than 10oz
Glass fermentation weight (optional)
Method
- Add dehydrated chiles and garlic cloves to a jar.
- Mix sea salt into water. I used a 3% salt-to-water ratio to create a brine. You will need at least a 2% brine for safe fermentation with a salt brine-based method. I added slightly more for a longer fermentation time.
- Once the salt is diluted, pour water into the jar until the ingredients are completely submerged. You can use a glass weight here if you like, or add more water/salt if needed until ingredients are completely submerged to prevent mold.
- Close the lid and place the jar in a cool location, away from direct light.
- Open the lid every day or two to release any pent-up gasses. This is known as “burping.” Do check the ingredients for any signs of mold, though as long as they remain completely submerged in the salt solution, this shouldn’t occur.
- Leave for around 9 days until a tangy flavor is achieved. You can check your results by tasting a little or using a PH strip, ensuring the ferment remains under 4.
- Drain half the fermentation brine out of the jar. Tip the remains into a blender alongside a splash (up to 1 tbsp) of vinegar (white wine or cider works well), the juice of 1/2 lime, and a splash of water if needed. Blend until relatively smooth, then check for seasoning and adjust as desired.
- Store it in the fridge and use it on whatever you like. The hot sauce should last up to 3 months when refrigerated.
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