Easy Homemade Hot Sauce

I love a good fermented hot sauce, but it takes weeks of prep time and sometimes I don't have the motivation. This is my quick and easy way of keeping my fridge stocked with flavour - I always have a bottle of red and green on the go.

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There are a few reasons to try this homemade hot sauce:

You know what you like - hot sauces on the grocery shelves can range from smoky tomato to salted car battery acid. If you know that you like jalapeno or cayenne, then you'll probably like a jalapeno or cayenne sauce.

Nothing beats fresh - fruit flavours drop off as they age. Commercial hot sauces are made to last on shelves, and sacrifice some important flavour notes to do so. Making your own sauce with a few simple ingredients keeps your sauces fresh, clean, and consistent.

This recipe used red and green finger peppers, 12 of each. If you're using cayenne or a similar-sized pepper, 12-15 is the sweet spot. For the recipe below, buy fewer larger peppers or more smaller peppers if you're experimenting.

For storage, I've found these sauce bottles work best. The included funnel works perfectly, and the bottle squeezes well without being too flimsy. Sometimes I need to trim a mm off the cap nozzle so the seeds won't jam.

Safety Notes!!!

Hot peppers can hurt. Always wear gloves before handling or wash your hands with a strong degreaser before touching anything that you care about.

It's also a good idea to turn your fume hood on, or open some windows to keep the eau de toilette épicé out of your eyes and clothes.

Ingredients

• 2 cups of hot peppers of your choice

• 1 tsp salt

• 1/2 cup flavoured vinegar

• 4 cloves of garlic (or 2 tbsp of toum)

Directions

• Chop the heads off of your peppers. If using large peppers, you can cut them in halves or thirds to fit easier in your pot.

• Add your pepper and garlic to a pot, cover in vinegar, and boil until soft. Usually 10-20 minutes.

• Allow 10 minutes to cool, then add to a food processor or blender. Blend until smooth.

• Add to a sauce container and enjoy!

Check out the video walkthrough for tips and tricks!