How to Make Hot Sauce (Homemade Hot Sauce Recipe)
This homemade hot sauce recipe is one I make every summer when peppers start piling up in the garden! Over the years, thousands of readers have used it to learn how to make hot sauce at home, either by fermenting the peppers or making the quick cooked version that's ready in about 30 minutes.
🔍 Recipe At-A-Glance: Homemade Hot Sauce
- ⏰ Prep Time: 10 minutes
- 🗓️ Fermentation Time: 5 days (or skip this using my quick cook version)
- 🌶️ Flavor Options: Anywhere from mild to super spicy
- 🎁 Good For: Everyday eating, awesome gifts, stocking stuffers, host or hostess gifts, teacher gifts, preserving your harvest, selling at farmer's markets
- 🧡 Difficulty: One of the easier fermentation projects out there, or make it easy-as-can be using the quick-cook option
"This might seem melodramatic, but this recipe kinda changed my life. On a whim I looked online for a hot sauce recipe, and I happened upon this one. I'm so glad I did! I absolutely encourage everyone to try the fermented version."
- JOEL -
Jump To
- 🔍 Recipe At-A-Glance: Homemade Hot Sauce
- 🧡 Why You'll Love This Recipe
- 🌶️ The Ingredients You Need
- 🔥 How to Do Heat Variations
- 🫑 Best Peppers for Homemade Hot Sauce
- 🫙 The Supplies You Need
- 🫶 Before You Start
- 📷 How to Make Hot Sauce (Fermented Version)
- 📷 How to Make Hot Sauce (Quick-Cook Version)
- ❄️ Storage and Preservation Directions
- 🌮 Ways to Use Hot Sauce
- 🙋🏻♀️ Homemade Hot Sauce FAQs
- 👩🏻🍳 My Expert Tips & Tricks
- 🌯 Recipes That Will Go Great with Your Hot Sauce
- 📥 Download the Free Labels
- 📖 Recipe
- 💬 Reviews
🧡 Why You'll Love This Recipe
I make a big old batch of this hot sauce every single summer! I've fine-tuned this recipe and method over almost a decade using my own peppers and farmer's market peppers. My hot sauce is a constant in my house-it comes out almost daily! Here's why you'll love this recipe:
- Shockingly simple: Before I made my own, hot sauce felt like one of those things that was really complicated to make. Plot twist: it's super easy. Anyone can do this.
- Choose your own adventure: I include both a traditional fermented and a quick-cook version of hot sauce, so you can choose your own adventure when it comes to hot sauce creation.
- Infinitely customizable: No matter if you like it super mild or tears-in-your-eyes spicy, you can make your hot sauce your own. My default is a jalapeño/bell pepper/habanero version with apple cider vinegar because it goes with basically everything I eat.
- So useful: Put it on pumpkin enchiladas, my taco chili recipe, or my simple chicken quesadillas recipe. The possibilities are endless!
- A recipe you can trust: Go ahead and read the reviews down below!
🌶️ The Ingredients You Need
- Peppers: Jalapeños, reapers, Thai chilies, habanero, bell, cayenne, ghost peppers, serranos, OH MY. Which peppers you use really depends on your personal heat tolerance and the flavor profile you're looking for.
- Water: I recommend filtered water (especially if you are following our fermentation version) to make sure your flavor is crisp as possible.
- Xanthan gum (optional, but recommended): This emulsifier helps keep your hot sauce from separating. You'll have to give your hot sauce a good shake before using each time if you don't include it.
Make sure to check the recipe card below for the full ingredients list, along with quantities and my expert tips and tricks.
🔥 How to Do Heat Variations
You are in complete control of your hot sauce! So no matter if you like it no-heat or burn-off-your tongue spicy, you are in charge.
I recommend tasting your peppers raw before blending them into your sauce. To test, I cut a pepper open and just lightly touch a cut part with a toothpick and then touch my tongue with the toothpick. You'll know very quickly what you're working with!
The pepper heat level wont change much after cooking or fermenting (although the flavor profile may end up more complex). If a pepper is hot raw, it's going to be hot in your hot sauce.
If you're new to hot sauce, here's my opinion: err on the mild side for your first batch. You can always blend in an extra pepper later, but you can't un-burn your tongue from a too-hot sauce.
From there, you can tweak your ratio until it's to your liking. Some heat-phobic folks use nothing but sweet bell peppers. Some heat lovers using nothing but hot peppers-so it really is up to you to pick your poison here.
In our house, I usually start with about start with a 3:1 ratio of sweet bell peppers to mild hot peppers (like jalapeños), and then toss in 1-2 habaneros when I want heat that shows up but doesn't dominate.
🫑 Best Peppers for Homemade Hot Sauce
Here are a few peppers that work especially well for homemade hot sauce:
- Jalapeños: Mild to medium heat with a fresh, bright flavor. Great if you want a hot sauce that has some kick but isn't overwhelming. I've found out over the years that jalapeños vary wildly on their heat level based on growing conditions! Some years, one jalapeño is enough to make a scorching hot sauce, and then the next I need 10! This is why I highly, highly recommend tasting your peppers raw first.
- Serranos: Similar flavor to jalapeños but noticeably hotter. A good choice if you want to bump up the heat a bit.
- Cayenne peppers: These are classic hot sauce peppers. They give that familiar bright red color and straightforward spicy heat.
- Habaneros: Very spicy, but also fruity and flavorful. If you want fruity heat, habaneros are the move, but they can be really spicy, so I almost always mellow them with a handful of bells.
These are just a tiny selection of peppers you can use. Use whatever you find at the store, farmer's market, or in your own garden. This is really a fun recipe to get creative! You can use just one type of pepper or mix several varieties together for a more complex flavor. Here's my rule though if using a mixed bag of peppers: keep your color family consistent so you don't end up with swampy brown sauce. Red peppers with red peppers. Green peppers with green peppers.
🫙 The Supplies You Need
You probably have all the supplies on hand to make this recipe, but if you want a few special items to make the project easier, here's what to grab:
- Fermentation weights and lids: If you want to make the fermented version of this recipe, some fermentation weights and lids make the process much easier.
- Wide mouth canning jars: To go with your fermenting weights and lids.
- Hot sauce bottles: You can put your hot sauce into any sealed container, but these hot sauce bottles are perfect for gifting.
🫶 Before You Start
Imagine you are in my kitchen with me, and I'm teaching you how to make hot sauce. Here is exactly what I'd tell you.
- Fermented is worth it (most of the time): I strongly prefer the fermented version. The flavor gets rounder, more complex, and has less of a sharp vinegar punch. Fermentation is what makes hot sauce taste like hot sauce. I get it though. Time is at a premium for all of us, so if you want something bright and immediate, the quick-cook version is your friend.
- Apple cider vinegar is undefeated: I'm team apple cider vinegar for hot sauce. White vinegar tastes a little one-note to me. I like the fruity flavor ACV adds.
- I don't chase maximum heat: I'm a firm believer hot sauce should taste good first and burn second. I like a sauce that I can put on eggs every morning without regretting my life choices. If you want to make the hottest hot sauce in the land just for funsies, you do you, but I also recommend making some "everyday" milder hot sauces.
- Xanthan gum truther: Xanthan gum isn't required, but I use it because I'm lazy and I don't want to shake the bottle every time I want a few drops. It's worth it. Especially if you are gifting your hot sauce.
📷 How to Make Hot Sauce (Fermented Version)
If you've ever made homemade sauerkraut, you already know the process we're using to ferment this hot sauce.
Step 1: Combine peppers and garlic in a wide-mouth canning jar.
Step 2: Make the brine by combining the water and salt in a saucepan and heating until salt is melted. Let cool.
Step 3: Cover the pepper and garlic with the brine, fit with a fermentation weight and lid, and let ferment out of direct sunlight for 5-7 days.
Step 4: The brine will look cloudy when it's ready-this means the fermentation is working!
Step 5: Drain the peppers, reserving the brine.
Step 6: Combine the peppers and garlic, vinegar, honey or maple syrup, and 1 cup of brine in a blender.
Step 7: Blend until silky smooth, adding in additional brine to thin out if necessary. If you using the xanthan gum, sprinkle it in while the blender is running and blend for an additional minute.
Step 8: Bottle and label!
📷 How to Make Hot Sauce (Quick-Cook Version)
Step 1: Combine the peppers, garlic, water, salt, vinegar, and honey or maple syrup in a medium pan. Bring to a boil and simmer until the peppers and garlic have softened.
Step 2: Pour mixture into a blender and blend until very smooth. While the blender is running, sprinkle in the xanthan gum and blend for an additional minute.
❄️ Storage and Preservation Directions
- Fermented version: thanks to the beneficial bacteria, it will last 3+ months in the fridge easily.
- Quick cook version: lasts in the fridge for 2-3 weeks
- Freezing: Hot sauce freezes great for even longer preservation!
- Canning: If you choose to can hot sauce to extend the shelf life, use a hot sauce recipe that has been tested and proven safe for canning instead of my recipe here.
- Labeling: Make sure to label your hot sauce well so you know exactly what it is, what spice level it is, and when it was made. I have free labels you can download by filling out the form below.
🌮 Ways to Use Hot Sauce
Once you start making your own hot sauce, you'll find yourself reaching for it all the time. It's such an easy way to add a little heat and flavor to everyday meals. I have my hot sauce almost every morning on top of scrambled eggs with avocado.
- Drizzled over scrambled eggs or stirred into breakfast egg cups
- Spooned onto a plate of simple chicken quesadillas
- Added to a bowl of taco chili for extra kick
- Poured over a steak fajita bowl
- Mixed into easy slow cooker buffalo chicken dip
- Brushed onto oven baked chicken wings
🙋🏻♀️ Homemade Hot Sauce FAQs
You can use either white distilled vinegar or apple cider vinegar here. I prefer the slight fruity flavor of apple cider!
If you don't want to make fermented hot sauce, you can quick cook the ingredients on the stove and bottle them (and enjoy your sauce the same day).
Thanks to the beneficial bacteria in the fermented version, it will last 3+ months in the fridge easily. The quick-cook version lasts in the fridge for 2-3 weeks.
The best peppers are the ones you have! Any peppers work, but I recommend most people start with a mixture of bell peppers, jalapeños, and a few spicier peppers like habaneros.
Hot sauce may be foamy when you're finished blending. It's normal! If so, let the hot sauce rest for 15-20 minutes, then scrape off any foam before bottling.
👩🏻🍳 My Expert Tips & Tricks
- No brown hot sauce: Mix and match different types of peppers to get the flavors and heat levels you desire, but make sure you stick to the same color family to avoid a yucky brown hot sauce.
- Stay safe: When working with hot peppers, it's important to: wear gloves while handling and cutting, wash hands extremely well after handling, wear goggles, and work in a well-ventilated area
- Label your bottles: Fill out the form in the post to get my free hot sauce labels. These are designed to print on Avery 2 ½" round water-resistant labels.
- The sauce thickens: The hot sauce will thicken quite a bit in the fridge, so keep that in mind as you decide on the consistency while blending. Also: I always start blending with 1 cup of brine, then add in small splashes. It's way easier to thin hot sauce than to thicken it.
- Cloudy brine is good: Cloudy brine is the good sign I look for. Clear doesn't automatically mean failure, but cloudy tells me the party's happening.
- Got foam? Your hot sauce may be foamy when you're finished blending. If so, let the hot sauce rest for 15-20 minutes, then scrape off any foam before bottling.
- No fermentation weights? You'll need to use some sort of weight to keep the peppers submerged under the brine to prevent mold growth. A budget option is to fill a zip-top sandwich bag with water and submerge it in the top of the jar and secure cheesecloth or a thin piece of cotton to the top of the jar with a rubber band.
🌯 Recipes That Will Go Great with Your Hot Sauce
If you tried this Homemade Hot Sauce or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the comments!
📥 Download the Free Labels
I've made you some free labels for your hot sauce bottles that you can print off at home. Just fill out the form below to get them delivered right to your inbox.
📖 Recipe
Homemade Hot Sauce Recipe (Fermented or Quick Cook)
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds peppers of your choosing a mix of sweet peppers and hot peppers, tops/stems removed, halved
- 6 cloves garlic peeled
- 4 cups filtered water
- 4 teaspoons sea salt
- ⅓ cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup optional
- ½ teaspoon xanthan gum optional (see notes)
Instructions
For the Fermented Version
- Place the peppers and garlic in a clean wide-mouth quart canning jar. Set aside.
- To make the brine, heat the filtered water and sea salt in a medium saucepan until the salt has dissolved completely. Let cool to room temperature.
- Pour the brine over the peppers and garlic, completely submerging them. If you run out of brine, you can make more by mixing 1 cup of warm filtered water with 1 teaspoon of sea salt.
- Fit the jar with a fermentation lid or cheesecloth secured with a rubber band (see notes on weighing down the peppers if using cheesecloth). Place in a warm, dark spot for 5-7 days, or until the brine looks cloudy and small bubbles begin to appear when you tap the side of the jar. Make sure the peppers stay submerged under the brine during the entire fermentation process to prevent mold-growth.
- When the fermentation time is up, strain the brine, reserving it. Place the fermented peppers and garlic in a blender, and add in 1 cup of the brine, plus the apple cider vinegar, and honey or maple syrup, if using. Blend until completely smooth, adding in additional brine to reach the desired thickness. The hot sauce will thicken in the fridge.
- While the blender is running, sprinkle in the xanthan gum, if using, and blend for an additional minute.
- Transfer to a bottle and store in the fridge for 3-6 months.
For the Quick Cooked Version
- Combine the peppers, garlic, 2 cups of water, 2 teaspoons of sea salt, apple cider vinegar, and honey or maple syrup, if using, in a medium pan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 10-15 minutes, or until the peppers and garlic have softened.
- Pour mixture into a blender (making sure to leave the cover vent open, but covered with a kitchen towel) and blend until very smooth.
- While the blender is running, sprinkle in the xanthan gum, if using, and blend for an additional minute.
- Transfer mixture to a squeeze bottle and store in the fridge for 2-3 weeks.
Video
Notes
- If you choose to use cheesecloth during fermentation, you'll need to use some sort of weight to keep the peppers submerged under the brine to prevent mold growth. You can purchase fermentation weights to do this, or fill a zip-top sandwich bag with water and submerge it in the top of the jar.
- In this recipe, xanthan gum works as an emulsifier, stabilizer, and thickener. If you choose not to use it, your hot sauce will separate in the fridge. Just give it a good shake each time you go to use it.
- The hot sauce will thicken considerably in the fridge, so keep that in mind as you decide on the consistency while blending.
- Depending on the power of your blender, your hot sauce may be foamy when you're finished blending. If so, let the hot sauce rest for 15-20 minutes, then scrape off any foam before bottling.
Nutrition
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Ingredients says 4 cups of water but the quick cooked version says add 2 cups of water. Is it 2 or 4 for the quick version?
Hi Bill! The amounts listed in the instructions for the version you want to make is the correct amount. For the quick cook version, you'll use 2 cups of water. Let us know how it turns out for you!
Just on my last bottle of fermented red hot sauce. It's gorgeous stuff.
A batch of green hot sauce just bottled and double quantities of red sauce and a yellow habanero are fermenting in the airing cupboard.
I'm going to leave the new batches to ferment for 2 weeks before bottling.
Just love this recipe.
I just had a thought, can the fermentation brine be used for another batch?
Hi Joy! We're so glad you love the recipe! Thanks so much for coming back to tell us about it.
About reusing the brine: We don't do this because the info out there is mixed on reusing the brine. We follow the "better safe than sorry" mindset when fermenting. As always, though, you're welcome to read up on your own and do whatever makes you feel comfortable. There's a lot out there to dig into!
I hope this helps =)
Can you let it ferment for two weeks? I just started another batch, (first batch was awesome) and I realize I’m going out of town next week. Can I leave it in the brine an additional 7-8 days?
Hi, Max! You can definitely let it ferment as long as you want/need it to. The main difference will be that the longer it ferments, the funkier or tangier in flavor it will be. If you'd like to slow the fermentation down, you can leave it in a cooler location. The warmer it is the faster it will ferment. But it will still be perfectly safe after an additional 7-8 days. Let us know how it turns out for you!
I used up all the brine that was in the jars and my sauce is still pretty thick. Can I just use a bit more apple cider?
Hi, Shaon! That should be fine. You can use more apple cider, more pre-made brine, or even just water to thin out your sauce. We've had folks use all of those with good results, though the water is obviously less flavorful! We'd love to hear what you did and how it turned out for you! =)
If using a bag as a weight, do not fill it with water. Fill it with the brine mixture. This way if there's a leak it does not dilute the brine.
Thanks for the great suggestion, EJ!
We managed to make the sauce via the fermentation method. Everything worked according to the recipe with the fermentation. When we finished blending, we put through a fine mesh strainer to remove any seeds that were still in the liquid. What we wound up with was a very smooth sauce and a couple of ounces of red pulp in the strainer that would have gone into the bottle had we not strained. I packed the pulp and handed to my son who cooks at a pub. He is going to experiment with the pulp and let me know how it works and tastes.
Hi, Greg! Thanks for letting us know how it worked out for you!
I just made you recipe and have blended the peppers etc. The issue is I still have lots of seeds in the sauce, how can I remove them.
For next time can I remove the seeds before fermenting so I will be left with just pulp?
Hi, Graham! After blending, you can run the mix through a fine mesh strainer to remove any seeds that your blender didn't take care of for you. But you can definitely remove the seeds from the peppers before fermenting next time—that should work out fine!
Hello!
I have just begun fermenting my peppers in the brine, and am just worried about completely submerging everything. If I have already closed the fermentation lid, am I able to re-open it and push some of the peppers down further into the brine? They have been been fermenting for about 10 hours at this point.
Thank you so much!
Hi, Adele! Yes, you definitely want to keep the peppers submerged to avoid any issues with mold. If you have to open the lid to get the peppers back under the brine, that's fine. We recommend putting in a little weight of some sort to keep everything submerged. There are specialty fermentation weights you can purchase for this purpose that we link to in the post, but since you're already fermenting, you can fill a zip-lock sandwich bag with water and submerge that in the top of the jar. It should be enough to keep your peppers down! Hope this helps! Let us know how everything turns out for you =)
D'oh! Trial-not trail. Saw my typo as I hit send.
It happens to the best of us ; )
I had great success with a trail batch and am now making bigger batches. I failed to follow the directions and added the vinegar to the brine for the fermentation process. Then, I had to evacuate for a hurricane. The house was 90F during the day for about half of the 9 days it ended up fermenting. All 3 test batches came out great. I still added another 1/3 cup vinegar total after fermenting while blending. I also took the seeds out of the Carolina reapers and the habaneros. It mellowed the heat a little and brought out the flavor of the peppers. I did not seed the Thai bird chilis and added ginger and lemongrass to that batch. I used glass fermentation weights to keep the peppers down and a drinking glass for another jar. I weighed the peppers once I had removed the stems and seeds.
Thanks!
Hi, Anne! Thanks so much for coming back to tell us about your experience. We're so glad your test batches turned out well! Those flavor combinations sound delicious!
Hi! I'm making the fermented hot sauce version. What if the brine is cloudy and bubbles develop after only two days? Should I go ahead or wait another couple days?
Hi, Natalie! If the brine is cloudy and it's bubbling, then it's fermented! The time that takes depends heavily on the conditions of the room it's in—so it's definitely possible for it to ferment quickly if the conditions are right.
I had enough peppers to double this recipe. I'm new to this stuff, so I need some clarification: How many quart sized jars do I need for the fermenting process? I have some Half-gallon jars and the one if stuffed totally full and I still have 4 small green peppers left that didn't make it in. Also, is it OK that I sliced them all up so they would fit in a half-gallon mason jar? I haven't poured the water in because I'm waiting for it to cool still. The recipe seems like the whole 1.5 pounds should fit in one quart jar. Also, do I weigh the 1.5 pounds of peppers before or after trimming them? I probably won't get a response before I have to fill my jar, so I'm just going to have to wing it. But maybe this will help other people or the next time I want to make hot sauce.
Hi, Tina! We hope everything went well with your first batch! Here's some additional clarification so that your next batch will go even smoother:
Different shapes of peppers will fit differently into the jars. All of ours fit into one quart-sized jar—but if you find that yours don't quite fit, it's okay to use more than one as long as all of the peppers stay submerged in the brine. Slicing them is fine! And you'll want to weigh your peppers before trimming them. Please let me know if your have any other questions—I'm happy to help!
Hi, can i use apple juice instead of 2 cups of water? And what's the volume of the 2 cups?
Thank you
Hi, Thamaga! We haven't tried using apple sauce in place of water in either version of this recipe, so we're not sure how it will turn out. We think it should be fine in the quick cooked version, though we can't say how it will taste. Please let us know how it turns out if you try it!
As for the measurements, the cups listed in the recipe are the volume measurements—but if you need to convert that to something else, there are lots of free resources online that can help with that. Let us know if you need help finding a good one!
Has anyone made a tiny batch of this? Or is it the sort of thing that you need to do a lot to make it? I only have four peppers 😂
Hi, Caitlyn! You can make a small batch of this, just as long as you can be sure the peppers stay under the brine while fermenting. Once the fermentation is finished, just add less of the reserved brine into the blender to get the consistency you want. Let us know how it turns out if you give it a go!
I just tried the fermentation recipe and have left my sauce in a warm dark place and it’s begging to get cloudy after one day. Is this too quick?
Hi, Peter! Nope—that's fine! The time it takes to ferment will change depending on the conditions it's in (how hot it is, etc.) So you could definitely see it starting to get cloudy as early as one day in if the conditions are right.
Just made it up and it is great!! Thanks for the recipe and reply.
Peter
That's great, Peter! Thanks so much for taking the time to come back and let us know how it turned out =)
Hi, I want to try the quick sauce method, I have multiple different peppers and would like to see how they taste before I start investing more time. How much vinegar should I use? 1:1 water to vinegar or to taste?
Hi, Jeff! You can find all the information you need regarding the amounts of ingredients necessary for the Quick Cook version in the recipe card at the bottom of the post. We hope you love it!
Hi Cassie ,
Thank you for the advice before regarding doing small batches to test how tamarind would work in sauces. Its helped me expand my ingredients. Like adding lime juice or using fig paste instead of honey. I'm really hoping to tap into your expertise again.
Now I have a question about pressure building up in the bottles. I recently did a "Quick version" of yellow bell peppers and mangoes. It was about a 10 bottle batch. I gave them away as gifts and to my friends who are my loyal taste testers. Friends told me after a week or so that sauce had pressure build up in the bottle. Almost like carbonation. Apparently a friends husband had it splash out on his face when he opened it.
Please help...I'm not sure what I did wrong this time. I had made "Quick versions" before and this didn't happen.
Thanks Cassie!
Hi Gibson! We're so glad you're having fun and finding success with your hot sauce flavor experiments! They all sound great. Thanks so much for telling us about them!
I don't think you did anything wrong with your recent batch. Built up pressure and carbonation are signs of fermentation, though. If the bottles are left out at room temperature fermentation is always a possibility, although it is much less likely with the quick version because of the cooking process. So while I can't say for sure what happened to make that quick cooked batch continue to ferment, I can say that fermentation is likely the cause of the pressure and bubbles. Do you know if your friends kept the bottles in the fridge?
It's important to remember that both the fermented version and the cooked version need to get into the fridge once they're made to keep them from continuing to ferment. If they're left at room temperature and that pressure builds up too much, your bottles could break! Let me know if this info helps you solve your mystery! If not, I'll be happy to troubleshoot with you more =)
I just started my 6th or 7th batch of hot sauce using your recipe as a base. Really enjoy experimenting with different combinations of ingredients.
The first time I tried the peppers got moldy because they floated above the brine 😢. Now I put all the ingredients in small cheesecloth bags and weigh them down with "fermenting" weights.
Thanks!
We're so glad you gave it another try after your first go. Keeping the peppers under the brine is a very important step! Thanks so much for taking the time to tell us about your experience, Rick! We really appreciate it. Experimenting with flavors and ingredients is something we have lots of fun with, too. When you find flavor combinations that you really love, please come back and tell us about them!
I was planning to make the non fermented recipe. After I make it, is it ok to ship it as a gift or does it need to be refrigerated right away?
Hi, Brent! Actually both versions of our recipe need to be refrigerated once they're bottled, so shipping either one would be a no-go. Our recommendation for preserving your hot sauce for longer periods of time without refrigeration would be to seek out a recipe specifically developed for canning. Unfortunately, that's not ours!
Step 7 in the fermentation recipe says to store in fridge for 3-6 months. Is that 3-6 months how long it is roughly good for? Or is that how long it has to be stored in the fridge untill you can use?
That's how long the fermented hot sauce should be good in the fridge—so you'll want to use it up within that time!
Do you remove the seeds from the peppers with the stems/tops, or ferment the peppers with the seeds?
Hi Kat! We left the seeds in our peppers because everything was heading into the blender anyway. So we saved ourselves that extra step!
Do you remove the seeds before cooking?
Hi Courtney! We left the seeds in our peppers because everything was heading into the blender anyway. So you can save yourself that extra step!
Hi there !,
Really love your website and hot sauce section ! I've just tried your recipe suggestions and made 3 different hot sauces. A mango , serrano /jalepeno and red Thai chili . They turned out excellent ! Friends really loved it.
I was wondering, I wanted to enhance and build the flavour of the my red Thai chili sauce and add lime juice and tamarind paste. But still keep the honey.
Do you see any challenges with the lime juice and tamarind paste together? I'm thinking it might turn out more acidy and tart because theres also the apple cider vinegar. Which may make it taste hotter but not flavourful. Any suggestions would very much be appreciated.
Thanks for your help!
PS , Im thinking over selling at a local flea market for fun! Very excited about this!
Hi, Gibson! Thanks so much for sharing your successes with us. We love hearing about them! We haven't tried the flavor combo you're describing so we can't say for certain how it would turn out. Our best advice would be to make small batches to test it out. It's possible that the lime and tamarind paste would make things too tart, but adjusting how much of each you add might help you find a balance. It's just going to take some experimenting! Please come back to share how it turns out. Good luck!