Easy Homemade Jalapeño Hot Sauce
This easy recipe for homemade jalapeño hot sauce requires only 5 simple ingredients and tastes so much better than store-bought.
Servings: 1.5 pints
Calories: 1kcal
Ingredients
- 1 pound jalapeño peppers or other hot peppers
- 2 garlic cloves large, peeled
- 1 tablespoon Kosher salt *(see note)
- 2-4 tablespoons white vinegar to taste
- ¼ cup water
Instructions
- Remove the stems from the jalapeños and slice each in half lengthwise. Use a spoon to remove the seeds for less heat if desired.
- Add the jalapeños to a blender along with the garlic, salt, 2 tablespoons vinegar and water.
- Blend on high until totally smooth. This may take several minutes depending on your blender. Taste and add more salt and/or vinegar if desired.
- Transfer hot sauce to a jar and refrigerate for up to 3 months.
- If desired, you can ferment the hot sauce by leaving the jar out at room temperature, covered, for about a day. This will give it a deeper, more interesting flavor. Refrigerate after fermenting.
- You can also cook the hot sauce for a milder, more mellow flavor. Pour the mixture into a sauce pan and cook, stirring constantly, over medium heat until the color changes to a deeper, duller green; about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool before transferring to a jar.
- All three methods produce excellent results. Experiment with them until you find what flavor works best for you!
Notes
- This recipe uses Diamond Crystal Kosher salt, which is less salty than table salt by volume. If using table salt, start with half and adjust as needed. If you remove the seeds and ribs from your peppers, you will also need less salt.
- Wear gloves when handling hot chilies or the capsaicin can stay on your hands for hours and be quite painful.
- Chili peppers can vary widely in their heat. If your jalapeños are especially hot, remove the seeds and ribs with a spoon before blending.
- Be sure to thoroughly blend the hot sauce so it is very smooth texture. If there are still some chunks or if you prefer a thinner hot sauce you can pass it through a fine mesh sieve or strainer.
- Fermentation is optional but recommended to add depth of flavor and tame the heat. All you have to do is let it sit out on the counter for a few days before refrigerating to let it develop flavor.
- Try making this hot sauce with a few different types of hot peppers like cayenne peppers, Fresno peppers or habaneros to change up the flavor and heat levels.
- You can also add different spices like onion, cumin or coriander to add different flavors.
- Add fruit like mango, pineapple or lime juice to your hot sauce for a tropical sweet heat.
Nutrition
Calories: 1kcal | Carbohydrates: 0.1g | Protein: 0.03g | Fat: 0.02g | Saturated Fat: 0.003g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.01g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.001g | Sodium: 84mg | Potassium: 5mg | Fiber: 0.1g | Sugar: 0.1g | Vitamin A: 45IU | Vitamin C: 0.3mg | Calcium: 1mg | Iron: 0.1mg
