Unlocking the Fiery Flavor: Carolina Reaper Hot Sauce Unveiled

carolina reaper peppers

💰Cheaper: habanero peppers

Habaneros provide heat with a slightly different flavor profile.

vinegar

💰Cheaper: apple cider vinegar

Apple cider vinegar is often cheaper and adds a fruity note.

salt

sugar

🥗Healthier: honey

Honey can add sweetness with a different flavor.

lime juice

💰Cheaper: lemon juice

Lemon juice is often cheaper and can substitute well.

Dump all the Carolina Reaper peppers out of the container.

Smoke the Carolina Reaper peppers for about 4 hours using a smoke tube.

Sanitize the jar and canning funnel with a food-safe sanitizer called Star San.

Add 180 g of Thai Chili, 480 g of red jalapenos, and 15 g of salt to the jar with the Carolina Reapers.

Blend the mixture until all the peppers and salt are completely ground up.

Cap the jar with a lid that has a one-way valve and let it ferment on the shelf for about 2 to 4 weeks.

After 3 weeks, cook the pepper mash for about 10 minutes to stop the fermentation process.

Add 200 ml of white distilled vinegar to the pepper mash and mix it around.

Let the mixture simmer or low boil for about 10 minutes.

Blend the mixture until smooth, checking for consistency and adding more water or vinegar if needed.

Sanitize the funnel and jars before filling them with the hot sauce.

Fill the jars, remembering that the sauce will shrink in volume as it cools, so overfill slightly.

Sanitize the underside of each lid and snap them down.

Label the jars with the contents and measure the pH, ensuring it is around 3.6 to 3.7 for shelf stability.

Store the sauce in the fridge for safety.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level: