Mold on homemade sriracha

Mold on homemade sriracha - Unrecognizable African American female pouring melted wax from beaker into glass mold with wooden wick while making candles at table

We found a recipe online for homemade sriracha hot sauce.

3lbs red jalapeños
1 cup brown sugar
⅛ cup salt

Everything was blended together, then set in a dark closet. The lid is not airtight but has an elastic band holding it shut. This was to let pressure escape as the recipe suggested.

It was supposed to be left for 2 weeks in a dark place. It has been one week but I am worried about the mold on the top.

After about 2-3 days it had a white layer. I read this might be yeast so ignored it. However, it now has fuzzy black mold and I am worried.

Most hot sauce recipes I see need vinegar or something to keep it from rotting but apparently this fermentation method works fine.

Is this sriracha still ok? Can we scrape the mold off after 1 more week?

sriracha early

sriracha first mold

sriracha much mold



Best Answer

Do NOT eat this. You figured out right that the stuff on top is mold. The thing that makes mold dangerous is the mycotoxins produced by it and these will likely remain in the sauce even if you scrape off the furry stuff. So eating this comes with high risk of affecting your health. Move it to the trash bin right away.

I would recommend to try again with a recipe with vinegar added and also to use containers that are more appropriate for doing fermentation. This means to minimize the amount of air in the container that could possibly contain any spores and to minimize the surface of the food exposed to the air. So using a bottle will serve your purpose much better than the only half-full glasses on your pictures.

Also be very careful to sterilize the containers and tools getting in contact with the sauce before starting the fermentation.




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Quick Answer about "Mold on homemade sriracha"

You figured out right that the stuff on top is mold. The thing that makes mold dangerous is the mycotoxins produced by it and these will likely remain in the sauce even if you scrape off the furry stuff. So eating this comes with high risk of affecting your health. Move it to the trash bin right away.

Can Sriracha get moldy?

Moldy Sriracha isn't something common, but if yours is, it has to go. Off aroma. If your Sriracha gives off a foul or fermented smell instead of the usual spicy-savory one, discard it.

Can hot sauce grow mold?

If your hot sauce appears to have spots of fuzzy mold, throw it away. However, discoloration (fading) is normal with oxygen exposure, and is not necessarily a cause for concern. Basically, if something appears to be growing on your hot sauce, it's time to say goodbye. Smell.

How long does homemade Sriracha last?

While the vinegar is still there as a natural preservative, it is recommended to store homemade sriracha in the fridge. Homemade sriracha will last around 4 to 6 months.

Does Sriracha ferment?

Fermentation, aka The Long, Long Wait for Sriracha The process starts with pureeing the chilies with garlic, salt, and sugar, then transferring that mixture into jars and waiting patiently.



How Sriracha Is Made




Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Images: Anna Shvets, Nicole Michalou, Anna Shvets, Nicole Michalou