Fermented Mango Habanero Hot Sauce

A jar of mango habanero hot sauce on a board with a mango and chile peppers.

5 from 2 votes

This fermented Mango Habanero hot sauce is a wonderful spin on the traditional hot sauce. It is sweet, very spicy and savory. The recipe is pretty straightforward and a great way to learn about fermentation. This sauce can be enjoyed with tacos, burritos, rice dishes, grilled meats, chips or anytime you want to add a sweet and spicy kick to your meal.

Prep Time20

Ferment Time3

Total Time3 20

Course: condiment

Cuisine: Mexican

Diet: Vegan, Vegetarian

Servings: Servings

Author: Luay Ghafari

Cost: $10

Equipment

¾ quart mason jar (24 fl oz mason jar)
Fermentation weight - Optional but recommended
Fermentation lid or airlock - Optional but recommended

Ingredients

Brine

2 cups Unchlorinated water - Bottled, spring or filtered water is fine (473ml)
1 tbsp Kosher salt, sea salt or pickling salt - 17 grams

Fermentation Ingredients

2-3 Garlic cloves
½ White onion
1 cup Fresh mango - Chopped into chunks
1 Yellow or orange bell pepper - Seeded and cut into chunks
1-2 Fresh Habanero peppers - Chopped into chunks

Seasoning (after fermentation)

2 tbsp White vinegar
1 tbsp Lime juice
½ tsp Ground cumin
½ tsp Ground coriander

Instructions

Make Brine. In a measuring cup, combine the water and kosher salt, pickling salt, or sea salt. Wisk to combine. The salt should be completely dissolved.
Pack jar. Add the garlic and the white onion half to the bottom of a mason jar. Carefully pack the fresh mango, sweet peppers and habanero peppers into the jar, pressing down firmly as you fill it.
Weigh down. Apply fermenting weight, if using. See Note.
Add Brine. Pour the salt brine into the mason jar and cover everything. Tap the jar a few times to release any air bubbles. Discard any leftover brine.
Ferment. Apply the fermenting lid. Ferment on the counter for 3–5 days. The longer you ferment, the tangier the sauce will be. The brine may get cloudy, and that’s completely normal.
Strain. Strain the contents of the mason jar, reserving the brine.
Blend. Transfer the peppers, mango, onion and garlic to a blender and add the vinegar, lime juice, cumin and coriander. Blend until smooth (or your desired consistency is reached). You can add a splash of the brine to help loosen the sauce if needed.
Bottle. Transfer the sauce to a squeeze bottle or glass jar. Refrigerate and use within 2-3 weeks.

Notes

Refer to the post above for step-by-step recipe photos.

Ingredient Notes:

Fruit: This recipe uses fresh, sweet mango.
Peppers: Habanero peppers are very spicy! I don't recommend using more than a couple. Balance them out by adding sweet bell pepper. Use yellow or orange bell pepper to complement the color of the habanero and mango.
Seasonings: Ground cumin and ground coriander round out the flavor of this sauce. You can use more or less, or none at all.
Acid: I like adding both lime juice and white wine vinegar to this recipe once the fermentation step is complete. It helps round out the flavor and preserve the color and freshness of the sauce.

No Fermentation Equipment? No problem! Simply use a standard mason jar lid, but make sure to "burp" the jar daily to release any built-up gasses.

Other Tips:

Wear gloves! Handling hot peppers and then touching your face or other part of your body is asking for trouble! When preparing the hot peppers, use latex or nitrile gloves to protect yourself.
Keep it clean. Sterilize your jars and utensils before using them to prevent unwanted bacterial growth. You can sterilize jars and tools by washing them in hot soapy water and then boiling them for 5 minutes.
Safety first. Make sure to refrigerate your final finished hot sauce in the fridge. Don’t leave it out on the counter after you fermented and blended it.

Make sure to also try my Fermented Pineapple Jalapeno Hot Sauce and Passion Fruit Hot Sauce.

Nutrition