Why do we like hot sauces and how is that not everybody into them? Let’s find out through a couple of hot sauce recipes!
Chili sauce, also known as hot sauce, is a sauce made of hot pepper. The hotness of the pepper is caused by compounds called capsaicionids which cause burning sensation in mammals. In reality, it does nothing to the tissues, only plays with our nerves.
For those who can’t bear the pain, there is good news. If we heroically survive the first couple of minutes, our senses will be numbed enough to bear the pain without running around and shouting for water. It’s good to keep in mind that water will not help us eliminate the sensation and trying to wash it down with anything fizzy will make it worse.
The archenemy of hot peppers is dairy. The proteins in milk and any of its derivatives bound with capsaicin -which is a main capsaicionid- and wash it away relatively quickly. If we are burning to free ourselves form spiciness on a dairy free diet, then a cup of sugary water solution or a few spoonfuls of rice may be just as good.
But making hot sauces is not about running from pain but embracing it. There are many varieties of hot peppers that can be enjoyed with the never-ending possibilities of hot sauces.
Ingredients
Pro tip: Ferment hot peppers
- 1 qt / 1L Water
- 3 tablespoons / 50g Salt
- ½ – 1 cup / 125 – 250ml Vinegar
- 2 cloves Garlic (optional)
- 1 lb / 500g Hot peppers
Basic
- 6 Hot peppers (100g)
- 2 cloves Garlic
- ½ cup / 125ml Vinegar
- ½ cup / 125ml Water
- ¼ tablespoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon Paprika (optional)
Advanced
- 6 Hot peppers (100g)
- 2 cloves Garlic
- ½ cup / 125ml Vinegar
- 1 cup / 250ml Water
- ¼ tablespoon Salt
- 2 Tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon Paprika (optional)
Overkill
- 6 Hot peppers (100g)
- 2 cloves Garlic
- ½ cup / 125ml Vinegar
- ½ cup / 125ml Apple juice
- ¼ tablespoon Salt
- 2 Tomatoes
- 1 medium Onion
- 1 teaspoon Paprika (optional)
How to make hot sauce
Pro-tip: Ferment hot pepper
- Dissolve salt in water making brine.
- Cut the peppers into half and the size of our fermenting jars.
- Fill the peppers into the jars and add the optional garlic. It tastes better with garlic, of course it does…
- Fill the jars up with brine.
- Find something to keep the peppers under the water. It’s essential that the peppers stay under the water at all the times.
- Place the lid on but don’t screw it on then put the jars into a dark cool corner for 1 -2 weeks until the water gets murky.
- Remove the peppers from the brine but don’t discard the brine that’s our fermented hot sauce.
- Blend the peppers with a bit of the brine and the vinegar in a food processor.
- Some like to filter out the bits from their hot sauce. It’s not necessary.
- Mix the peppers with the brine and fill it into jars.
- Screw the lid on tightly and start the canning process or keep it in the fridge for about 14 days. Check out how canning works in our KnowledgeBase
Basic
- Chop up hot peppers and garlic with a knife or a food processor that can be cleaned easily. Use various types of hot pepper for more fun.
- Put the chopped peppers and garlic into a saucepan, pour the vinegar and water in then simmer on low heat until the peppers soften for about 5 – 10 minutes. At some point add salt and optional paprika too.
- Empty the whole pan into a food processor and give it a good whirl until the whole mixture becomes uniform.
- Add more water if more liquid texture is preferred otherwise pour the hot sauce into a jar. Use a sieve to get rid of the bits and seeds if desired.
- The hot sauce can be happily stored in the fridge for at least 6 days but we can use standard canning procedures to make them last in the cupboard too. Check out how canning works in our KnowledgeBase.
Advanced
- Chop up hot peppers and garlic with a knife or a food processor that can be cleaned easily. Use various type of hot peppers for more fun.
- Put the chopped peppers and garlic into a saucepan, pour the vinegar and water in then simmer on low heat until the peppers soften for about 5 minutes.
- Pure tomatoes in a food processor then mix into the pan.
- Add salt, optional paprika then continue to cook on low heat until it thickens for about 5 – 10 minutes.
- Empty the whole pan into a food processor and give it a good whirl until the whole mixture becomes uniform.
- Add more water if more liquid texture is preferred otherwise pour the hot sauce into jar. Use a sieve to get rid of the bits and seeds if desired.
- The hot sauce can be happily stored in the fridge for at least 6 days but we can use standard canning procedures to make them last in the cupboard too. Check out how canning works in our KnowledgeBase.
Overkill
- Chop up hot peppers and garlic with a knife or a food processor that can be cleaned easily. Use various type of hot peppers for more fun.
- Put the chopped peppers and garlic into a saucepan, pour the vinegar and apple juice in then simmer on low heat until the peppers soften for about 5 minutes.
- Pure tomatoes in a food processor then mix into the pan.
- Chop the onion finely then add it to the pan too.
- Add salt, optional paprika then continue to cook on low heat until it thickens for about 5 – 10 minutes.
- Empty the whole pan into a food processor and give it a good whirl until the whole mixture becomes uniform.
- Add more water if more liquid texture is preferred otherwise pour the hot sauce into jar. Use a sieve to get rid of the bits and seeds if desired.
- The hot sauce can be happily stored in the fridge for at least 6 days but we can use standard canning procedures to make them last in the cupboard too. Check out how canning works in our KnowledgeBase.
Enjoy!
Star this recipe!
Hot Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
Basic
- 6 Hot peppers 100g
- 2 cloves Garlic
- ½ cup / 125ml Vinegar
- ½ cup / 125ml Water
- ¼ tablespoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon Paprika optional
Advanced
- 6 Hot peppers 100g
- 2 cloves Garlic
- ½ cup / 125ml Vinegar
- 1 cup / 250ml Water
- ¼ tablespoon Salt
- 2 Tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon Paprika optional
Overkill
- 6 Hot peppers 100g
- 2 cloves Garlic
- ½ cup / 125ml Vinegar
- ½ cup / 125ml Apple juice
- ¼ tablespoon Salt
- 2 Tomatoes
- 1 medium Onion
- 1 teaspoon Paprika optional
Instructions
Basic
- Chop up hot peppers and garlic with a knife or a food processor that can be cleaned easily. Use various types of hot pepper for more fun.
- Put the chopped peppers and garlic into a saucepan, pour the vinegar and water in then simmer on low heat until the peppers soften for about 5 – 10 minutes. At some point add salt and optional paprika too.
- Empty the whole pan into a food processor and give it a good whirl until the whole mixture becomes uniform.
- Add more water if more liquid texture is preferred otherwise pour the hot sauce into a jar. Use a sieve to get rid of the bits and seeds if desired.
- The hot sauce can be happily stored in the fridge for at least 6 days but we can use standard canning procedures to make them last in the cupboard too. Check out how canning works in our KnowledgeBase.
Advanced
- Chop up hot peppers and garlic with a knife or a food processor that can be cleaned easily. Use various type of hot peppers for more fun.
- Put the chopped peppers and garlic into a saucepan, pour the vinegar and water in then simmer on low heat until the peppers soften for about 5 minutes.
- Pure tomatoes in a food processor then mix into the pan.
- Add salt, optional paprika then continue to cook on low heat until it thickens for about 5 – 10 minutes.
- Empty the whole pan into a food processor and give it a good whirl until the whole mixture becomes uniform.
- Add more water if more liquid texture is preferred otherwise pour the hot sauce into jar. Use a sieve to get rid of the bits and seeds if desired.
- The hot sauce can be happily stored in the fridge for at least 6 days but we can use standard canning procedures to make them last in the cupboard too. Check out how canning works in our KnowledgeBase.
Overkill
- Chop up hot peppers and garlic with a knife or a food processor that can be cleaned easily. Use various type of hot peppers for more fun.
- Put the chopped peppers and garlic into a saucepan, pour the vinegar and apple juice in then simmer on low heat until the peppers soften for about 5 minutes.
- Pure tomatoes in a food processor then mix into the pan.
- Chop the onion finely then add it to the pan too.
- Add salt, optional paprika then continue to cook on low heat until it thickens for about 5 – 10 minutes.
- Empty the whole pan into a food processor and give it a good whirl until the whole mixture becomes uniform.
- Add more water if more liquid texture is preferred otherwise pour the hot sauce into jar. Use a sieve to get rid of the bits and seeds if desired.
- The hot sauce can be happily stored in the fridge for at least 6 days but we can use standard canning procedures to make them last in the cupboard too. Check out how canning works in our KnowledgeBase.
Easy and tasty!
I tried the basic one and it’s perfect!