Ingredients
fresh hot peppers (cayenne, jalapeños, habaneros, Thai chiles, etc.), finely chopped/minced
raw, unfiltered honey (preferably local)
mason jar
Instructions
- Fill a pint (or quart) sized mason jar about 1/2 full of chopped hot peppers such as cayenne, jalapeños, habaneros or Thai chiles. You can chop them by hand or pulse them in the food processor; a mechanical hand chopper tool works well too! There is no need to remove the seeds.
- Cover with honey until jar is full and the peppers are fully submerged. If honey is too solid to pour, gently heat it by placing it in a warm water bath. Take care not to heat the honey beyond about 110F, or you risk destroying its beneficial enzymes and microbes.
- Secure the jar’s lid, and place in a sunny windowsill to ferment. It’s not a bad idea to place it on a plate *just in case* the ferment gets overly enthusiastic. I’ve only had this happen with hot honey once, but every so often, a ferment will try to escape its jar.
- Flip the jar onto its lid once a day or so. This ensures that the hot peppers stay submerged under the honey. You do not want them exposed to any oxygen or you risk contamination and bacteria growth.
- Ferment for 2-3 weeks, allowing plenty of time for the flavor to extract into the honey and the microbes to work their magic.
- When the time is up, use a fine mesh strainer to strain out the peppers. The honey will now be a bit thinner, thanks to the infused pepper juices.
- Transfer to a clean glass jar with an airtight lid. Your fermented honey is shelf stable, but storing in a cool location out of direct sunlight will maximize its lifespan. ♥
