Southern Hot Pepper Vinegar

Bumper Crop Leads to Beautiful Vinegars

We had a bumper crop of peppers this year -- jalapenos and chiles as well as milder banana peppers.

We made a hot pepper vinegar.  It's very easy.

Simple Ingredients

In a saucepan start with 4 cups of white vinegar.  Add 2 tablespoons of course salt and 1 tablespoon of sugar.  Bring to a boil for two minutes. Let mixture cool.

Fill sterilized bottle with a combination of fresh peppers, with stems trimmed.  Use a chopstick to position them in the bottle and to poke neat holes in the peppers in order to bring out their heat and flavor.

Putting it together

Pour vinegar over peppers and allow a few minutes for it to "settle," before adding more. Place stopper in bottle and wait a week or so before using.

We used blackboard paint on each bottle to add our "brand" in chalk.

Bon appetit.