I’ve made a couple different kinds of hot sauce at this point and this is probably my favorite (enough that I've made it twice!). It’s smoky and flavorfu and really, who can resist that combination? 
Equipment:
Pour enough vinegar into the bowl/camp stove to just cover the chilis, add your onions, garlic, juice, zest and brown sugar, and then pull out your food processor. Scoop out the contents and some vinegar and process it roughly. After returning the sauce to the bowl/camp stove and add enough water to make it a bit more watery than you like it.
By now, your grill should be ready to go. Dump your hot coals on one side of your grill, put a layer of wood on top of it (I like to use bigger pieces here), a second layer of unlit coals, and another layer of wood on top of that. Make sure the layers are loose so you don’t smother the fire. Slap the grill on and put the bowl directly on top of the fire, and set the top vent of the grill two thirds to three quarters closed. Keep an eye on how much smoke it lets out. You will likely need to add more coal and wood as you go.
I left this batch on the grill for about six hours, but you can leave it on longer. Prepare your jars, etc. toward the end of the time (do your reading first!), but protip – use a measuring cup and put the ring on as you fill the jars. You should have enough to fill four jars completely and about half of the fifth. I suggest you keep them in the fridge, since they are not either pressure canned or ph tested.
Ta-da!
Equipment:
- grill or smoker (you do not want to cook hot sauce in the house!)
- plastic gloves
- food processor
- either a bowl you don’t care about or a camp stove pot
- five ball jars + lids + bands
- 1lb bird’s eye chilies
- quarter of an onion, chopped
- 3 tsps crushed garlic
- juice of a lemon, a lime, and the zest of either
- 1/2 tbsp brown sugar
- enough white vinegar to cover
- water
Pour enough vinegar into the bowl/camp stove to just cover the chilis, add your onions, garlic, juice, zest and brown sugar, and then pull out your food processor. Scoop out the contents and some vinegar and process it roughly. After returning the sauce to the bowl/camp stove and add enough water to make it a bit more watery than you like it.
By now, your grill should be ready to go. Dump your hot coals on one side of your grill, put a layer of wood on top of it (I like to use bigger pieces here), a second layer of unlit coals, and another layer of wood on top of that. Make sure the layers are loose so you don’t smother the fire. Slap the grill on and put the bowl directly on top of the fire, and set the top vent of the grill two thirds to three quarters closed. Keep an eye on how much smoke it lets out. You will likely need to add more coal and wood as you go.
I left this batch on the grill for about six hours, but you can leave it on longer. Prepare your jars, etc. toward the end of the time (do your reading first!), but protip – use a measuring cup and put the ring on as you fill the jars. You should have enough to fill four jars completely and about half of the fifth. I suggest you keep them in the fridge, since they are not either pressure canned or ph tested.
Ta-da!