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Red Hot Sauce

Despite its name, this hot sauce for home canning is a manageable one for most people. Even if you’re a super hot sauce fan, though, this is a nice intermediate one to have on hand. This is a spoonable hot sauce, as opposed to a drizzling one. The recipe comes from the Ball / Bernardin Complete.



Course Condiments
Cuisine American
Keyword Hot Sauce
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Yield 4 250 ml (1 cup / 8 oz) jars
Calories 52 kcal

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons pickling spice
  • cheesecloth
  • 200 g hot peppers (chopped, stemmed and seeded hot peppers. 1½ cups / 7 oz. Measured after prep.)
  • 2 litres tomatoes (peeled, cored, chopped. 2 quarts. Measurements after prep. About 2 kg / 5 lbs before prep.)
  • 1 litre white vinegar (5% or higher. 4 cups / 32 oz)
  • 250 g white sugar (1 cup / 8 oz. OR two teaspoons liquid stevia
  • 1 tablespoon pickling salt (OR non-bitter, non-clouding salt sub)
Metric - US Customary

Instructions

  1. Make a spice bag for the pickling spices using the cheesecloth and secure them in it. (Tied up in a cheesecloth or other cloth bundle is fine). Set aside.
  2. Wash, stem, seed and coarsely chop the peppers. Add to a large pot (about 6 litres / quarts in size or larger.)
  3. Prep the tomatoes; add to pot.
  4. Add to the pot half the vinegar -- that's 500 ml / 2 cups / 16 oz.
  5. Bring to a boil, then lower to a steady simmer uncovered until the peppers are soft. About 15 minutes.
  6. Purée the mixture in batches to smooth, in either a blender or a food processor. (Careful, hot temperature wise!)
  7. Return mixture to pot.
  8. Add sugar, salt, spice bag, and remaining vinegar -- that's 500 ml / 2 cups / 16 oz.
  9. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a steady but strong simmer. Stir occasionally to prevent the bottom scorching.
  10. Let simmer for about 45 to 60 minutes, or until mixture mounds a bit on a spoon and becomes consistency almost of ketchup.
  11. Discard spice bag.
  12. Ladle hot sauce into heated jars.
  13. Leave 2 cm (½ inch) headspace.
  14. Debubble, adjust headspace.
  15. Wipe jar rims.
  16. Put lids on.
  17. Process in a water bath or steam canner.
  18. Process jars for 15 minutes; increase time as needed for your altitude.