This homemade hot sauce recipe is similar to the well-known Texas-Pete® Sauce, using only a few ingredients. This is an instant sauce (30 minutes exactly) where no fermentation is needed and fresh chillis are used, which is why it only has a shelf-life of 2 weeks.
Some tips about chillis to use
Make sure to find fresh ripe red chillis. The type of chilli and its heat level is entirely up to you. If you like mild hot sauce, I would leave out the small Bird’s eye chillis as they are very spicy.
Red cayenne chilli peppers (aka Carolina cayenne) or red jalapenos are popular choices for this hot sauce but I suggest tasting a small piece of chilli before making the sauce. You need to look for a slight zing with a sweet after-taste. Nothing too mind-blowing hot or your hot sauce will be too powerful. We want to taste the sauce, not numb our taste buds!
How spicy are chillis?
To give you an idea of how they rank on the Scoville scale, here is a list of chillis to help you decide which ones would suit you:
Pure capsaicin: 16,000,000 SHU
Carolina Reaper: 2,200,000 SHU
Trinidad Moruga Scorpion: 2,009,231 SHU
Trinidad Scorpion Butch T: 1,463,700 SHU
Naga Viper: 1,382,118 SHU
Bhut jolokia (ghost pepper): 1,041,427 SHU
Red Savina habanero: 580,000 SHU
Scotch Bonnet: 350,000 SHU
Jamaican Hot: 350,000 SHU
Habanero: 350,000 SHU
Devil’s Tongue: 300,000 SHU
Bird’s eye chilli: 225,000 SHU
Carolina Cayenne: 125,000 SHU
Tabasco: 50,000 SHU
Santaka: 50,000 SHU
Chile de árbol: 30,000 SHU
Serrano: 23,000 SHU
Jalapeño: 10,000 SHU
Chipotle: 8,000 SHU
Guajillo: 8,000 SHU
Anaheim: 2,500 SHU
Poblano: 2,000 SHU
Pepperoncini: 900 SHU
Bell: 0 SHU
This list was sourced from https://www.masterclass.com/articles/a-guide-to-the-scoville-scale#24-types-of-peppers-ranked-on-the-scoville-scale if you are interested in doing some further reading regarding chillis.
Some protection tips
The process of making the hot sauce is simple, but make sure you wear gloves to protect your hands. Ventilating the kitchen is recommended while cooking the sauce. If you can make the sauce outdoors, even better!
Homemade HOT SAUCE (Texas-Pete® Style)
Equipment
- Food processor, or
- Electric stick blender
- Fine sieve
- Small pot
- A pair of disposable gloves
- Sterilised glass bottle or jar
Ingredients
- 16 large red chilli peppers, stems removed, sliced roughly
- 6 small Bird’s eye chilli peppers, stems removed (optional)
- 500 ml white wine vinegar, rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 2 garlic cloves, whole, smashed slightly
Instructions
- Place all the ingredients into a small pot.
- Bring to the boil, then lower the heat to a gently simmer. Simmer for 20 minutes. The vinegar will eventually reduce by half.
- Allow the chilli mixture to cool down slightly, before blending in a food processor or using an electric stick blender.
- Strain the chilli mixture through a fine sieve into a jug, pressing the pulp down with a spatula.
- Pour the sauce into a sterilised glass bottle or jar. Seal and store in the fridge or use immediately for any recipes that require the hot sauce as an ingredient.
Notes
- Keeps for 2 weeks chilled
- Not suitable to freeze
Besides serving as an excellent table condiment, this hot sauce will really spice up meals such as mac ‘n cheese, chilli con carne or spaghetti bolognese. Add some hot sauce to some mayonnaise for a spicy sandwich spread.
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