Admittedly, I am fairly new to making hot sauces, but my first attempt at it was either complete luck, or well, complete luck 
. It was a heavenly mix, although a bit hot, and I couldn't have been happier. It started when I ordererd the pepper seeds from an online source, started them in my garage with a shop light, and transplanted them into containers on my back porch. I had way too many started pepper plants, so I gave several to my mother who transplanted them into her garden. The peppers that I planted in the containers were quite a bit smaller (although still fantastic) than the ones my mother planted in her garden, so next year I plan on planting my peppers in the ground.
Fast forward to their ripening:
I had cayennes and tabascos, which after some research I had determined were the best for making the type of hot sauce I was striving for.
On my first batch, I used the cayennes. I picked only the very ripe and red peppers and de-stemmed them. After this, I placed them in the food process and chopped them up a bit (not too fine). After that, I placed them in a bowl and mixed a ratio of 30:1 peppers to kosher salt.
After that, I placed the pepper/salt mixture in a pickle jar and mashed them down to the bottom. I added a layer of about 1/4 inch of salt on top of the mixture. I topped the jar with a cloth and wrapped a rubber band around the top to hold the cloth on. I let the mixture sit on a shelf in my cupboard for about 1 month, and then removed it because of impatience. I chipped off the salt dome and discarded it. I added white vinegar to the mixture and let it sit another week.
After the week, I put the mixture into the food processor again and ground it up as fine as it would go. I then strained it with a sifter into a jar. The result was heavenly. I never tested the pH or anything like that, but on my subsequent batches I think I will. I have also started another jar with a different process using a homemade air lock (if anyone wants pics please let me know and I can send them to you because I cant figure out how to upload them). I'm not sure how the next batches will turn out but I'll keep you all informed.
Please let me know if anyone has questions or suggestions, as this is the beginning of a new chapter for me, and I am very excited. Thank you everyone!
. It was a heavenly mix, although a bit hot, and I couldn't have been happier. It started when I ordererd the pepper seeds from an online source, started them in my garage with a shop light, and transplanted them into containers on my back porch. I had way too many started pepper plants, so I gave several to my mother who transplanted them into her garden. The peppers that I planted in the containers were quite a bit smaller (although still fantastic) than the ones my mother planted in her garden, so next year I plan on planting my peppers in the ground. Fast forward to their ripening:
I had cayennes and tabascos, which after some research I had determined were the best for making the type of hot sauce I was striving for.
On my first batch, I used the cayennes. I picked only the very ripe and red peppers and de-stemmed them. After this, I placed them in the food process and chopped them up a bit (not too fine). After that, I placed them in a bowl and mixed a ratio of 30:1 peppers to kosher salt.
After that, I placed the pepper/salt mixture in a pickle jar and mashed them down to the bottom. I added a layer of about 1/4 inch of salt on top of the mixture. I topped the jar with a cloth and wrapped a rubber band around the top to hold the cloth on. I let the mixture sit on a shelf in my cupboard for about 1 month, and then removed it because of impatience. I chipped off the salt dome and discarded it. I added white vinegar to the mixture and let it sit another week.
After the week, I put the mixture into the food processor again and ground it up as fine as it would go. I then strained it with a sifter into a jar. The result was heavenly. I never tested the pH or anything like that, but on my subsequent batches I think I will. I have also started another jar with a different process using a homemade air lock (if anyone wants pics please let me know and I can send them to you because I cant figure out how to upload them). I'm not sure how the next batches will turn out but I'll keep you all informed.
Please let me know if anyone has questions or suggestions, as this is the beginning of a new chapter for me, and I am very excited. Thank you everyone!
J~hawk~
I'm just weird I guess.