Most hot sauces take time to make and develop flavour. However, there are times where things need to be quick and easy and that's what this hot sauce is about. And this one has no sugar in it!

I've written in the recipe to remove the seeds so it gives a milder flavour. But If you like heat, you can absolutely leave them in. I left them in mine and it had a good kick.

This is a cooked vinegar-based hot sauce that only take 40 minutes to make. We'll simmer the chillies with apple cider vinegar first, which concentrates the chilli flavour and starts drawing out the capsaicin. The seeds are removed before cooking, which keeps the heat manageable. Leaving them in roughly doubles the heat of the finished sauce. Then, water is added in a second stage to moderate the acidity and bring the sauce to a pourable consistency.

The finished sauce is smooth and thin, designed for pouring rather than spooning. It goes on eggs, grilled meats, tacos, sandwiches and anything else that needs a hit of vinegary heat. Stored in a properly sterilised glass bottle or jar, this keeps for 6 months in the fridge. Sterilising is straightforward: pour boiling water into the jar, swirl it around, then empty and air-dry before filling. The recipe makes about 325ml. Use ripe red chillies for the best colour and sweetest flavour.

Ingredient Notes

Red chillies:

The recipe calls for 300g after deseeding and stemming, so buy around 400g whole to account for prep. Fresno chillies give a fruity, moderate heat and good red colour. Long red cayenne chillies are hotter. Bird’s eye chillies are significantly hotter still. A mix of varieties gives more complexity. For a milder sauce, substitute half the chillies with red capsicum (bell pepper).

Apple cider vinegar:

Adds acidity and acts as a preservative alongside the salt. Apple cider vinegar has a slightly fruity, rounded flavour that suits a hot sauce better than the sharper edge of distilled white vinegar. If you substitute with white vinegar, the sauce will taste cleaner and brighter but slightly more acidic.

Black peppercorns:

Whole peppercorns added during cooking and blended in with the chillies. They add a background aromatic heat that’s distinct from chilli heat: more complex and less lingering. If you want a purer, cleaner chilli flavour, leave them out.