Ferm Foundations – Fermented Lemon Serrano Hot Sauce
Bitter: ⭐✰✰✰✰
Salty: ⭐⭐✰✰✰
Sour: ⭐⭐⭐⭐✰
Sweet: ⭐✰✰✰✰
Umami: ⭐⭐✰✰✰
Heat: ⭐⭐⭐✰✰✰✰✰✰✰
Quick Flavor Notes: Lemon, bright, vegetal, garlic, sour
Texture: Medium Thick and Chunky
Ingredients: Distilled Vinegar, Serrano Peppers, Yellow Bell Peppers, Lemon, Garlic, Salt
Recommended: Yes
Website: https://www.fermfoundations.com/
This is the second sauce that I’ve tried from Ferm Foundations, a small hot sauce, Kimchi, and Sauerkraut company out of Manchester, PA. I’ve previously enjoyed their Serrano Mustard hot sauce, but I’m always down for a mustard based sauce. Fruity sauces on the other hand are ones that I’m usually not in the mood for, but I was intrigued by a sauce featuring lemon instead of the usual mango and pineapple that show up in fruity sauces.
As with all of their sauces the ingredients list is clean with only vinegar, serrano peppers, yellow bell peppers, lemon, garlic, and salt. The magic of this combination happens during the fermentation process where Lactobacillus bacteria break down the sugars in the ingredients to create lactic acid which adds some sour notes and some nice funky depth of flavor.
The first flavor that hit my palate with Ferm Foundations Lemon Serrano was the lemon. The lemon creates an immediate brightness and freshness that’s followed by the grassy and vegetal flavor of the green serranos. The fermented funk and garlic come in after and round out the flavor profile. Between the lemon, vinegar, and lactic acid from the fermentation process this sauce is one of the most sour and tangy I’ve tasted. I personally love that flavor profile and this sauce is very bright and vibrant because of it. The fermentation also creates some umami notes that add a bit of richness to the finish of the sauce. Overall this sauce is very bright and fresh tasting.
With the strong lemon flavor, brightness, and sour-forward flavor profile I was curious how hard this would be to pair but I found the sauce quite versatile. It’s great on a cheesesteak where the brightness and acidity help cut through the richness. It’s excellent on an Italian sub, again those bright flavors and lemon being a great foil to the salty cured meats. Grilled and steamed vegetables turned out to be a great pairing as well, which makes sense as they’re often finished with lemon. I also enjoyed this sauce with some cod fillets I sauteed, again lemon and fish being a natural pairing, and it giving me a bit of a lemon pepper vibe.
I’m happy to recommend Ferm Foundations Lemon Serrano hot sauce. The use of lemon as a major flavor element in a fermented sauce is unique and goes well with a variety of foods. This sauce is all natural with no artificial preservatives, flavors, colors, or thickeners.
