If you’re a chilihead like me and love a scorching hot chili pepper sauce that’s full of flavor, you’re in for a treat! In this article, I’ll share my insights on making a batch of my sensational homemade super hot 7Pot Brainstrain chili sauce.
Discover the fabulous flavor of fermented Trinidad 7Pot Yellow Brainstrain chili peppers, known for their mind-blowing heat that ranges between 800,000 and a million on the Scoville scale. There are of course other chili peppers that are famous for being the hottest chili peppers in the world but are they as tasty as the 7 Pot Brainstrain Yellow? Let me know what you think!
Crafting the perfect hot pepper sauce is an art that requires finesse. And we’ll discuss how to maintain the distinctive flavors of each pepper variety and adjust the heat level by including or excluding seeds during fermentation.
Prepare to embark on a spicy adventure as we delve into the world of 7Pot Yellow Brainstrain and this homemade superhot sauce.
Table of Contents
7Pot Brainstrain Chili Sauce – Adding Multiple Varieties of Chilli Peppers in a Sauce
When creating your fermented hot sauce, it’s crucial to exercise caution when combining multiple chilli varieties, especially superhot peppers. Each pepper possesses its unique flavor profile, and mixing too many types might dilute the individual flavor profile of each pepper.
For a truly exceptional chili sauce, consider using the magnificent Trinidad 7 Pot Yellow Brainstrain pod as the star ingredient and complementing it with a few different peppers that enhance rather than overpower its fiery essence.
For example, you might choose to dilute the flavor with a few milder peppers, but if you’re thinking about adding other superhots such as the Carolina Reaper, Bhut Jolokia, or 7Pot Primo, I’d strongly advise against it.
7Pot Brainstrain Chili Sauce – Add or Remove Seeds from a Chilli Sauce?
It’s up to you to include or exclude chili seeds during fermentation, depending on your preference for heat.
Leaving the seeds intact will undoubtedly heighten the spiciness of your batch of hot sauce as they are coated in capsaicin from the pepper membrane. Keeping the seeds in can create a challenging hot chilli sauce experience for the most daring chili enthusiasts.
Removing the seeds can moderate the heat level while allowing the flavors to shine, catering to a broader range of taste preferences.
The recipe below yields one bottle of tantalizing 7Pot Brainstrain Chili Sauce, but don’t hesitate to adjust the ingredient quantities to achieve your desired overall volume.
By adjusting the measurements, you can create large batches for sharing or experiment with small batches for personalized tastes.
7Pot Brainstrain Chili Sauce Recipe
Insanely Hot Fermented 7Pot Brainstrain Chili Sauce
Equipment
- 1 Jar
- Gloves to protect you from the burn
- 1 Knife
- 1 Measuring jug
- 1 Measuring scale
- 1 Sieve
Ingredients
- 14-20 whole Ripe 7Pot Brainstrain Yellow Peppers depending on size
- 4 cloves Garlic
- 5 grams Salt Kosher, Sea Salt or Pickling (for the brine)
- 205 ml Water
Instructions
Preparing your fermentation
- Select your jar – the bigger the jar, the greater the sauce volume.
- Make sure to use gloves if you're working with hot peppers.
- Firstly, peel your garlic cloves and add them to the jar.
- Select your chili peppers, rinse them, and remove the stalks. Slice the peppers in half and decide if you're going to remove the seeds.
- Add your peppers to the jar and squash them down.
- To make your 2% brine, place your measuring jug on the scale, and add 205ml of water and 5g of salt.
- Stir the salt to dissolve it into the water.
- You do want to leave a bit of headspace at the top of the jar because this will ferment, which means that it will release carbon dioxide, and you don't want this overflowing.
- You need to make sure that the peppers stay below the water's surface, which stops any nasties from growing on the top. You can use a cabbage leaf or an onion to squish your peppers below the surface.
- Then you can use aplastic bag over the top and secure it with an elastic band around the neck of the jar.
- Leave the ferment for at least two weeks at room temperature.
- You can check on the ferment in a few days; you'll know that your peppers are fermenting as you'll be able to see the top of the bag has bubbled up, and bubbles are rising to the top.
Making your sauce
- Firstly, sterilize your bottle. You just need a big pot filled with water, put our bottle and lid in, and let it boil away for about ten minutes.
- Strain the peppers to remove the brine, and take out the onion.
- Place your drained peppers into a blender and blend.
- To thin down your sauce, simply add white vinegar. This will reduce the pH level and add a slight acidity to your sauce whilst retaining the fabulous colour.
- Bottle and serve!
Be Patient….this Fermented 7Pot Brainstrain Chili Sauce Gets Better with Time!
Prepare yourself for an explosion of flavors that improve with time. This 7Pot Brainstrain Chili Sauce tastes pretty damn good right now, but leave it for a bit longer, and it mellows out, allowing all the flavors to harmonize perfectly.
Rest assured, the heat remains fiery as ever, but that raw “green” taste often associated with freshly made chili sauces fades away, leaving you with a refined and irresistible hot sauce to please your palate.
In conclusion, crafting a top-notch homemade super hot sauce featuring the 7Pot Yellow Brainstrain is a labor of love and a true delight for hot sauce lovers.
By preserving the distinct flavors of each pepper variety and experimenting with seed inclusion during fermentation, you can fine-tune the sauce to your preferred heat level.
With the understanding that the sauce matures with time, you’ll be rewarded with a flavor experience that only improves with age.
Embrace the heat and savour the richness of one of the hottest homemade super-hot sauces I’ve ever made, a culinary masterpiece guaranteed to set your taste buds ablaze!
7Pot Brainstrain Chili Sauce – FAQs
How Long Can you Ferment Hot Sauce for?
If you’ve never made hot sauce, research the fermentation process first. My video from the Beginners Guide to Growing Peppers may also help!
Fermentation is a process that can be used to make delicious, tangy fermented hot sauce.
The duration of the fermentation process plays a crucial role in determining the flavor profile and intensity of the hot sauce.
Generally, the optimal time for fermenting hot sauce ranges from one to three weeks. However, this can vary depending on personal preferences and desired outcomes. The longer the hot sauce ferments, the more complex the flavors become, as the bacteria and yeast in the sauce continue to break down and metabolize the ingredients. This results in a full-bodied and tangy taste.
It is vital to consider that the fermentation process produces lactic acid, which gives the hot sauce its distinctive tang and acts as a natural preservative.
So, longer fermentation times can enhance the shelf life of the hot sauce, making it more shelf stable.
Ultimately, the duration of fermentation is a matter of experimentation and personal taste, empowering each individual to create their own unique fermented hot sauce.
Do I Need to Strain Hot Sauce?
When making hot sauce, it is not always necessary to strain it. Whether or not you strain your hot sauce depends on your preference and the desired consistency of the final product.
Straining is often done to remove seeds, pulp, and other solid particles from the sauce, resulting in a smooth finish.
However, some people enjoy the added texture and flavor of the seeds and pulp, so they skip the straining step.
Also, straining may not be necessary if you are making a fermented hot sauce, as the fermentation process naturally breaks down and softens the ingredients. This can result in a smooth and well-blended sauce without using a strainer.
Ultimately, deciding to strain hot sauce boils down to individual taste preferences and the desired result for your sauce.
What Happens if You Don’t Ferment Hot Sauce?
If you ferment your hot sauce, you ensure you get all the complex flavors and unique characteristics of the fresh ingredients coming through.
When it comes to hot sauce, fermenting the ingredients, such as chili peppers and garlic, intensifies the flavors. If you skip fermenting your hot sauce, it could lack depth of flavor, resulting in a one-dimensional flavor profile.
An added benefit of fermenting hot sauce, is it can increase the shelf life of your hot sauce by creating an acidic environment that prevents the growth of harmful bacteria.
Can You Ferment Hot Sauce Too Long?
Fermentation is an integral process in the creation of fermented hot sauce. It involves the growth and activity of beneficial bacteria and yeasts, allowing the flavors to develop and mature over time.
However, fermenting hot sauce for an extended period can have undesirable effects. The longer the fermentation process, the stronger and more intense the flavors become. While this may appeal to some, it could produce a hot sauce that is too overpowering for others.
Additionally, over-fermenting can lead to a decline in the overall quality of the hot sauce. The texture may become mushy, and the vibrant colors may fade. The acidity and tanginess can also become excessive, making the hot sauce unpalatable.
However, that’s not always the case. I turned a three-year ferment into a phenomenal hot sauce. So as long as you’re monitoring the fermentation process closely and adjusting the timing accordingly, this will ensure the production of a delicious and well-rounded hot sauce.
How Do You Know if Fermented Hot Sauce is Bad?
Fermentation involves the breakdown of sugars by bacteria and yeast. But how can you tell if your fermented hot sauce has gone bad?
One indicator is the presence of kahm yeast. This yeast appears as a white film or layer on the surface of the sauce and gives off a strong, unpleasant odor. Kahm yeast is a sign that the fermentation process may have gone wrong due to contamination or improper storage conditions.
Additionally, if your fermented hot sauce develops a moldy or slimy texture, it is likely spoiled and should not be consumed. On the other hand, if the hot sauce has a pleasant aroma and a tangy, acidic taste, it is safe to consume as the fermentation has produced the desired good bacteria that enhance flavor and provide health benefits.
It is always essential to trust your senses and use your judgment when determining the quality of fermented hot sauce. This dedicated video might help you decide whether your fermentation is healthy or if you should start again.
Can I Experiment with Different Ingredients?
Yes absolutely.
Once you’re comfortable with the process of making your super hot sauce, why not experiment with adding different ingredients?
For example, you could roast the peppers for a smoky flavor, add lime juice, lemon juice or dilute the sauce with vinegar. I use apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar, which adds a nice dimension. If you want a thicker sauce, consider adding a little xanthan gum.
I’ve been fermenting for years and still get a kick out of it. If you want to discover what I’ve fermented, check out my ferments playlist on Youtube.
Enjoy, and Stay Spicy!
Adding/Leaving the seeds does NOT increase the heat! The most heat comes from the filaments to which the seeds are attached. You want VERY hot pepper, try making one with much more filaments in it. The seeds do NOT contain capsaicin, so technically leaving the seeds in would make the sauce less hot.
The seeds are secured to the chilli by the pith. Removing the seeds, removes most of the pith. Agreed, the seeds themselves don’t have heat…but what surrounds them does. Next time you are planting superhot chilli seeds, give one a taste…there will be heat.
There isn’t an onion listed in the ingredient list but you say to remove the onion in step2 of making the sauce instructions.
I’m confused 🫤
Hi Jennifer. Did you watch the video? The onion isn’t an ingredient, it’s one method I use to keep ingredients submerged when fermenting.
I may have a small harvest this year, so may not have 20 brain strain yellows, but I might have enough for a decent ferment if I add 7 pot yellows to the mix. Do the two cultivars have similar properties that one can use them in the same batch without muddying the flavor profile? I may also add some yellow corno di toro to a second ferment that isn’t quite as overwhelmingly hot. Any thoughts are appreciated.
Hey Bill. Yes, the 7Pot Yellows will be quite similar in flavour profile, so should be great in this. And adding the corno di toro is a great way to bulk the sauce out. The heat level will be reduced a little, but it won’t be too noticeable. Let me know how it turns out!