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Glass bottle of homemade red hot sauce on a red checkered cloth with a fresh red chili pepper lying beside it

Homemade Hot Sauce

A bright, fiery cooked hot sauce of fresh Fresno peppers, garlic and vinegar, blended smooth and bottled — no fermenting required.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings: 2 cups
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 lb 450 g fresh Fresno or red jalapeño peppers, stems removed, roughly chopped
  • 4 garlic cloves smashed
  • 1 cup white vinegar or apple cider vinegar
  • ½ cup water
  • 1 teaspoon fine salt
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • Juice of ½ lime

Method
 

  1. Wearing gloves, stem and chop the peppers; leave seeds in for hot sauce, remove for medium.
  2. Combine the peppers, garlic, vinegar, water, salt and sugar in a saucepan.
  3. Simmer 12 to 15 minutes, in a ventilated kitchen, until the peppers are completely soft.
  4. Rest 5 minutes off the heat, then stir in the lime juice.
  5. Blend 1 to 2 minutes until smooth, venting the lid and starting on low.
  6. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve for a smooth sauce, or leave unstrained for a rustic one.
  7. Funnel into sterilized bottles, cool, and refrigerate.

Notes

Wear gloves and ventilate the kitchen; wash hands, boards and knives well after handling the peppers.
Heat swaps: serranos for a sharper sauce, 2 to 3 habaneros for serious heat, half red bell pepper for mild.
Keeps up to 3 months refrigerated in sterilized bottles; shake before use — separation is natural.
Too thick: blend in vinegar or water a spoonful at a time. Too thin: simmer a few minutes longer.