Fermented Hot Sauce

• 4 lb Peppers (all one type or a mix of spicy and sweet peppers), sliced open and de-seeded. You can also use all green peppers or all red peppers to make a red or green hot sauce.
• 3 Garlic Cloves, crushed
• 1 tsp Black Peppercorns 
• 1 tsp Coriander Seeds 
• 4 cups filtered water, to combine with salt for brine (non-chlorinated water as chlorine can interfere with fermentation)
• 33.6g (2 Tbsp) Sea Salt or Pickling salt (avoid table salt as it has chemical anticaking agents added to it)

This recipe uses a 3.5% brine solution. Not all salts weigh the same, so if you have a kitchen scale then weighing it is recommended.  

1. Wash the peppers. Wearing gloves, slice the peppers lengthwise and remove the seeds and pith (white part).
2. Into a clean quart size jar, add a small amount of briner and then add the crushed cloves of garlic, spices and then pack in the peppers (wearing gloves to press them in). 
3. Combine the filtered water and salt in a separate container or pot. You can lightly heat it until the salt dissolves, but don't over heat it.
4. Allow the brine to cool to room temperature (or lukewarm), and then pour it over the peppers until the jar is full and everything is fully submerged. Wiggle or gently tap the jar to remove air pockets.
5. Place a fermentation weight on top of the peppers and seal it with a fermentation lid or other tight fitting lid (if using a regular lid, the ferment will need to be burped everyday meaning unscrewing the lid to allow the build up to escape so the jar does not explode - then resealing the jar). The veggies must be fully covered with the brine to prevent it from growing molding. Ferment it in a dark spot on the counter top (ideally 21C/70F) for 14-21 days.  
6. After 7-14 days, place a strainer over a bowl and pour contents through the strainer. Keep the strained liquid and set aside.
7. Add the fermented peppers, garlic and spices to a blender along with 1/2 cup of the reserved liquid. Blend smooth. Add more of the reserved liquid until you reach your desired consistency.