How to Make Hot Pepper Sauce With Scotch Bonnet

The Scotch bonnet is a tiny, thin-skinned pepper that closely resembles a habanero. Considered one of the hottest peppers the world over, the Scotch bonnet has a Scoville heat rating that can reach as high as 300,000 compared to the 2,500 to 8,000 range of the jalapeno. The Scotch bonnet is often used as a flavoring for Jamaican and Thai cooking, but it can be used in many other dishes as well. The Scotch Bonnet is also the ideal pepper to use as the basis of a hot sauce that packs a wallop. Learn how you can make your own Scotch bonnet peppers to add a little kick to your meals.

Things You'll Need

• Blender Eight Scotch bonnets Three small carrots (diced) Pinch of salt Five whole black peppercorns Thyme 1/4 cup diced papaya 1/4 cup diced mango 1 teaspoon ginger 1/2 cup sugar 1/4 cup cider vinegar Medium saucepan

Instructions

1. Place eight Scotch bonnets, three small diced carrots and five whole peppercorns into a blender. Add a medium sprig of thyme and a pinch of salt, then blend on high until the ingredients form a paste.

2. Add 1/4 cup of papaya and 1/4 of mango to the paste and blend on high until the fruit becomes liquid and blends with the paste.

3. Add 1/2 cup of vinegar to the mix and blend on high for one minute. Cider vinegar is best, but you can use balsamic vinegar, too.

4. Pour your sauce into a medium saucepan and heat on low for five minutes, gradually stirring in 1/2 cup of sugar. Stir frequently while the sauce is over heat.

5. Remove the sauce from the heat, and let it stand for five minutes, then pour it into a sealed container or a canning jar. This recipe will make about a half-cup of Scotch bonnet sauce, which should go a long way. It's extremely hot and requires only a few of drops at a time.

Tips & Warnings

• If your local grocery store doesn't have Scotch bonnet peppers, consider using habanero peppers as an alternate. Scotch bonnet peppers are difficult to find. Try a specialty import/export food store or ordering Scotch bonnet mash online (see resources). The sweetness of the papaya and mango blended with the heat of the Scotch bonnet offers a great taste combination and helps reduce heat.

Resources

• Scotch Bonnet Mash