Making your own hot sauce at home is fun and easy. You can use a variety of different peppers to create a one-of-a-kind sauce.

The other day, I was browsing cookbooks at the local book store. I stumbled upon Alana Chernila’s cookbook, “Homemade Pantry:  101 Foods You Can Stop Buying and Start Making” – and I couldn’t put it down.

This book is full of creative recipes and inspiring ideas to make homemade versions of everyday food items. Everything from ketchup to jam to crackers to cream cheese.

Although it’s not always practical or feasible time-wise to make your own food from scratch, it is something that is worth exploring.

Even if you replace one or two store-bought items with homemade ones, you’re likely to end up with a cheaper end product that’s healthier for you and your family.

Homemade Hot Sauce: A Customizable Recipe

This hot sauce recipe is a basic recipe that can be customized to your liking.

You can use pretty much any combination of hot peppers you’d like, depending on what’s growing in your garden or what’s available in your grocery store.

Color Variance

The color will vary depending on what blend of peppers you use. Your sauce may be green, yellow, orange, red – or somewhere in between.

The color doesn’t matter – the taste does. 

How To Use This Hot Sauce

I’m a bit of a hot sauce freak: I made a batch of this sauce just the other day, and I’m almost out already. I’ve used this hot pepper sauce on an egg and potato frittata, on pizza, and even as a spicy pita chip dip.

Use it just like you would use Tabasco sauce:

• On breakfast empanadas
• On breakfast stuffed bell peppers
• Sprinkled on popcorn
• On a breakfast sandwich
• On these cheesy breakfast potatoes
• On a bowl of chili
• On homemade scrambled eggs

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Homemade Hot Sauce

Yield: 1.5 cups

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

You can use any blend of hot peppers: jalapeños, red Fresnos, habaneros, etc. I used a mix of small and large chili peppers to balance out the heat. As a rule of thumb, the smaller the pepper, the hotter. Please note: Your hot sauce may turn out a different color than mine depending on the type of peppers you use. Include a few red-colored peppers if you want a sauce that looks like the one shown above.

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Ingredients

• 1 pound mixed hot peppers
• 1 cup distilled white vinegar
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice (from 1/2 lime)
• 2 tablespoons honey

Instructions

1. Before you start: Be sure to wear gloves when handling hot peppers! You have been warned.
2. Preheat oven to 450F. Rinse, dry, and place hot peppers on a large baking sheet. Bake for approximately 5 to 7 minutes, turning peppers once or twice to ensure even roasting. Once the skin on the peppers has begun to char and blacken, remove them from oven, place in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let the peppers sit for about 15 minutes. Wearing protective gloves, peel the skin off of the peppers and remove as many seeds as possible.
3. Place peppers, vinegar, salt, lime juice, and honey in a food processor. Pulse until smooth. Store refrigerated for up to one month.

Recipe adapted from The Homemade Pantry: 101 Foods You Can Stop Buying and Start Making by Alana Chernila

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