Making Hot Sauces – Recipes, Techniques, etc.

[aliwaks]

Want to make my own hot sauce but don't know how...anyone?

[Jason Perlow]

1) Get a whole bunch of chiles

2) get a pan

3) turn heat to high on burner

4) add about a half inch of vinegar

5) throw in chiles and stand back

6) when chiles soften remove

7) throw chiles in blender

8) add salt and pepper to taste / garlic / seasonings

9) Optional: throw in other fruits and veggies, such as cooked mango, cooked carrot, tomato paste,

10) blend well

11) taste

12) review step 8, add more vinegar if necessary

13) bottle sauce, refrigerate and allow several days for flavors to mingle

[swissmiss]

Jason, how long can you keep such a sauce? Do you have to keep it in the fridge?

[Jinmyo]

As Jason said. But it's nice to toast the chiles first.

[Dave the Cook]

Jason, how long can you keep such a sauce? Do you have to keep it in the fridge?

On the shelf, weeks, if not months. In the refrigerator, months, if not years. But if you like the stuff enough to make your own, this isn't really an issue, is it? Or are you thinking about a holiday gift of

Swissmiss Artisanal Hot Pepper Sauce

made according to the Secret Recipe of

a Notorious Internet Dictator

?

Edited December 3, 2002 by Dave the Cook (log)

[Jason Perlow]

Well, home made hot sauces are not going to yeild the same results as commercialy made ones. McIlheny's Tabasco for example, actually ages chiles packed in heavy salt (with other seasonings and the vinegar) in oak barrels for 3 years to actually CURE the mixture.

Personally I try not to add too much salt to a home made sauce, which is why I say to taste it as you go. You want just enough to add flavor, the vinegar acts as a natural preservative, but its not gonna be totally cured like Tabasco is. Adding fruit like mangoes or citrus, or canned chipotles in adobo, may require adding more salt and vinegar. Its highly open to experimentation.

I like to keep mine in the fridge just to be safe.

[Rail Paul]

Good recipe, Jason.

I'd lightly brown the garlic, chop it, add it to the recipe with the chiles step, though. Better for repelling vampires..

[swissmiss]

Or are you thinking about a holiday gift of

Swissmiss Artisanal Hot Pepper Sauce

made according to the Secret Recipe of

a Notorious Internet Dictator

?

Dave I love the idea! Thank you so much! If I end up doing it I'll send you a bottle!

[donk79]

I've had wonderful success with the pepper garden this year, and have already produced some beautiful salsa with Cayenne and an early Habanero or two. However, the Habaneros are really hitting their stride and I won't be able to make enough salsa to contain that heat and still be edible. so I was thinking a hot sauce would be the way to go. I'm open to playing around with all kinds of bases, I just don't want these things to go to waste. Any suggestions?

And, Oh, BTW, blenderless suggestions would be great, since that's what I am.

[Kenk]

I grew some habaneros a couple of years ago. The hot sauce I made was the hottest thing I ever tryed. This really wasn't my goal but this stuff was so hot I was affraid of the stuff. The smell of the stuff made you start to tremble. This stuff really hurt when you used too much. The stuff tastes great.

Try adding vinigar, salt, garlic. Blend it cook it put it in sterilized jam jars.

You might want to try adding some orange juice.

[Human Bean]

It sounds like you're asking for recipes for canning; I can't help, because I've never done that. You might try a Melinda's-style carrot/onion/hab recipe for that; as always, google is your friend.

I've generally preserved habs by drying; cut a top-to-bottom slit in them to aid the process. You can freeze them, but they'll be somewhat mushy after defrosting - probably okay if you're just going to make fresh salsa with them.

I've had varying amounts of success with refrigerating a fresh salsa; sometimes it's radically different a mere 24 hours later. Something I've been trying lately is adding powdered vitamin C tablets to fresh salsa - about 3 grams per quart. It's main function is as an anti-oxidant, but also adds some sourness. I can't say that this method has been staggeringly successful though; I'm still experimenting, but the concept seems promising.

One thing you might try if you haven't already is to add mangoes to a tomato-based hab salsa - the fruitiness of the habs and the mangoes go well together. I made one a couple of weeks ago for some friends, and it was a big hit. I don't have a recipe, but it was tomatoes, sweet onions (Walla Walla/Vidalia/Maui, take your pick), yellow-skinned mangoes, habs, lime juice, a bit of garlic and salt/pepper. No cilantro; it didn't seem right at the time. The main defect of this sauce, surprisingly enough, was that it wasn't hot enough after being in the refrigerator overnight. Store-bought habs may have contributed, but I made a point of surgically removing most of the heat, since these weren't regualr hab eaters. I guess I overcompensated in the heat reduction.

[Sweet Willie]

so I was thinking a hot sauce would be the way to go. I'm open to playing around with all kinds of bases, I just don't want these things to go to waste.  Any suggestions?

There is a Q & A section on eGullet that might help, see here: http://forums.egullet.org/show.php/act/ST/...T/f/108/t/27260

[sabg]

I've had wonderful success with the pepper garden this year, and have already produced some beautiful salsa with Cayenne and an early Habanero or two. However, the Habaneros are really hitting their stride and I won't be able to make enough salsa to contain that heat and still be edible.  so I was thinking a hot sauce would be the way to go. I'm open to playing around with all kinds of bases, I just don't want these things to go to waste.  Any suggestions?

And, Oh, BTW, blenderless suggestions would be great, since that's what I am.

my grandmother used to make a hot pepper jelly (had sugar in it) and she served it on crakers and toast with cream cheese. bleieve it or not it was great. i will look for the recipe this evening

[donk79]

Thanks for all the suggestions. The jelly sounds like a great idea sabg. I tried to do some jelly before I knew what I was doing canning and ruined it as the lids popped ofin the water bath, so I'd love to give it another attempt, especially with a recipe instead of just winging it. I hope you can find that recipe.

[AuntieEm]

Have you ever visited the GardenWeb site Gardenweb? they have lots of canning tips and jelly recipes on the "Harvest Forum". I think a peach or mango chutney w/ habs is hard to beat.

Here's another link to recipes:clickity

Edited September 11, 2003 by AuntieEm (log)

[twodogs]

pickle all your season habaneros so as to keep your options open

the pickled whole habaneros last indefinately and then can be used at your discretion for sauces, chutney's jams, vinaigrettes, marinades, chile eating contests. also depending on the use you can adjust the heat with or without seeds

finally, the adition of acid and flavors in the pickling liquid brings the habanero into a balanced flavor, creates a habanero vinegar, and the acidulated chile adds balance to whatever you add it to

enjoy

cheers

[=Mark]

Here's a couple recipes for hot pepper jams and jellies you might want to look into...

[alanamoana]

Something I've been trying lately is adding powdered vitamin C tablets to fresh salsa - about 3 grams per quart. It's main function is as an anti-oxidant, but also adds some sourness

i think you can find powdered ascorbic acid/vitamin c at your local vitamin shop.

this may be easier to use than vitamin c tablets. also, they don't add sugar to this, so you'll need to add a little less.

in my pastry department, we used a liquid called "fruit acid". i think this is the same thing in liquid form. we use it to balance flavors when making fruit based mixtures like sorbet base, etc.

[Brad S]

Also look for Jean Andrews "Red Hot Peppers" Macmillan Publishing. Theres great imformation on almost every caspiun as well as wondeful recipes from soups to salsas and very thourough canning instructions.

Edited September 27, 2003 by Brad S (log)

[twodogs]

anyone headed to the aspen food and wine classic 2004 should try out our two hot sauces: smoke and fire and smoke and smolder. they will be given away for half a day at the classic by a pr firm. also present are two caramel corns made from the hot sauces and maple syrup and honey respectively.

enjoy and let us know what you think.

cheers

ps the booth or the name of our establishment is Keyah Grande in Pagosa Springs CO

[balmagowry]

I've had wonderful success with the pepper garden this year, and have already produced some beautiful salsa with Cayenne and an early Habanero or two.  However, the Habaneros are really hitting their stride and I won't be able to make enough salsa to contain that heat and still be edible.  so I was thinking a hot sauce would be the way to go.  I'm open to playing around with all kinds of bases, I just don't want these things to go to waste.  Any suggestions?

And, Oh, BTW, blenderless suggestions would be great, since that's what I am.

my grandmother used to make a hot pepper jelly (had sugar in it) and she served it on crakers and toast with cream cheese. bleieve it or not it was great. i will look for the recipe this evening

If it's at all like the hot pepper jelly a friend of mine makes, it'll also be great on vanilla ice cream.

[Lan4Dawg]

Fuss does a lot of stuff w/ our peppers. My brother brings a grocery bag of Datils up fr/ St. Augustine late in the summer and she uses those along w/ the habaneros, pepins, fingers, jalepenos, &c that we grow on the deck to make jellies, sauces, relishes, &c. Most of the receipts she uses are fr/ the Ball jar company's "Blue Book" or one of the dozen & a half pepper books I have around the house (I collect hot sauces & the kitchen is done in tabasco colors & peppers). If you want a specific receipt e-mail me (lan4d@joimail.com) and I will pass it along rather than bring on the wrath of the copy right gods by posting it here.

One of my favorite things to do is just put the peppers in a jar and cover w/ vinegar then use the vinegar for flavoring. It is exceptionally good on greens, beans, fried catfish, & cornbread.

[Bicycle Lee]

make some powder, man... take out the ribs and seeds and use for other applications and use the flesh for powder. That is, if you have enough after your hot sauce. My buddy gave me some habaneros last year and I too was afraid. I harvested them for seed and am growing my own right now.

[chappie]

I think I may have accidentally made a sauce very much like sracha, which I love and happen to be out of at the moment.

Last night I took a few dozen serranos (both red and green) from my father's garden, two anchos, half an onion, two carrots, a pinch of salt, a big clove of elephant garlic and a handful of sugar and boiled the works in cider vinegar (plus a splash of rice-wine vinegar) until the carrots were soft. Oh ... I roasted a red pepper and threw that in there, too.

Blended it, adding a little vinegar to thin it out, and what I've got tastes a lot like sracha only deeper, more complex. Garlicky, subtly sweet and a layered heat with the fruity undertones of the ancho. It's great!

This was the first time I've tried making a cooked hot sauce. Before I used to blend up serranos raw with garlic, salt, vinegar and sometimes fresh carrot juice.

[Daniel]

About two years ago my secretary mentioned to me that she has a garden in new jersey. I live in manhattan and dont have the oppurtunity to have a smoker or a garden So i was very happy to hear this news. Well, since then i have been getting her seeds from everywhere. And her garden is completely overrun. So much infact she complains that her other vegetables are getting spicy I have had mambosa seeds from Africa, i have gotten. chocolate habeneros, white bullets aka "gringo killers" and so on. I have always made that uncooked sauce made from distilled vinegar, salt, garlic, and a little ketchup and NC bbq sauce.

Well i have about 5 varities ready so far, still waiting for my little bullets and others.. But i definately want to try the cider vinegar and carrot sauce. Thanks for the help.