Master Hot Sauce Recipe
A customizable homemade hot sauce recipe using fresh chiles of your choice, fermented and blended with vinegar for a perfectly balanced hot sauce that can be stored for months.
Ingredients
- •1 pound stemmed fresh chiles (such as jalapeño, serrano, Fresno, or habanero; use one variety or mix and match)
- •2 tablespoons kosher salt
- •1½ cups distilled white vinegar
Cooking Instructions
- 1.
Pulse chiles and kosher salt in a food processor until a coarse purée forms. Transfer to a 1-quart glass jar, loosely screw on lid, and let stand at room temperature for 12 hours to ferment slightly.
720 min
- 2.
Stir in vinegar and loosely screw on lid. Let chile mixture stand at room temperature for at least 1 day and up to 7 days. (Taste it daily; the longer it sits, the deeper the flavor becomes.)
1440 min
- 3.
Purée mixture in a food processor or blender until smooth, about 1 minute. Place a fine-mesh sieve inside a funnel. Strain mixture through sieve into a clean glass bottle. (Hot sauce will become thinner and may separate after you strain it; shake vigorously before each use.) DO AHEAD: Can be made up to 4 months ahead. Keep refrigerated.
15 min
