Fermentation Support Forum

RobertN wrote:Hi Robbie,

for the fermentation, additional sugar is not necessary at all. The lactic acid bacteria (LAB) can digest all kinds of carbohydrates.
You can add sugar afterwards, to round up your hot sauce. But if you not pasteurize it, the sugar will be soon converted to CO2 by the LAB's.
Good Luck!

Robert

Thanks for the info.

I was just worried that the fermentation wasn't working like my first batch because I forgot the sugar.

Everything else seems okay, brine is cloudy and smells great, just no bubbling.

How would I pasteurize it if I add the sugar later?

Hi Robbie,

for pasteurization, heat the chili sauce for maybe 5-10 min to 70—80 degree Celsius (sorry, I‘m European... don’t know what’s that in Fahrenheit). That should be enough. 80 degrees C are maximum! The more heat you apply, the more taste is gone.
Therefore, I usually not pasteurize my fermented foods. And because there are already preserved because of the lactic acid.
But if you want to do it, use sterilized jars as well.
Fill the pasteurized sauce in sterilized jars (usually, I just poor freshly cooked water in my jar and in the lid and let it sit for a couple of minutes). If you really want to go sure with sterilization, you can heat your oven to 180 degrees Celsius and put the jars in there for minimum 10 minutes.

Good luck!
Robert

Oh Wow! That looks really good! This thread looks like it's been around a while, so your sauce has probably been made by now. How did it turn out?