A Caribbean Hot Sauce Recipe That Will Make Your Head Sweat

Today, I’m going to share with you, a Caribbean hot sauce recipe I originally found on the internet and then tweaked to match my personal preferences. This hot sauce is made with scotch bonnet peppers, vinegar, olive oil, and salt. Scotch bonnet peppers are the hottest type of pepper in the world; their heat levels range between 100,000-325,000 on the Scoville scale.

If you like spicy food then this hot sauce recipe may be for you! There’s some preparation time involved but it’s worth it in the end. Below is a list of ingredients and directions to make your own Caribbean hot sauce from scratch.

What Is A Caribbean Hot Sauce?

I first heard of this style of hot sauce when a Trinidadian co-worker gifted me a jar of his wife’s homemade sauce. IT WAS AMAZING!!!

I immediately wanted to learn more about Caribbean hot sauces and to try to make my own.

A Caribbean hot sauce recipe usually includes hot peppers like Scotch bonnet peppers, habaneros, or scorpion, pretty much all of the really hot varieties. In the most basic form, the peppers are mixed with garlic, salt, and vinegar. Some people get fancy and include acidic fruits like mango or herbs like cilantro.

Caribbean-style hot sauce is usually a thicker, chunky sauce. Often served in a jar instead of a bottle. We thin ours out with more vinegar and emulsify in a blender. This way we can fill woozy bottles to give out as gifts.

The Scotch Bonnet Pepper

The scotch bonnet pepper is a type of chilli pepper that is common in West Africa and the Caribbean. It is named for the shape of the cap on its peppers, which looks like a bonnet, similar to the type worn by Scottish highlanders during the 18th century.

The heat level varies depending on the variety of peppers, with some reported to be extremely hot while others are milder. This Caribbean-style hot sauce uses Scotch Bonnets for a fiery kick and a tropical flavour.

Scotch Bonnets are commonly found at the grocery store. However, the quality of the pepper varies across the seasons. If you can, the best sauce will come from freshly-grown Scotch Bonnet peppers.

Ingredients

Fresh ingredients are best for this sauce. If you have a green thumb, give growing them a shot, your sauce will thank you.

• 450g Scotch Bonnet Peppers
• 1 Cup of Cilantro
• 4 Cloves of Garlic
• Juice from 1 Lime
• 3/4 Cup White Vinegar
• 1/4 Cup Olive Oil
• 1 tbsp Sea Salt

Preparation Steps

To get started, wash and chop the tops off of the Scotch Bonnet peppers. Leave the seeds in but check the seeds in each pepper, especially if you bought from the grocery store. The Scotch Bonnets sold at most grocery stores tend to get seed rot. If you find this, remove the seeds and if the pepper is free of rot, give it a wash.

Next, gather the Garlic, Lime, and Cilantro. Roughly chop up and set aside 1 Cup of Cilantro. Separate and peel 4 large cloves of Garlic. Lastly, cut the lime in half and set it aside, we’ll add the Lime Juice when blending.

You’ll want to prepare the oil and salt and vinegar as well. Pour out 1/4 Cup of Olive Oil, 1/2 Cup of Vinegar, and 1 tablespoon of sea salt. Keep them close as you’ll need them when blending the ingredients together.

Remember to use gloves when handling hot peppers, and once you’re done, don’t rub your eyes until after you’ve washed your hands.

Blending Steps

Now it’s time to blend everything together!

Start by pouring the vinegar into the blender, this will help the blender chop the peppers. Start adding a few peppers at a time. Put the lid on, and blend until the peppers are combined with the vinegar. The sauce should be really thin at this point.

Once you’re about halfway through the peppers, add the remaining 1/4 cup of vinegar and the lime juice. Now, start blending the remaining peppers a few at a time until all are mixed in the blender.

After all the peppers have been added, it’s time to add the cilantro, oil, garlic, and sea salt. Start with the sea salt and oil, blend it all together. Then add the garlic and cilantro to the blender.

Start the blender on a low setting to blend the garlic and cilantro. Once all blended together, turn the blender on a high setting and let the sauce emulsify for about 2 minutes.

Give the sauce a taste, this is your chance to add more ingredients to taste.

Time to transfer the sauce from the blender to your stove pot. The hot sauce should be thin enough that it flows easily from blender to pot.

Cooking Steps

Time to set it, and forget it.

Just kidding.

Put the pot of hot sauce on the stove at high heat. Make sure to cover the pot to avoid hot sauce flying all over the place when it boils. You don’t want this stuff in your eyes.

Once the hot sauce starts to boil, reduce the heat to a simmer and cover for 10-15 minutes. Turn off the stove and let the sauce cool down a bit.

The Final Product

Transfer the Caribbean sauce to a large Mason jar, if you followed the recipe you should have a little less than a Litre Mason jar. Set the lid on top of the jar but don’t tighten the lid. Let the jar sit like this for about an hour and then tighten the lid. I don’t know if this is necessary but it gives me the warm and fuzzies knowing the sauce is cooled down further before sealing completely.

Leave the sauce on the counter for about a week or 2, the flavours will blend together further. Once the week has passed you can split the sauce up into woozy bottles or smaller Mason jars.

Final Thoughts

If you’re looking for a Caribbean hot sauce recipe that can be used in many dishes, this is your recipe. The Scotch Bonnets pack a punch so use this sauce sparingly if you’re looking for it to take the heat!

If you want to lower the heat, substitute some of the peppers for mango or pineapple. The sauce will be a little sweeter and will also have a more tame heat.

This is the sauce I make most frequently. It’s quick and easy to make and all you really need is a blender and a pot.