Food as Medicine: Five Ways Chili Peppers Can Help You Fight Disease & Illness
Capsaicin, the powerful compound that gives chilis their characteristic heat, also offers some serious health benefits.
This spicy, tangy condiment is full of antioxidants, anti-inflammatory compounds, and beneficial bacteria. The wild fermentation process allows for lactic acid producing bacteria to protect the sauce while providing great food for your microbiome as well. Use it in soups, stews, tacos, omelets – or wherever an extra kick is needed. Recipe courtesy of Fernanda Larson, MS, CN, 2019.
Ingredients
SERVINGS: 2 Cup(s)
- 6 serrano peppers
- 4 jalapeno peppers
- 1 habanero pepper (Optional for extra spicy sauce)
- 4 garlic cloves
- 2 limes, juiced
- 2 teaspoons salt
- Equipment: Blender or food processor and a 16 oz canning jar with a tight-fitting lid
Instructions
Wash chili peppers thoroughly and chop into 1-inch pieces using food handlers gloves to avoid letting the capsaicin come in contact with your skin. Discard the stems and place chopped peppers in a blender or food processor.
Pulse to break down the peppers. Add garlic, lime juice, and salt, and pulse a few more times until a chunky paste forms.
Transfer the sauce to the clean canning jar and close the lid tightly. Leave on the counter at room temperature and let it ferment for 2 to 3 days. During the fermentation time, check in with your sauce twice a day. Open the lid and mix the contents thoroughly, as the solids will separate from the liquid.
After 2 days, check for taste. If you prefer a tangier sauce, prolong the fermentation time by one day at a time, mixing and checking for taste each day, for up to 5 days.
Once the desired taste has been achieved, store in the refrigerator between uses.
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