Original Hot Sauce recipe by member: Layla Bonilla
Image Credit: Veganbaking.net, CC BY-SA 2.0
Hot Sauce
This isn’t so much a recipe as it is general tips & tricks for making hot sauce. With these simple, tried and true methods you can’t go wrong
Let me forewarn you, I am more of a broad strokes kind of person. Exactness and repetition are not my style so this creates a dilemma when it comes to recipe writing. Each time I make a hot sauce is different. I do not regularly measure ingredients, and even when I do it is a rough measurement. I will provide some semblance of a recipe, but my goal here is to give you the opportunity to be creative and make a hot sauce that suits you. Experiment and have some fun!
Pepper Prepper
WEAR GLOVES WHEN HANDLING PEPPERS.
I usually sort my peppers by general color, blending green and red peppers does not make a nice looking hot sauce. Peppers can be stored in the freezer to keep them fresh until its time for hot sauce making. It isn’t necessary to thaw them before blending, though if they get icy it will add a little extra water to the hot sauce. You should decide on if you want to go seedless before freezing and prep you peppers accordingly. Removing the seeds will have two effects on your hot sauces, less heat and smoother consistency. For convenience, just pop the stem off and throw whole peppers right in. I dont mind the texture of the seeds personally but they tend to get stuck in squeeze bottles. Glass bottles with mouths about the size of a quarter are nice for the less smooth or “chunky” hot sauces. If you want to keep the heat level down, remove the seeds. If you want a smooth hot sauce but are worried about loosing too much heat, the easiest no cook option is to soak your seeds in the vinegar you plan to use. Soak for a few minutes, and strain into blender.
Cooked vs Uncooked
When I am making hot sauce for myself, I usually go with uncooked. First off I find this way to be the easiest. Less prep work, less time, and less dishes to clean afterwards. Throw everything into a blender and blam you have yourself a hot sauce. More importantly I find that I prefer the flavor profile of uncooked peppers. However, cooking your peppers can help you achieve a smoother consistency and tame the heat level. The most simple option I recommend for beginners would be to simply boil in water or vinegar (it does not have to be immersed, use a lid to create some steaming action) with aromatic ingredients like garlic and onion. Keep an eye out for our Roasted Pepper Hot Sauce and Advanced Hot Sauce recipes!
Quick & Easy Blender Hot Sauce
(aso known as Pepper Smoothie)
1/3 cup Vinegar or more to taste (White, ACV, Rice Wine)
5 cups Hot peppers (measured uncooked)
1 cup Fruit of choice (mine is pineapple)
-Optional Ingredients-
2 cloves garlic
1/2 medium onion
2 tsp whole black peppercorn
1 tbsp Honey or Agave
Juice of Citrus (any)
Zest of Cirtus (any)
1 cup bell pepper of similar color (for color, heat reduction, and more pepper flavor)
1/2 cup Boiled Carrot (for consistency and heat reduction)
Salt to taste (don’t overdo it)
Blend and Voila!
Literally all the measurements here are just recommendations, add more or less of anything you want. The more ingredients you add, the more vinegar (or lemon/lime juice,) I would recommend adding.
This hot sauce *MUST BE REFRIGERATED*. I recommend portioning in small containers (what ever size makes sense for you) and keeping one in the fridge and the rest in the freezer. Usually this stays good for long enough that I use it all up, occasionally it will change colors or get an off taste (I suspect harmless Kahm yeast) but I have never had mold grow in my hot sauce. Obviously if you do, throw it out.
Good luck! Layla B.
