Pepper sauce

Ingredients

Peppers

• 150 gwiri wiri peppers, or scotch bonnets, stems removed

Aromatics

• 1 headof garlic, peeled
• 1onion, roughly chopped
• 1thumb ginger, if wanted

Liquid

• 250 mlwhite vinegar
• 2 tspsalt
• 1 tspsugar, if wanted

Sometimes added

• 1carrot, chopped, to bulk it out
• 1 tspmustard powder
• juice of 1 lime

Equipment

• gloves
• a blender
• sterilised bottles

Directions

1. Wash your hands thoroughly afterwards even if you wore gloves. Do not lean over the blender when you remove the lid.
2. Pull the stems off each pepper. Leave the seeds and the membrane in for full heat. Remove them for something you can use more freely.
3. Rinse them and drain them well. Deciding how hot to make it is worth doing deliberately. Put the garlic, onion and carrot in a small pan. Add the vinegar and bring it to a simmer.
4. Simmer them for eight minutes until softened. This takes the raw edge off the garlic and onion. Let it cool for about ten minutes. Put the peppers in the blender with the cooked aromatics and vinegar.
5. Add the salt and the sugar to it. Blend it until completely smooth. Let it settle for a minute before opening the lid. Some like it thin and pourable.
6. Add more vinegar to thin it down. Add more carrot or onion to thicken it. Tasting it needs some real care. Taste a very small amount on the tip of a spoon.
7. Adjust the salt and the vinegar. It should be sharp and salty as well as hot. Pour the sauce in while it is still warm. Seal them and let them cool fully. Storing it is easy because of the vinegar.

Technique

• Wear gloves and open a window, since the peppers burn skin and the fumes catch in the throat.
• The membrane holds most of the heat, not the seeds.
• The vinegar is what preserves it, so do not reduce it.

Substitutions

• Scotch bonnets in place of wiri wiri, which are hot but less fruity.
• Frozen wiri wiri peppers, sold in Caribbean shops.

Variations

• Bulked out with carrot for a milder sauce.
• With mustard powder for a sharper edge.
• Made with green peppers before they ripen.

History

Built on the cherry-sized wiri wiri pepper grown in Guyanese kitchen gardens; a bottle sits on every table.

Frequently asked questions

What is Pepper sauce?

Pepper sauce is a sauce & condiment from Guyana: fiery sauce of wiri wiri or scotch bonnet peppers with vinegar. Built on the cherry-sized wiri wiri pepper grown in Guyanese kitchen gardens; a bottle sits on every table.

How long does Pepper sauce take to make?

Pepper sauce takes 20 min of preparation and 10 min of cooking. The recipe makes 2 small bottles. It is rated easy to make.

What can I substitute in Pepper sauce?

Yes, within limits. Scotch bonnets in place of wiri wiri, which are hot but less fruity. Frozen wiri wiri peppers, sold in Caribbean shops.

What is the most important thing to get right in Pepper sauce?

Wash your hands thoroughly afterwards even if you wore gloves. Do not lean over the blender when you remove the lid.