I never released how easy it was to make a basic hot sauce. This recipe, courtesy of Bon Appetite, gives you a nice skeleton to experiment with hot sauce at home. You can pick the type of pepper, I tried jalapeno, and even add some other things like shallots, spices and herbs as you make more sauces.
Essentially you need three ingredients: peppers, kosher salt and distilled white vinegar. It can take anywhere from a day and a half to a week, depending on how long you let the sauce stew. With the jalapenos, I ended up with a sauce that wasn’t too hot. For my next version, I’ll try a mix, maybe with some serano chilies.
The only special equipment you need is a 1 quart glass jar, like the Ball Wide Mouth Quart Jars
Ingredients:
1 pound stemmed fresh chiles (such as jalapeño, serrano, Fresno, or habanero; use one variety or mix and match)
2 tablespoons kosher salt
1 1/2 cups distilled white vinegar
Pulse peppers and kosher salt in a food processor until a coarse purée forms. Place in a 1-qt. glass jar, loosely screw on lid, and let stand at room temperature (You can even stick it on a fire escape or outside to forment)for 12 hours to ferment slightly.
Stir in vinegar and loosely screw on lid. Let mixture stand at room temperature for at least 1 day and up to 7 days. (Taste it daily; the longer it sits, the deeper the flavor becomes.)
Purée mixture in a food processor or blender until smooth, about 1 minute. Place a fine-mesh sieve or strainer inside/over a funnel. Strain mixture through sieve into a clean glass/plastic bottle. You can press the mixture with a spatula to press out the liquid. (Hot sauce will become thinner and may separate after you strain it; shake vigorously before each use.)
Sauce can be stored at room temperature or in the fridge. Eat on ANYTHING and EVERYTHING.
