Make Hot Sauce

So you love a killer hot sauce? Making a simple one from scratch lets you create just the right amount of heat. Choosing the right peppers, blending them with spices and vegetables, then cooking the mixture will result in a hot sauce you won't soon forget.

Ingredients

Hot sauce #1:

  • 1/2 to 2 lbs (.23-.9 kg) of the pepper of your choosing
  • 1 clove of garlic
  • 1/2 large onion
  • 16 oz (473 ml) tomato sauce
  • 1 tablespoon (15 ml) vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon (5 g) crushed red peppers
  • 2 tablespoon (18 g) salt

Hot sauce #2:

  • 8 serrano peppers
  • 2 jalapeños
  • 2 habaneros
  • 1 1/2 shallots
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1 cup (237 ml) cup water
  • Salt
  • 1/2 cup (120 ml) mango nectar
  • 1 cup (237 ml) vinegar

Steps

Hot sauce #1

  1. Choose your peppers. Pepper selection is important. This will determine how mild or hot your sauce will be. Here is a small list of peppers and how they taste:
    • Jalapeños: These peppers are ideal for making mild sauces. They have a strong flavor with less kick than other peppers. They are typically green and about 1.5 inches (3.8 cm) with a curved shape. They look a little "stubby".
    • Serranos: These peppers look like jalapeños but are twice as hot. Use these peppers for a hotter sauce. They look similar to jalapeños but are not as wide. They're green when they're not ripe, but the color varies when they do ripen.
    • Pequin: These peppers look like small red berries. They have a unique flavor and are very hot. The difficulty encountered when using this pepper is obtaining a large enough quantity to make a good sauce.
    • Habanero: This pepper is one of the hottest of all peppers. Use this pepper if you want to burn your mouth with fire. It looks shriveled and is usually bright orange or red.
    • Bhut Jolokia: The "ghost chili" at over one million Scoville units. This rare chili comes from parts of India.
  2. Select the appropriate quantity of peppers for your taste. After selecting the pepper, you should further determine the heat your sauce by deciding on the appropriate quantity of peppers. Mild sauce will use half a pound (.23 kg) and hot will use 2 pounds (.9 kg).
  3. Mince one clove of garlic.
  4. Dice one half of a large onion.
  5. Mix the garlic, onion, hot peppers (after taking seeds out) and 16 ounces (473 ml) of tomato sauce in a food processor. Puree the mix until all thick chunks are gone.
  6. Place the mix in a frying pan. Cook on low to medium heat until simmering.
  7. Add one tablespoon (15 ml) of vinegar.
  8. Strain hot sauce into a jar.
  9. Finished.

Hot sauce #2

  1. Remove the stems from the peppers. Slice into 1 inch/2.5cm slices.
  2. Mince the shallots and garlic.
  3. Pour the water into a saucepan. Add the salt. Simmer for a few minutes.
  4. Add the mango nectar.
  5. Remove from the heat. Add the vinegar.
  6. Pour into a blender. Pulse until smooth.
  7. Pour into suitable bottles or jars. Follow proper sterilization procedures. Label and date, the store.



Tips

  • Add salt to taste.
  • The heat of the sauce can also be reduced by adding shredded carrot. This especially helps habanero sauces, where the sweetness of the carrot helps to bring out habanero's naturally fruity flavor.
  • To reduce the heat of the sauce, cut open the peppers and remove the seeds and membrane.
  • It is better to start out too mild than too hot.
  • Experiment. There are many different kinds of hot sauces from many different pepper-loving countries, so consider this just a starting point.

Warnings

  • If you have any cuts, eczema, or any similar skin problems on your hands, you should wear gloves when cutting hot peppers. The burning from the oils will not go away with washing after a while. If you are dealing with many hot peppers (and even some jalapenos can be hot), it is best to wear rubber gloves even if your skin is intact. When you notice your hands being burnt, it will be too late and you will be in for several hours of suffering.
  • You may want to cook this outside. The fumes coming off may irritate your lungs if your kitchen is small!
  • This recipe does not instruct on how to safely can or preserve the hot sauce, so it is best to keep it in your refrigerator for a week or two or in the freezer. In addition, a layer of oil will help to keep it fresh in the freezer; vegetable oil is good, sesame oil adds a distinctive but tasty flavour.
  • Do not touch your eyes or any sensitive area after handling peppers; the oils from the pepper skin will irritate it. Wash your hands thoroughly, with lots of soap.

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