Some people like the taste of "spicy", some don't! In my house, I am the lonely lover of hot sauces and spicy foods. There's a lot of debate about why people like to torture themselves with extremely hot or spicy foods but for me personally, I enjoy the enhanced sensation and flavor; even if it comes at a price. I've made the choice that the price of a little extra heat is worth it! That being said, I have a large collection of hot sauces; many of which I may never get to, but I'm always looking for more or new kinds. This year, the second summer in our house, we planted a garden and my veggie of choice was peppers. Habenero, Jalepeno and Chili Peppers. Naturally, the end result was some extreme hot sauces that I will be able to enjoy and share with friends. While I was at it, I figured I'd share my experience with you. Jalapeno Hot Sauce I started with the Jalapeno hot sauce because it took longer to cook. Dice some onions and garlic, little oil, little salt and a whole lot of fresh grown Jalapenos! Next, toss it all in a pan and saute for about 4-5 min. Add some water and simmer for about 20 min to let everything get soft. This is when the air in the house starts to take on that sharp sting from the spices! If you can't take the heat, stay away from the kitchen until this is over.......and then maybe another half hour to an hour. Next step is chop it all up and blend it together. I use the Ninja Food Processor, because that's what I own. Does the job. Once it's blended, low heat for 20 more minutes helps all the flavors come together. Some people strain the sauce so its liquid, personally I feel like you throw away good food if you strain so I always leave the pulp in it. Last step is cool it down, jar it and enjoy! Habanero Hot Sauce Habanero is one of my favorite flavors. I always enjoyed but I develop a passion for it when Sarah and I were traveling on our honeymoon in the Turks & Caicos. My favorite pepper is still the Scotch Bonnet but the habanero is a close cousin and has a similar heat index. Plus this is what I have to work with. The green ones were grown by myself and the rest were acquired at the North Quabbin Garlic & Arts Festival this past fall. There were so many different kinds and they looked so delicious and hot I couldn't help myself. So in full disclosure, the Habanero hot sauce is made from all home grown peppers. Habanero Hot Sauce is different than Jalapeno in that I don't cook the peppers in this case. I use a based comprised of carrots onions and garlic, seasoned with the normal salt and oil, pepper if you so desire but this recipe is already loaded with peppers so I typically refrain! I saute the carrot base until it's nice and soft for two reasons. First, because I don't strain the sauce after I blend it and two because I don't mind a thick sauce but don't want chunks. Once the carrots are soft add to blender, toss in full Habanero's (I cut off the stems for the same reason I like the carrots to be soft) add a tomato or two depending on what flavor you like, some vinegar and water and blend away. Just like the Jalapeno Hot Sauce, you want to simmer on the stove for 20 min or so to bring all the flavors together. Also, learn this lesson on behalf of me.......don't use your wife's wooden spoon for hot sauce if she doesn't like hot/spicy things. You will need to buy new wooden spoons. The End Result The end result of growing my own peppers, forcing my wife out of the kitchen (the place she loves) for hours due to the lingering effects of the spiciness in the air and painstaking labor (all 45 minutes of it) is two jars of delicious hot sauce that I can enjoy for the next few months or share with friends and family. The Habanero Hot Sauce turned out quite spicy so I like to mix it with other things to cut down on the heat and add flavor to other condiments in the kitchen.
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August 2015
Mike & SarahWe love to travel, cook, eat, own a home and make stuff. |