Making hot sauce at home

Recipes

Make your own hot sauces at home that will taste a lot better and cost far less than you would pay for them at a store. Hot sauces are growing exponentially around the world. The days when you could only find them in speciality stores has changed forever. Now, literally hot sauces are to be found in just about every supermarket, and there are loads to be found online. While it is great fun tasting buying at tasting these sauces, nothing beats making your own. This a great way to use your harvest of homegrown Chillies!

Peri Peri Sauce
Basic hot sauce
Thai sweet chilli sauce

A basic recipe

Making hot sauce at home is a great way to customise the heat and flavour to your own preferences. Here's a simple recipe to get you started:

Ingredients:
  • 1 pound fresh Chillies (such as Jalapeño, Scotch Bonnet, or Thai Chillies)
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/2 cup white vinegar
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
Instructions:
  1. Wash and dry the Chillies, then remove the stems.
  2. If you prefer a milder sauce, remove the seeds and membranes from the Chillies. For a hotter sauce, leave them in.
  3. In a blender or food processor, combine the peppers, garlic, vinegar, water, salt, and sugar.
  4. Blend until the mixture is smooth.
  5. Pour the mixture into a saucepan and bring it to a simmer over medium heat.
  6. Reduce the heat and let the sauce simmer for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  7. Remove the sauce from the heat and let it cool to room temperature.
  8. Transfer the sauce to a clean jar or bottle and store it in the refrigerator.

Your homemade hot sauce should keep for several weeks in the refrigerator. Adjust the heat and flavour to your liking by experimenting with different types of Chilies and seasonings. Enjoy!