How to Make Tabasco Sauce

Choose high quality white vinegar that's been distilled. Since this recipe has so few ingredients, it's important to use the best quality available to you. Avoid off-brand jugs of white vinegar and opt for something quality in a glass bottle. Make sure it's white vinegar that's been distilled.

Select fresh, ripened tabasco chili peppers without blemishes. Choose peppers that are bright red and evenly colored. Avoid gnarled and blemished peppers. If your local market doesn't sell tabasco chili peppers, or if you grow other kinds of hot peppers yourself, you can experiment with any of those. If you're experimenting with different peppers, choose spicy varieties. Ideally, they should be red, but you can experiment with color, too. Good alternative hot peppers candidates are serrano, habanero, and cayenne varieties.

Be careful when handling and chopping hot peppers. If you have sensitive skin, you may want to put on a pair of disposable gloves before you begin. The pepper juice is very strong and can sting your skin. Wash your hands thoroughly after handling the peppers, as well. Avoid touching your eyes and face while handing the peppers.

Remove the stems from the peppers. Wash the peppers thoroughly with cold water to remove any dirt or debris. To remove the stems, simply cut off the top of the pepper, including the stem, with a sharp knife.

Chop them up by hand or in a food processor. Place all of the peppers, with the stems removed, into a food processor or blender. Turn the machine on and process them until they are roughly chopped. If you don't have either of those appliances, you can chop them roughly by hand.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

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