Southern Hot Pepper Sauce

AuthorPepperHeadCategoryDifficultyBeginner

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.

Yields1 Serving
Prep Time5 minsCook Time10 minsTotal Time15 mins

Ingredients

 Empty Bottles
 Hot Peppers (Tabasco or any other hot pepper)
 Apple Cider Vinegar

Directions

1

To achieve the same look as the recipe image, save up bourbon and whiskey bottles all year in preparation for pepper sauce making.

2

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.

3

Fill a clean bottle (of any kind) about half-way or 3/4 of the way full of peppers.

4

Meanwhile, bring a pot of white or apple cider vinegar (your choice – I used apple cider vinegar, 5% acidity) to a boil.

5

Once you have your bottles stuffed and the vinegar is boiling, pour the vinegar into the bottles over the peppers.

6

Fill to the top, and add a drop or two of olive oil.

7

These are shelf stable, and can even be “refilled” once or twice with more boiling vinegar and a couple more drops of olive oil.

Recipe by GhostRider

Ingredients

 Empty Bottles
 Hot Peppers (Tabasco or any other hot pepper)
 Apple Cider Vinegar

Directions

1

To achieve the same look as the recipe image, save up bourbon and whiskey bottles all year in preparation for pepper sauce making.

2

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.

3

Fill a clean bottle (of any kind) about half-way or 3/4 of the way full of peppers.

4

Meanwhile, bring a pot of white or apple cider vinegar (your choice – I used apple cider vinegar, 5% acidity) to a boil.

5

Once you have your bottles stuffed and the vinegar is boiling, pour the vinegar into the bottles over the peppers.

6

Fill to the top, and add a drop or two of olive oil.

7

These are shelf stable, and can even be “refilled” once or twice with more boiling vinegar and a couple more drops of olive oil.

Southern Hot Pepper Sauce
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62 thoughts on “Southern Hot Pepper Sauce

    • joanne Morgan says:

      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.

      • Joe Frank says:

        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’.

      • Raymond W Ryals says:

        I’m a Southerner and have made pepper sauce many, many times and never heat sealed them. I totally agree with you.

  1. Gene says:

    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?

  2. Sandra Lopez says:

    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

  3. Robert says:

    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).

  4. Gene says:

    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.

    • Bruce says:

      Maybe too much watering . Also try a combination insecticide / fungicide spray . Spray until thoroughly soaked .

    • BIG ED says:

      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.

    • Pat says:

      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 🙂

  5. steve says:

    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!

  6. steve says:

    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

  7. Iris Voorhees says:

    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.

  8. Cecilia Mims says:

    I’ve made pepper vinegar for years. Always keep in refrigerator. I’ve never boiled the vinegar in the past. Making a new batch with my jalapeño crop. Wondering if I should start boiling the vinegar?

  9. Renee Maenner says:

    Ok. Am I totally missing the boat here? I just use regular jars with lids that won’t seal. Do these have to heat seal in order to be shelf stable?

  10. Arlene Phillips says:

    I have a serrano plant. It made 2 very large peppers but the rest are small. Can I make a little bit at a time then add to it?

  11. Jim Eikner says:

    Old school.. RHCP’s.. Serrano,ghost for fruitiness teaspoon kosher salt.. or you fave artisan non iodine salt per pint..half/pint bottles.. clears with a good rince of pga.. 3-4 cloves garlic.. 8-10 black or mixed pepper corns..2-3 months.. sublime hot perfection..

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