For the Love of Hot Sauce & Salsa!

This blog post is hot! Hot sauce hot! One of the best things about summer is the abundance of hot peppers at the farmers markets. I really enjoy preparing all kinds of salsa and hot sauce recipes. When preparing a salsa, I like to keep it fresh and enjoy it while it’s fresh. But when I want a hot sauce that I can preserve for a couple of months, I like incorporating the vinegar in my recipes. It preserves the hot sauce for a long period of time and just improves with flavor the older it gets. Included in this post are a variety of recipes with and without vinegar. Pick your favorites!

What Is The Hottest Pepper You Have Used In A Recipe?

I have only been cooking with habanero peppers for the past 10 years or so. It was not a pepper that my Mom ever used in her kitchen. The habanero is used more often in the Yucatan, coastal areas of Mexico with Carribean  influences. When I finally decided to use some fresh habaneros in one of my salsa recipes, I was hooked! There is just something about the flavor that is so addicting.

Passion Fruit And Spicy Chile Peppers Are A Delicious Pairing!

Habanero Passion Fruit Hot Sauce. Thanks to Laylita’s Recipes, I was inspired to try the passion fruit juice. All I could find was the juice and not the concentrate, but I was happy with the results!  You must take the time to check out her site and delicious recipes!

*This recipe was adapted from Laylita’s Recipes ~Passion Fruit Hot Sauce

Habanero Passion Fruit Hot Sauce
8  or 9 habaneros
4 small sweet peppers, yellow or orange
1 1/2 cups passion fruit juice
juice of 2 limes
1 1/2 teaspoons chile limon powder
salt to taste
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 cup water

Remove stems and seeds from all the peppers. Transfer to the blender. Add the passion fruit juice, lime juice and chile limon powder. Pulse to blend until desired consistancy. Transfer to a sauce pan and heat to medium. Season with salt to taste. When it comes to a boil, reduce the heat slightly. Whisk the cornstarch and water together until smooth. Whisk into the sauce pan and cook for another 5 minutes. 

Chile Habanero-Fresno Hot Sauce

Ingredients

6 habanero peppers
6 red fresno peppers
1 large jalapeño pepper
3 cloves garlic, sliced
Juice of 1 lime
1 1/2 cups white vinegar
1 cup water
1 1/2 teaspoons salt or to taste
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with 1/4 cup water until smooth

Directions

1. Roughly chop 5 habanero and 5 fresno peppers and transfer to the blender. Also to the blender add the garlic, 1 1/2 cups vinegar, 1 cup water, juice of 1 lime and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt. Blend on high until smooth.

2. Pour blended hot sauce into a medium sauce pan and turn heat to medium/low. While it heats up, finely dice the remaining habanero, fresno and jalapeño. Add them to the sauce pan and stir to combine. Turn heat up slightly and when it comes up to a simmer, whisk in the cornstarch slurry. Continue cooking for 5 minutes. Taste for salt. Cool completely before storing in an airtight container. Yields about 3 cups.

Charred Serrano Hot Sauce 

Ingredients

*20 serrano peppers, stems removed

2 large tomatillos, washed
3 cloves garlic, leave skins on
Juice of 2 key limes or 1 regular lime
1/2 cup white vinegar
1 cup water
3 teaspoons of salt…or to taste
2 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons water until smooth

Directions

1. Heat a large skillet or griddle pan to medium heat. Line the pan with some foil paper. Add the tomatillos, peppers and garlic. Drizzle or spray lightly with oil. Cook for 25 to 30 minutes, turning as needed until most sides are charred. Remove the garlic after 15 minutes.

2. Remove the skins from garlic and transfer all the ingredients, minus the cornstarch mix to the blender. Pulse to blend until desired consistency. Taste for salt.

3. Transfer the hot sauce to a sauce pan and heat to medium. When it comes to a boil, reduce heat and whisk in the cornstarch slurry. Stir well and continue cooking for another 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool at room temperature. Store in an airtight container or glass bottle in the refrigerator. It will keep for a few months.

Habanero Hot Sauce

Ingredients

4 tablespoons olive oil

1 large carrot, finely diced
1/2 cup red onion, diced
1 cup orange bell pepper, diced
2 jalapeños, diced
6 to 8 habaneros, carefully remove stems and slice into quarters(use gloves or be very careful)
Salt and white pepper, to taste
1 cup water
3/4 cup white distilled vinegar
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

Directions

1. In a large skillet, preheat oil to medium for a few minutes. Add the carrots, onion and bell pepper. Season lightly with salt and pepper and cook for 6 to 8 minutes.

2. Add in all of the remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and taste for salt. Continue cooking for another 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.

3. Transfer all to blender and blend on high until smooth. Transfer to glass bottles with secure tops. Will keep in the refrigerator for a couple of months. Makes about 2 1/2 cups.

Chile de Arbol Hot Sauce

Ingredients

50 chile de arbol
3/4 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup lime juice
6 cloves garlic, or to taste
Salt to taste

Directions

1. In a medium sauce pan, add all of the ingredients for the chile de arbol hot sauce. The salt is to your own taste, but I usually start with 1 teaspoon and as it cooks, I taste it and adjust the seasoning. Bring it to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for a good 10 to 15 minutes or until the peppers get soft. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.

2. Transfer the chile de arbol mixture, along with all of the liquid to the blender. Blend on high for 35 to 40 seconds or until mostly smooth. Makes about 2 cups. Will keep in refrigerator for weeks.

And then the Serrano Hot Sauce….My Favorite!!

Ingredients

3 tablespoons olive oil

12 to 15 serrano peppers
1 large poblano pepper
1/3 cup white onion
1 to 2 cloves garlic, sliced
1 cup water
3/4 cup white vinegar
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
Juice of 1 lime
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
Salt to taste
Handful of cilantro, chopped (optional)

Directions 

1. Heat olive oil to medium heat in a large skillet. Roughly chop the serranos, poblano and onions and add to skillet, along with the garlic. Cook for 6 to 8 minutes.

2. Add the water, both vinegar’s, lime juice and season with salt and pepper to taste. I like to mix my liquids and season with salt before adding it to the pan. It’s easier to judge the salt level one should add. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and cook for 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool. 

3. Transfer chile mixture to the blender, add cilantro if using. Blend on high until smooth, transfer to glass bottles or glass storage container. Yields about 2 cups. Will keep in the refrigerator for at least 4 months.

Spicy Taqueria Style Salsa 3/20/14

Ingredients

5 Roma tomatoes
15 chile de arbol
2 cloves garlic
1 cup beef broth rendered from barbacoa or beef roast
*you want it to have a little bit of fat from the beef
Salt to taste

Directions 

Cover the tomatoes and chile de arbol with water. Bring to a boil and cook until tomato skins strat to tear open and tomatoes soften. Drain the water and transfer mix to blender. Add garlic and blend until smooth. Add beef broth and blend for another few seconds, taste for salt. The flavor on this will just improve the longer it sits. My sister in law Norma taught me this great recipe from when she had her own taqueria food truck. Yields about 2 cups.

Note~ This hot sauce has a shorter shelf life because of the added broth, up to a week is good.

Serrano Salsa

This is my version of the blended serrano salsa that my Mom would prepare for Caldo de Res. Instead of blending until smooth, I decided to pulse it in the mini chopper to give me a coarse chop. I don’t use the mini chopper as often as I should, lol! Most days, I find it very relaxing to dice and mince a bowl full of peppers. I pay for it later with burning hands, but it’s all part of the experience. I also added some fresh lemon juice, oregano and olive oil to give it some tang and richness. I literally could just eat this with a fresh bolillo…no kidding! 

Ingredients
12 serrano peppers, roughly chopped
Juice of 1 lemon or lime
1 teaspoon crushed Mexican oregano
4 tablespoons olive oil
Salt to taste

Directions 

Add the serranos to the mini chopper and pulse 8 to 10 times until you reach a coarse chop. Make sure there are no big pieces left behind. Transfer to a glass bowl, add lemon juice, oregano, olive oil and salt to taste. Cover and let sit for 30 minutes. Stir well and taste for salt before serving. Makes about 1 cup.

This is a great garnish for soups, add to dressings, tacos or mix with a little mayo for sandwiches.

 Green Chile Sauce/Hot Sauce July 21, 2014. A chile sauce, slightly different than a salsa. This is a great way to stretch your ingredients for making a sauce, hot sauce that is. By adding vinegar and water and then thickening with cornstarch, you are essentially making a quick hot sauce. It has a longer refrigerator life because of the vinegar too. It can be enjoyed straight out of the bowl with chips or it can be added to various dishes as a finishing sauce or as a marinade. And for those of you experienced at canning, this is a great recipe for doing that. I especially enjoy preparing chile sauce for my favorite grilled shrimp, scallops and white fish dishes.  

Ingredients

6 roasted Anaheim, New Mexico or Hatch Chiles
*remove stems, seeds and blistered skins from roasted chiles
2 jalapeños, roughly chopped
1 small fresh poblano, roughly chopped
3 cloves garlic, sliced
Juice of 1 lime
1 1/2 cups white vinegar
1/2 cup water, plus more for slurry
2 tablespoons sugar
Salt to taste
4 tablespoons cornstarch
4 tablespoons water
2 fresh red chiles, sliced thin…optional

1. In the blender, combine all of the ingredients, minus the corntarch and 4 tablespoons of water. Pulse to blend until there are no large pieces left.

2. Transfer chile mixture to a medium sauce pan. Heat to medium, bring to a boil, reduce to simmer. Whisk together the cornstarch and water until smooth. Gradually whisk it into the simmerring sauce.

3. Continue cooking at a simmer until it becomes thicker. Taste for salt, remove from heat. Serve at room temperature. Garnish with a few sliced red chile peppers. Cool completely before storing in an airtight container. Yields about 3 cups.

Charred Tomato Jalapeno Hot Sauce/Chile Sauce August 28, 2014. The directions for this recipe are exactly as the previous recipe, only the ingredients and quantities are different. 

7 roma tomatoes
8 jalapenos, stems removed
4 red fresno peppers, stems removed
6 cloves garlic, leave skins on
Juice of 1 lime
1 cup white vinegar
1 cup water
Salt to taste
3 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with 3 tablespoons water until smooth

Directions 

1. Heat a large skillet or griddle pan to medium heat. Line the pan with some foil paper. Add the tomatoes, peppers and garlic. Drizzle or spray lightly with oil. Cook for 25 to 30 minutes, turning as needed until most sides are charred. Remove the garlic after 15 minutes.

2. Remove the skins from garlic and the skins from the fresno peppers as well.  Transfer all the ingredients, minus the cornstarch mix to the blender. Pulse to blend until desired consistency. Taste for salt.

3. Transfer the hot sauce to a sauce pan and heat to medium. When it comes to a boil, reduce heat and whisk in the cornstarch slurry. Stir well and continue cooking for another 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool at room temperature. Store in an airtight container or glass bottle in the refrigerator. It will keep for a few months.

Tips~ I like to keep my hot sauce in the coldest part of the refrigerator and only pour out what I may eat. The constant temperature change sometimes may affect the flavor and cause it to spoil faster.

Spicy Pepper Jelly September 6, 2014

3 red fresno peppers
3 serrano peppers
1 guero (caribe) yellow pepper
1 jalapeño pepper
1 medium red bell pepper
1 Anaheim pepper
1 cup white vinegar
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 cups sugar
Salt to taste (I used about 6 teaspoons)
1 box pectin (1.75 oz) (no sugar)

Tips~ You can use any combo of hot or sweet peppers

Directions

Add all of the ingredients in medium sauce pan, minus the pectin. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and taste for sugar and salt. Whisk in the pectin and cook for another 5 minutes. Transfer to glass jars or storage containers and let cool at room temperature. Cover tightly and store in refrigerator. Yields about 1 1/2 quarts.