Making your own hot sauce recipes from homegrown hot peppers? Some people like to make fermented hot sauce recipes (and SOMETIMES they add vinegar at the end after it's fermented), some like to cook hot peppers down in a sauce pan and add vinegar for a quick hot sauce, and some people like to pickle whole hot peppers in vinegar for a spicy vinegar treat. You can even add lime or lemon juice to hot sauces for a tropical burst of flavor and acidity.
There is no wrong way to make hot sauce, but we were curious for those who do like to add vinegar to their hot sauces, what vinegar do they like best? White Vinegar, Rice Vinegar, Apple Cider Vinegar(ACV) seem to be some of the top favorites for hot sauce, but don't stop there, people use a wide variety of vinegars including homemade vinegar, read on...
We asked on Facebook and here's what people said:
Every kind. It depends on the sauce I’m making. There all good for something. I’m not trying to recreate the exact same sauce every time though. - Craig J.
I would think it would be depending on what result you want. My first ferment was hosts/habs with red bell pepper, garlic, and onion. Added some coriander at blending with brine and white vinegar. Very clean pepper taste. The next was a southwest cayenne with cayennes, red bell pepper, onions and garlic. Added honey, paprika, fresh Fresno peppers, and ACV at blending. More full and complex flavor. I have a ghost sauce fermenting with ghosts, habs, garlic, red onion, and beets. I plan on adding black cherries, spices yet to be determined, and red wine vinegar for color and body. Every vinegar has its own profile and still exploring all of them lol. - Steve R.
Not anymore, but my first couple batches I added white balsamic vinegar from advice on this page. It’s a sweet, delicious mild vinegar. Also used apple cider vinegar as well. The pH on my ferments are consistently between 3.4-3.7 which gives enough tang for me and my fans. I always ferment with garlic & pineapple as a base then add some fresh fruit like pineapple, blueberries/black berries, strawberries & banana depending on the flavor and always brown sugar. - Pete R.
Distilled white. That's because I want the flavor to not be effected by the acidifier. - Will G.
Yes and no. Sometimes. Ive use rice, white, balsamic, all types based on recipes and flavors I want. - Betty S.
It’s not necessary after pasteurizing, but I often do. Usually just white vinegar, as a thinner, it’s all personal preference. - Jerome A.
I use white wine vinegar with jalapeños, distilled white vinegar with tabascos, and a combination with cayennes (champagne, ACV, rice, and/or distilled white) - Cody
Peach cider vinegar - Mason G.
I don't add any vinegar to any sauces cause I hate the taste of vinegar. No matter how little I use I only smell/taste the vinegar. - Desmond D.
I have a weakness for unfermented and fast to make white vinegar, lots of salt, lost of sugar with whatever peppers. Thai Chile's, habanero and ghost are my favorite. - Gavin R.
I am a Louisiana style guy so yes I do. I prefer the aged Colavita brand White Wine Vinegar. - Barry W.
White wine vinegar. - Mike K.
I always make at least 1 or 2 bottles without. The Special Reserve. - Ronald B.
Sometimes just a little bit... if I do it's apple cider vinegar. - Joel D.
Sometimes. If the ph isnt low enough definitely. Cant go wrong with apples cider but at the end of the day, it all depends on the flavor youre going for. - Michael L.
For flavor I have added apple cider vinegar. - Glenda L.
White, rice, or apple, depending on the hot sauce ingredients. - Rodrigo C.
I've used apple vinegar when blending all my sauces. Very happy with the result!! - Marcelo P.
Depends on what flavor profile you're going for. Sometimes it's apple cider, sometimes it's champagne, sometimes it's balsamic. - Dan R.
Jalapeno wine vinegar! - Phil D.
I have used white vinegar, apple cider vinegar, rice wine vinegar, and coconut vinegar. Just depends what type of sauce I want and how each of them works with the individual blend. - Jim L.
I have used nearly every kind of vinegar in different sauces. They each create a different flavor profile. I have sauces that are great with different foods and the vinegar is usually the ingredient that determines which food it pairs with. That is just my opinion. - Cory H.
Apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar depending on the sauce. - Nicole T.
Distilled white keeps things bright and crisp and ACV adds a bit of body and depth. Depends on the recipe and what you're looking for. - Adam M.
Rabbit hole. I started making my own vinegars also. - Tim T.
Know what this is above? It's a handmade fermentation crock that we use for fermenting hot sauce made from our homegrown peppers with a brine of salt and water – no vinegar needed! This way to make hot sauce uses lactic acid fermentation, created by salt and water, to preserve the peppers and develop a complex, tangy flavor. Fermentation crocks have a water moat that provides the airlock for fermentation to allow CO2 (which is naturally produced from fermentation) to escape, while preventing oxygen from entering the crock, greatly reducing the possibility of mold. There are lots of vessel options for fermenting including ceramic fermentation crocks, mason jars with lids (which require burping), airlocks or locking lids, and traditional Korean Onggi pots which are open pots that use a plate nestled on top to keep the ferment submerged in the brine. Fermenting peppers is a great way to make hot sauce that is deliciously tangy and full of probiotics! Sometimes after the fermentation is complete, people will blend in vinegar for the final hot sauce, but often it is enjoyed without any added vinegar. Learn more about Fermented Hot Sauce »
Whether you decide to use vinegar or not, be sure to grow any of our 100+ peppers of the world and make our Favorite Hot Sauce recipes – hot sauce is the perfect way to preserve your pepper harvest!
Find our related post, Best Peppers for Hot Sauce – and try some new peppers next season to expand your hot sauce collection.
Above: While we're not in the hot sauce making business, we did get some custom hot sauce labels made to send out to our Wholesale Seeds customers to thank them for their orders! This hot sauce uses distilled vinegar and lemon juice and lots of fermented peppers. Did you know that our hot pepper seeds are sold in nurseries across the United States? Check out our Seed Retailers Map to find one near you, or ask your local nursery or garden center to carry our seeds. We love working with local businesses to share the love of chile!
Have fun growing hot peppers and making hot sauce!
There's nothing better than homegrown, homemade hot sauce, right?!
There's nothing better than homegrown, homemade hot sauce, right?!
