Recipes
Southern Hot Pepper Sauce
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Ingredients
Directions
Recipe by GhostRider
Southern Hot Pepper Sauce
Pepper sauce is found on tables from home kitchens to the finest of dining establishments around the South, and no true Southern meal is really complete without it.
Ingredients
Method
- To achieve the same look as the recipe image, save up bourbon and whiskey bottles all year in preparation for pepper sauce making.
- Wash them, and de-stemmed them. You will want latex gloves for this step. Just hold the pepper in one hand, and quickly twist off the stem with your other hand. They should pop right off.
- Fill a clean bottle (of any kind) about half-way or 3/4 of the way full of peppers.
- Meanwhile, bring a pot of white or apple cider vinegar (your choice – I used apple cider vinegar, 5% acidity) to a boil.
- Once you have your bottles stuffed and the vinegar is boiling, pour the vinegar into the bottles over the peppers.
- Fill to the top, and add a drop or two of olive oil.
- These are shelf stable, and can even be “refilled” once or twice with more boiling vinegar and a couple more drops of olive oil.
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Can you use dried chilis
How soon should I put the caps on my glass bottles?
I am thinking of adding onions to this. What do you think? Is any preparation change needed?
Can I just put a cork on the bottle and let it sit out on the counter and for how long
Can last for years. if it becomes too “cloudy”, then best toss it and make some more.
My mom used the 1.1 white vinegar to water and added a tiny bit of powdered turmeric to the bottle. She said the turmeric prevented the peppers from going soft. I do not know if that is so but, I have always done it this way.
What does the olive oil do
I made this with scorpions mixed with fish peppers. And added more oil.
Also another batch with 5 year old chopped scorpions.
Will let it set a day and see how it turns out!
thanks for the inspiration
I made this with scorpions mixed with fish peppers. And added more oil.
Also another batch with 5 year old chopped scorpions.
Will let it set a day and see how it turns out!
Yum!
What peppers can you use that’s not that hot?
Does it matter if the apple cider vinegar is pasteurized or not? Thanks!
How long before it “cures” ?
I wait a couple weeks before using it.
What do you use it on?
We use it on any vegetable that need a zing. Mostly on green leafy veggies although not spinach. At least we don’t. Cabbage, turnips, collards and things like that. I sometimes use it on butterbeans and peas. Just whatever you’d like really. Experiment with it 🙂
I make this type of pepper sauce every year and give it away to family and friends. If you really wanna try something good try dashing or dipping fried or boiled shrimp in it! Also there is nothing better than some of this on fresh fried fish!! I also use it on fried chicken. And of course the leafy vegetables that were already mentioned.
I use it on hard fried eggs. Break the yolk while cooking to spread it out and cook completely through and through. Pour on pepper sauce. After finishing the egg, use toast to sop up the remaining tasty sauce.
Don’t you have to worry about the bottle bursting from pouring boiling water into it?
No. But, the vinegar doesn’t have to be “boiling” hot. Just let it set for 3 minutes. I transfer the vinegar into a measuring cup first for easy pouring.
Something is killing my Chili and Hungarian pepper plants, I keep the insects killed of, but, they are still dying, it looks like the plant drys up, water does not seem to help it, anyone out there no what might be going on with them.
this happened to my pepper plants 3 years ago. the cause was moles cutting the roots causing the plants to die. this could possibly be your problem if there is no sign of disease.
it could be root rot or your peppers might not be getting enough nutrients.
Maybe too much watering . Also try a combination insecticide / fungicide spray . Spray until thoroughly soaked .
I put a small slit in each pepper. This is common practice with many recipes and seems to speed up the “magic”. Give it a day (maybe).
Don’t use Makers Mark bottles without removing the wax seals first
I used Maker’s bottles and left the wax alone—-works fine as long as you don’t squeeze the neck area until cool. My recommendation to the recipe is to “fill” with peppers——just looks better. I also added turmeric, sea salt, and garlic——-1/2tsp, 1 clove .
I think I’ll do what you do. If bottles are not heat resistant, I’d be afraid they’d break with boiling vinegar. I also love your additions. Thank you
Put the lids on with a hot vinegar i on the peppers turn the jars upside down on the lid and leave it to it cools it will be sealed
I grow my own Chili’s and make my own Sauce, but, I am a Novice at it, only started a couple of years ago. My question for today, is how long does it take for the capsaisin to leak into the vinegar, in other words, how long before use can begin?
I usually wait about 3 months. If cut or sliced peppers are used, about 1 month will do it.
When can it be used?
Do the jars need to be heat sealed, or just put the lid on them and put on a shelf
I’ve never heard of heat sealing them. Just make certain that you use a cork or plastic lid due to the acidity.
I’m a Southerner and have made pepper sauce many, many times and never heat sealed them. I totally agree with you.
if they aren’t heat sealed they are not shelf stable. You can keep in the fridge, but otherwise, if you have hot liquid, heat the jars and lids. Dishwasher works good. They will seal themselves as they cool. If any don’t, use it first and keep it in the fridge.
The pepper sauce in vinegar is shelf stable as described in the recipe. That’s the definition of ‘shelf stable’ – you don’t need to do anything ‘extra’ (like heat sealing, or refrigerating…) in order for them to be stored and used, in the open, once made.
You are possibly confusing ‘preserved’ with ‘shelf stable’.
We always kept the lids on a regular mason jar boiling at a very low temperature until the vinegar was ready to pour over the peppers. We do this for everything we are canning. The lids will seal every time. I have never lost a jar from it coming unsealed.
Put the lids on with a hot vinegar i on the peppers turn the jars upside down on the lid and leave it to it cools it will be sealed
I boil 1: 1 vinegar and water. Cool it and then pour it on the peppers in the bottle. I also heat some oil , cool it and add it too Adding curry leaves and mustard and methi seeds to the hot oil gives it a nice flavour. This is optional. The oil works as a seal.Prevents mold.
I also add a 1/2 tsp.of cayenne pepper.
I put peppers in a jar with a ounce of salt and vinegar, then refrigerated. Should I throw that bottle out and boil the vinegar in another batch.
I’m heating my glass containers with the peppers slowly. Just doesn’t seem right to pour boiling liquid into cool glass
Don’t put hot liquid in a cool glass container. Heat the glass in boiling water. If the product is not hot, don’t heat the jars, but hot to hot and cool to cool.
Do you water bath them?
What does the olive oil do.
How long does it take it to get hot. Mississippi hot. Lol
Capsaisin is not soluble in water but it does dissolve in oils. Be careful how much oil you add. The more oil the hotter it will become.
Can I add new peppers to last years sauce?
Did you ever find an answer to this? My same question
its best to start a new batch because the peppers wont be pickled. However, when your bottle is near empty of vinegar just top it off with more vinegar. No need to heat the vinegar. The peppers will lose their potency over time.
I don’t see why not. The vinegar is already full of flavor, but if you are wanting it to be shelf stable, you will need a new lid, (the flat disc part) and heat up the vinegar so it will seal. It won’t seal if it isn’t boiling. I have put unsealed jars in the microwave and they have then sealed. The metal doesn’t hurt the microwave. You just want to be sure that the waves can get into the jars, so nothing that is totally covered in foil!
Do you have to use olive oil?
I never have and I have been doing this for over 50 years.
Ethel, you sound like you have a lot of experience with making Pepper Sauce, maybe you can answer my question from above. Once the Pepper’s are in the container and the hot Vinegar has been added, how long is the wait before practical use?
never heard of using olive oil for peppa vinegar?? Must be a yankee thing.
Actually the adding of a small amount of olive oil is both a Texas thing, and a european thing that works. Look up Texas Cowboy Candy. The olive oil breaks down the capsaicin quicker, and produces hotter sauce faster. And yes, hotter than it would be without. Especially if you use mixed peppers. I do several different pepper sauces: Straight Jalapeno, Jalapeno and Cayenne, Jalapeno and Banana, Habanero, and combinations of all of them. I sometimes add a clove of garlic, black peppercorns etc…
Actually the oil being added at the end helps prevent corrosion of the lid; if you want to take the pepper sauce “hotter”, fry the chilies in a small amount of oil before adding the boiling vinegar. Look up Puerto Rican Pique recipe
Not tried this yet but love pepper sauce and vinegar
Always trying some thing new for just the right taste
Raise my own pepper s season various so taste does from year to year
Does shelf stable mean this does not need to be refrigerated
Correct
How long will they stay good
at least a year sometimes 2