Homemade Hot Chili Sauce

The simplest way to make your own chili sauce and add kick to your favourite dishes.Much better than any bottled sauce.Depending on the kind of chilis you use the result will be different without losing the character and essence of an excellent hot sauce.If you use Cayenne, for example you will get very very close to Frank’s Red Hot Sauce.If you use Jalapenos the sauce will get the full flavour and colour of this variety.For your safety use gloves and keep your face away from the vapours as capsaicin,the compound giving hotness to chilies,can irritate your eyes and is not pleasant to inhale.If you do not have fresh chilies of your favourite variety,dry ones,also in flakes,will work.Should you get a sauce that is too vinegary adding a little bit of baking soda and reheating the sauce briefly will remove the excess of vinegar taste. You can adjust the quantity of any ingredient according to your taste and the spiciness you want to reach or add herbs and flavourings but following this procedure will guarantee always an excellent result.

INGREDIENTS: 3 cups of your favourite chili peppers (or more if you want) 1 and ½ cups White vinegar 4 tablespoons tomato paste 2 tablespoons chopped onion 2 garlic cloves chopped 3 tablespoons lime juice Olive oil 1 tablespoon Sugar 1 teaspoon Salt

PREPARATION: Cut the stem off the chili peppers. Cut them in half lengthwise and put them in a hot pan with a drop of olive oil. Saute’ briefly until just a little toasted but not dry. Add 1 ½ cups of water and bring to boil. Reduce the fire and let simmer until softened adding a little water if needed. Put the chilies and the remaining liquid in a blender, add half the volume of white vinegar, a teaspoon of salt and blend to a homogeneous paste. In a pan (no need to use a clean one, just use the one you used for the chilies) soften the chopped onions and garlic in olive oil until translucent. Do not let them get brown. Add to the mixture in the blender. Combine with the tomato paste, lime juice, and sugar. Blend until really smooth. Pour back in the pan and let it reduce on a low fire until you get the consistency you like. If you want to eliminate the seeds pass through a sieve or cheesecloth. Pour the mixture in a clean jar, cover with a thin layer of olive oil and keep in your fridge. It is immediately ready for consumption but the more you keep it the better it will become