Fermentation is a crazy scientific process that can drastically change the flavor and shelf life of foods. No one has mastered the art of fermentation quite like Jessica Huszar of Haxan Ferments. Haxan Ferments makes delicious fermented hot sauces and vinegars that are flavored with local produce to create super unique sauces.  

Jessica says that fermented hot sauces are different from typical hot sauces because the fermentation process “adds extra depth and richness to the sauce.” Jessica started the company in 2018, but has been interested in food science her whole life. She has always been a home cook, but she discovered the fun of fermentation in 2012 as a Molecular Biology grad student. It was a process that combined her love of cooking with her love of science, and a passion was born.  

As a home cook herself, Jessica’s products are inspired by what she would want in the kitchen. To make her unique flavors like Daikon Chile or Cucumber Bird’s Eye, she will start with an idea for one ingredient that she thinks would be interesting, and works her way backwards. Some flavors require countless trial and error batches before getting it just right, and some are perfect on the first or second try.  

From looking at Haxan’s website and all of the retailers that carry Jessica’s hot sauces and vinegars, it’s almost impossible to believe that she’s doing it all on her own, but she is extremely hardworking and manages to do 100% of the sauce production for over 30 retailers. She has doubled her production volume in the past year alone, while still sticking with her original mission of highlighting local flavors.  

Jessica aims to utilize fresh, seasonal ingredients in all of her recipes, which can be limiting at times, but can also be a great source of inspiration. She actually buys a number of ingredients from fellow farmer’s market vendors, like Alvarez and Collins. Looking around the markets for inspiration and experimenting with flavors is a great creative outlet for her.  

If you are looking for the perfect gift for the creative home cook in your life, consider picking up a Haxan gift box, that you can customize yourself with four of any of the available flavors. Haxan vinegars also make a great host gift as an alternative to a bottle of wine, and it’s something the recipient is sure to use and love!