Estimated reading time: 5 minutes
Making your own hot sauce is easier than you might think. This homemade hot sauce recipe is simple, uses just a few ingredients, and can be water-bath canned for a long shelf life. The flavor is tangy and slightly sweet, reminiscent of a vinegary Tabasco-style sauce, but fresher and even more delicious.
This recipe is especially satisfying if you're growing your own peppers. Becky from the YouTube channel, Acre Homestead, walks us through how to make this hot sauce using 100% homegrown ingredients in the video below. For those who prefer to read, I typed up her method of blending, straining, and canning the sauce and some other tips she shares.
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Homemade Hot Sauce Recipe
Ingredients:
- 12 oz of mixed hot peppers (she mostly uses cayenne with a few red serrano, red shishito, and a small piece of bell pepper)
- 2 cups white distilled vinegar
- 6–12 garlic cloves, depending on how garlicky you like it
- 1 small onion, roughly chopped
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 2 tsp pink Himalayan salt (or regular salt)
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
- 1 tsp neutral oil (like avocado or vegetable oil)
Equipment:
- Thick-bottomed saucepan
- Blender (she recommends the Vitamix)
- Fine mesh strainer
- Canning jars and lids
- Water bath canner
Instructions:
Step 1: Prep Your Peppers
Remove the stems from your peppers. Be sure to wear gloves while handling hot peppers to avoid skin and eye irritation.
Step 2: Simmer the Ingredients
Add the 12 oz of destemmed peppers, 2 cups of vinegar, garlic cloves, and onion to a heavy-bottomed saucepan.
Cover and simmer on medium to medium-low heat for about 20 minutes, until everything is soft.
Step 3: Blend the Mixture
Transfer the hot mixture to a blender. Add 1/4 cup sugar, 2 tsp salt, juice of 1/2 lemon, and 1 tsp oil. Blend on high for up to 10 minutes until very smooth.
Step 4: Strain
Pour the blended hot sauce through a fine mesh strainer into a bowl to remove the pulp, but don't discard the pulp. You can dehydrate it and turn it into a flavorful spicy powder for seasoning.
Step 5: Bottle or Can
Pour the strained hot sauce back into the blender jar for easy pouring. Fill clean glass bottles or canning jars, leaving 1/4″ headspace.
If canning, place the lids on the jars and process in a boiling water bath for 20 minutes.
Step 6: Cool and Store
Let jars sit for 5 minutes after turning off the heat. Remove and place them on a towel to cool undisturbed for 12–24 hours.
Store jars in the pantry and keep any open or unsealed ones in the fridge.
Bonus Tip:
Becky saves her old Tabasco bottles and reuses them for her homemade sauce. If you want, you could remove the label and put your own label on the bottle.
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