PREP: 1 hour 15 minutes FERMENT: 3 days COOK: 10 minutes MAKES: 9 cups

Apple Sriracha-Style Hot Sauce

What You’ll Need

3 qt. bottled spring water

4½ Tbsp. all-natural fine sea salt

3 lb. red chile peppers, such as Fresno, stemmed and quartered (tip, page 107)

2 lb. red apples, cored and cut into chunks

1 head garlic, cloves separated, peeled, and coarsely chopped (about ¼ cup)

¼ cup sugar

¼ cup cider vinegar

How to Make It

1. In a 6-qt. ceramic crock or glass container combine the water and salt; stir to dissolve. Add chiles, apples, and garlic. Place a plate that fits just inside the container on the chile mixture to keep it submerged. Cover container with a kitchen towel. Ferment at room temperature (70°F–75°F) 3 to 5 days or until bubbles form around the edges, skimming off any white residue that forms on the surface.

2. Using a slotted spoon, transfer chiles, apples, and garlic to a 6- to 8-qt. stainless-steel, enamel, or nonstick pot. Add 6 cups of the liquid. Stir in sugar and vinegar. Bring to boiling, stirring occasionally; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, 10 minutes or until apples are tender.* Using an immersion blender, blend mixture until smooth. (Or cool slightly and process in batches in a blender until smooth.)

3. Firmly press mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl (the more solids that are pressed into the liquid, the thicker the sauce will be). Discard solids remaining in sieve. If desired, return strained mixture to pot and boil gently, uncovered, 10 minutes or until desired consistency. Transfer sauce to clean jars or bottles; seal and label. Store in the refrigerator up to 6 months.

*Recipe Note: The process of blending and boiling the mixture will produce strong vapors, so be sure you have proper ventilation before you begin.

Banana Pepper-Green Apple Hot Sauce: Prepare as directed, except use hot banana peppers for the red chile peppers and Granny Smith apples for the apples.

Beet-Apple Hot Sauce: Prepare as directed, except add 1 lb. red beets, finely chopped, to the mixture in Step 1.

PER 1 TSP. SAUCE: 3 cal., 0 g fat, 0 mg chol., 69 mg sodium, 1 g carb., 0 g fiber, 0 g pro.

See a little white residue on the surface of the fermenting mixture? These are wild yeasts that form at the higher end of the fermenting temperature range, and they’re completely safe. Skim off what you can and continue as directed.