In that I have some ghost chilis on the way, I figured I should learn how to make hot sauce now so that I'm ready.
Has anyone ever made their own? I think I remember DelfinoPie doing it, but a search turned up nothing. I'm going loosely off a recipe I found in the most recent Bon Appetite, tweaked a bit - they call for pureeing about a pound of destemmed peppers with 2tsp of kosher salt, letting them sit in a loosely closed glass jar for about 12 hours at room temperature to ferment slightly, then adding about 1 1/2c distilled vinegar and letting sit at room temperature for 1-7 days longer. I'll be doing this, loosely, but I changed the ingredients a little - I used one large (and tasty, but VERY hot) habanero, six serrano (I think - they look like jalepenos but red) peppers, and maybe 2/3 as much by weight carrot and two large cloves of garlic, both sauteed in a bit of olive oil first to mellow and fill out the garlic flavor and sweeten the carrots a little.
I've got it sitting out covered now - a quick taste suggested that it's got a nice but not overpowering heat (probably just shy of the 100% Pain sauce in my fridge that I just finished, whose jar is getting commandeered for this project), but a TON of flavor to it.
Any tips on preparation or preservation?
Has anyone ever made their own? I think I remember DelfinoPie doing it, but a search turned up nothing. I'm going loosely off a recipe I found in the most recent Bon Appetite, tweaked a bit - they call for pureeing about a pound of destemmed peppers with 2tsp of kosher salt, letting them sit in a loosely closed glass jar for about 12 hours at room temperature to ferment slightly, then adding about 1 1/2c distilled vinegar and letting sit at room temperature for 1-7 days longer. I'll be doing this, loosely, but I changed the ingredients a little - I used one large (and tasty, but VERY hot) habanero, six serrano (I think - they look like jalepenos but red) peppers, and maybe 2/3 as much by weight carrot and two large cloves of garlic, both sauteed in a bit of olive oil first to mellow and fill out the garlic flavor and sweeten the carrots a little.
I've got it sitting out covered now - a quick taste suggested that it's got a nice but not overpowering heat (probably just shy of the 100% Pain sauce in my fridge that I just finished, whose jar is getting commandeered for this project), but a TON of flavor to it.
Any tips on preparation or preservation?