"Burning" Questions

Jiracha Fermented Hot Sauces are inspired by our family's multicultural heritage and fermentation traditions. We believe fermented foods create delicious and healthy meals. Every sauce tests our technical and creative limit by blending tradition, food science, and love of each ingredient.

We've been lacto-fermenting for over 15 years, so we've only made fermented probiotic hot sauces. We really love this stuff!

We spent months creating your live-fermented sauce with the help of Lactic-Acid Bacteria (LABs).
These bacteria exist naturally on all our fruits and vegetables unless the produce was chemically disinfected, irradiated, or cooked at a temperature that kills the harmful microbes and the good microbes (including LABs). Instead, Jiracha Fermented Hot Sauces uses time, salt, and acid to help the LABs ferment our vegetables and "win" the fight against harmful bacteria, mold, and yeasts. Time, salt, and acid also create a really delicious situation!

We do not use a "kill phase", such as with hot bottling. We cold bottle because our sauce tastes better alive and probiotic.

This means Jiracha Fermented Hot Sauces need refrigeration or they will continue fermenting. If your bottle stays at room temperature too long, CO2 builds and the pressure inside could cause a small hiss when you open the bottle.

Be careful! Too much pressure could get messy!

Yes, Jiracha Fermented Hot Sauces will ferment at room temperature. Technically, it is fermenting very slowly even in the fridge! Keep your Jiracha in the fridge so the flavor/fermentation level stays consistent.

Even with slow fermentation in the fridge, CO2 gas pressure builds inside the bottle over the long term. Outside of the fridge, the CO2 production can be large and fast. If there's too much pressure, there could be a little mess! Taken to the extreme, you could end up with a carbonated hot sauce. (For the curious: the spicy bubbles sparkle on your tongue but opening the bottle makes a huge mess). 

To prevent all of that drama, we ship with ice packs and recommend express shipping. 

Current dilution recommendations:

Srirachas
spicy Lechon Kawali dipping sauce

3 parts white vinegar to 1 part sauce in a sealed jar. Shake hard. 

Cuyahoga Gold  
66% less hot

Mix equal parts Cuyahoga Gold, Ketchup, and Mustard. Stir. 

For thousands of years, live-fermented foods have been safely made by humans. 
Look around, where are the all live-fermented foods at your grocery store? They're in the refrigerated section, if there are any.

Why? 

1) Kaboom! "Live" Lactic Acid ferments are indeed alive and they exhale CO2.  Without an air-lock or valve in the lid, there is a risk that the gas pressure will build to the point of making a massive mess when you open the bottle. 

2) Flavor Lock. Refrigeration slows down the fermentation process to keep the flavor consistent. Time changes our sauces just like live-fermented sauerkraut or kimchi:

more fermentation time = a deeper, tangier flavor.

3) Color Lock. Fermentation at room temperature can cause a cloudy appearance. This is similar to the clouding you see in "live" vinegars. For example, if Cuyahoga Gold Sauce is left to ferment long-term, it will shift colors from a warm orange to a soft creamsicle-orange. 

This does not impact the flavor.

Water does not help. 

You need something cold and rich. Sour cream or ranch dressing works well. A milkshake or frozen fruit with yogurt is also really helpful! 

Take a deep breath, you're ok.

That's just the capsaicin from the peppers binding to your temperature-sensing nerves.
Your body is tricked! It feels like you're being burned you're completely safe.
The pain will fade away. You got this.

(Unless you have a pre-existing medical condition... if you have unstable heart rate, heart rhythm, or blood pressure, you already know to get medical attention if you're not feeling right. Especially with that Cuyahoga Reaper Sauce).