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Cayenne Pepper Sauce

We use a large quantity of spicy hot ingredients in our meals, so last year I decided to add cayenne peppers to my pepper garden. I just wasn't sure how I wanted to use them. The trick to making food with significant heat is the ability to control the amount of heat in the finished product. No one wants an unpleasant shock and it's just plain disappointing when the heat is insufficient.

I decided that rather than adding the cayennes to any of my dishes directly, I'd develop a hot sauce recipe we like. Here's the basic method I used - you can adapt to suit your taste. Another excellent reason for growing hot peppers is that they are really lovely in the garden.

What you need

  1. 1 or two handfuls of cayenne peppers
  2. Apple cider vinegar
  3. Tomato paste
  4. Lemon juice (optional)
  5. Kosher or Sea Salt

How to make it

  1. Remove stems and caps from peppers and chop into 1 inch lengths
  2. Place into a saucepan and add enough vinegar to just cover the peppers
  3. Simmer covered for 30 minutes, until the peppers are extremely tender
  4. Remove from heat and allow to cool
  5. Place peppers and vinegar into a food processor and process until smooth
  6. Taste on a starchy carb (corn chip, bread, rice) or a cucumber slice
  7. Add salt to taste
  8. Add tomato paste for sweetness as well as to temper the heat to your desired taste
  9. Add lemon juice if desired

Questions about this recipe?

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