Ever ask yourself what’s our love affair with pepper sauce? What is about Caribbean people and the heat we’re always seeking? I’m sure not everyone from the Caribbean is into the hot stuff, but a good majority of us are and we’re influencing so many thousands of people across the globe with the recipes we share. To date there’s about eight pepper sauce recipes I’ve posted and that’s just a teaser into how creative I can get when it comes to making that liquid dynamite we call pepper sauce.

Here’s one I made recently which is packed with heat, but the rich undertones of oranges and pineapple gives it that unique Caribbean vibe. This orange pineapple pepper sauce is a personal fave of mine, especially when BBQ season comes around, so I do hope you give it a try.

You’ll Need…

1 1/2 cup orange juice
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon brown sugar (golden)
1 cup pineapple chunks
1/4 teaspoon allspice
15 scotch bonnet peppers

Notes: I used store bought orange juice (get the good stuff – no pulp, but nice and thick) and the pineapple came from a can. I got the chunks, with syrup (use the syrup as well). Remember when handling scotch bonnet peppers to use caution as they are VERY hot. Use gloves and don’t include the seeds if you’re overly concerned about the extreme heat. Remember to wash your hands a couple times with soap when you’re done and don’t touch anyone or yourself before you to. If you can’t source scotch bonnet peppers (complain to your grocer) use Habanero peppers.. they are just as deadly.

Wash and give the scotch bonnet peppers a rough chop to make it easier work for your blender or food processor. (again – do wear gloves)

All we need to do now is add all the ingredients into the food processor and give it a few pulses to start. Then work it until you have a smooth consistency. Do remember to add the juice/syrup the pineapple is packed in (if you’re using canned pineapple chunks as I did).

Tip: remember to have your kitchen windows open as the peppers are very hot and with the blending, it may cause you to choke. (also, be careful when washing your food processor.. don’t stand above it as the water falls on it) Follow the same procedure when the pepper puree is cooking (see below)

When you’ve achieved a smooth consistency, add the mixture (be careful when pouring it out) to a deep saucepan and on medium heat bring it up to a boil. Then reduce to a gentle simmer and cook for about 10 minutes. You can now allow it to cool before you pour it into the bottle you’re serving it from or if you’re doing the canning method.. pour it while it’s hot into the mason jar.If you want the sauce to be even smoother, you can return it back to your food processor or blender and work it for another minute. Try not to go past 30 seconds to 1 minute or risk it going frothy.

This pepper sauce can be stored in the refrigerator for about 6-8 weeks, but you may find that you’ll need to give it a shake before using and it will loose some of it’s kick while in the fridge. If you’re looking for more exciting hot sauce / pepper sauce recipes, click on “Bits and Bites” above and go through the listings. Additionally, there should be some shared below where it says “similar recipes”.

I encourage you to give this recipe a try, but be aware that it’s lethal and do be careful as you work with the scotch bonnet peppers. The last thing I need is you emailing me saying that your hands are on fire because you didn’t take me seriously and wear gloves. Or worst case.. you touched your eyes or somewhere even more sensitive!

Before you go, don’t forget to check out the latest cooking videos, connect with me on twitter and join our community on facebook. oh yea! leave me a comment below – it’s appreciated.

A significant part of Caribbean cuisine must be the many hot sauces or pepper sauce as it’s commonly known throughout the islands and our appreciation for such sauces. Not only will you find different variations of these explosive sauces from island to island… in just about every home you’ll find a unique recipe as well.  Over the years I’ve been experimenting with different ingredients to create some tantalizing hot sauces, so this mango peach hot sauce is just me being creative and using what’s around me. I like to refer to this hot sauce as being  where the Caribbean and Canada collide!

You’ll Need…

10 Scotch Bonnet peppers (or habanero)
1 cup mango nectar or juice
1 cup peach (with syrup)
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 cloves garlic
teaspoon mustard powder
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1/4 cup vinegar

Notes: You’ll notice that I used the entire pepper. I wanted the raw explosive heat.. if you want to tame it down a bit, you can discard the seeds and white sort of membrane surrounding the seeds. That’s where the majority heat is when it comes to hot peppers, like the scotch bonnet and habanero. Remember to wear gloves when handling these peppers as they can cause some problems for sensitive hands. If you don’t have gloves coat your hands with some vegetable oil at least.

Remove the stems off the peppers and wash. Drain and give a rough chop..same for the cilantro. Then place all ingredients in a deep saucepan and bring to a boil.

The idea is to gently cook the peppers and infuse the sauce with the goodness of the peaches, garlic,, cilantro and mango juice. I used canned peaches, so i included the syrup it came with a swell. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer and cook for about 20 minutes.

Your kitchen will have a strong scent of cooking peppers (spicy) so you may need to open your kitchen window or turn on the vent fan above your stove. You’ll notice that everything will go a bit pale as it cooks, but that’s normal.

After 20 minutes of cooking (remember to stir a few times) allow to cool before putting into your food processor or blender, or risk getting burned when it splatters.

Now place everything from the pot into the food processor and give it a few pulses.. then blend for a minute or two. Try not to over-blend or it will go frothy and ruin the texture (not my liking). You’ll now have a wicked hot sauce flavored with the mango and peach. It will be thick, but runny enough (smooth) to place in a squeeze bottle.

Don’t be fooled with this hot sauce wonderful fruity fragrance… it will be like rocket fuel. Store in the fridge up to 6 weeks. Directly below you’ll see some links to other hot sauce recipes I’ve shared in previous posts.

Before you go, don’t forget to check out the latest cooking videos, connect with me on twitter and join our community on facebook. oh yea! leave me a comment below – it’s appreciated.

It’s been a sticky summer with just about everyday being extremely hot and humid, but I’m not complaining except for the havoc all this heat is doing to my habanero plants. If you’re connected to the Facebook Fan Group, you’d know that a few weeks back I was seeking advice on what to do with my plants. They were dropping their leaves and not holding on to the flowers or baby peppers. Good news is that I finally got some peppers, but the yield is about 70% lower than in previous years.  I’m hoping that the cool weather we get in mid to late August will see the second crop be better.

As we’ve discussed in previous hot sauce (pepper sauce) recipes, in the Caribbean just about everyone makes their own sauce and have some sort of secret family recipe or the other. But if we were to define our hot sauces, one word comes to mind – HOT! This sauce is not a traditional Caribbean pepper sauce, since we’ll be using canned peaches and the texture is a but more liquid than the ones we make down the islands. Traditional stuff is a bit more thick or chunky, with the use of carrots, papaya, chunks of ripe limes and other native ingredients.

* NOTE: If you’re using scotch bonnet or habanero peppers and you want the flavour without all the heat, discard the seeds and inner white membrane. This is where all the real heat is in peppers. Additionally, when cutting up the peppers be sure to use a disposable gloves or rub cooking oil over your hands to form a a protective shield from the oils from the peppers. And don’t forget to wash your hands thoroughly with soap after you’re done with this recipe.

You’ll Need…

16 hot peppers (Habanero, Scotch Bonnet or whatever you consider to be hot)
1 can peaches in syrup (trust me on this one my Caribbean people) 14oz
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup molasses
1 cup distilled vinegar
2 tablespoon salt
2 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon black pepper
3 tablespoon chopped cilantro (use shado beni if you have instead)
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
3 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon mustard

Remove the stems from the peppers and give them a rough chop so it’s easier to puree in your blender or food processor. Basically all you’re doing is adding all the ingredients to the blender as in my case and puree until you have a smooth consistency.

Don’t ask me why as I can’t explain, but if you allow the finished sauce to rest for about 1 day or so in the fridge, the flavour changes for the best, compared to if you started using it the very same time you’re done making it. However, I’m a hotsauce addict so I started using mine seconds after it came out of the blender. In true Caribbean style I saved my old bottles (pasta sauce etc) just for these occasions. After a good wash in boiling hot water and soap, I allowed them to dry and then I topped one with the hot sauce. Hey, I’m just doing my part to keep this earth we call home greener by reusing!

This sauce is very savory with a bold kick of heat as it makes it’s way around your tongue. As I mentioned above, it’s not a traditional Caribbean style hotsuace and it’s a bit runny. It makes a great topping for grilled meats, hamburgers, hot dogs and on sandwiches. I would bet my last dollar that it would also make a great dipping sauce for wings. Directly below you’ll find links to other hot sauce (pepper sauce as it’s know on the islands) recipes that I’ve done in the past.

I’d love to get your feedback or just say “hi” in the comments box below – it’s appreciated. And before I go I’d like to remind you to check out the latest cooking videos, pictures and if you’ve not already done so, join our select group on Facebook. Where we discuss all things related to the Caribbean Cooking Culture.

Looking to spice things up a bit in your life? I have the “recipe”. This one was inspired by my “mango chow” post a few weeks back. I remembered the days when as a kid I would chase down the doubles man on his bike for hot steamy “doubles” These vendors reinvented what we know as pepper sauce on the islands. Each had their own signature sauce that would attract many of us as we craved the fiery pleasure that a good hotsauce can be. These artisans would flavour their sauces with things such as mango, coconut, shado beni, lady finger (sour cherry), pomme cite′, tamarind… whatever was “in season” was usually the base.

Here’s my take on a sauce where I use ripe mango and ginger to add some flair to the insanely hot habenero peppers. You’ll soon see this featured at your local grocers or online, but with an added twist. I’m hoping you’ll be too lazy to make it yourself and get a few bottles when it’s launched

You’ll need…

1 large ripe mango – peeled / diced
10-14 habanero peppers (use less if you’re chicken) – diced
1 onion – diced
2 cloves of garlic – crushed
2 banana peppers – diced
1 red bell pepper – diced
3 tablespoon cilantro – chopped
1 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
1 tablespoon salt
2 limes – juice
1 tablespoon crushed ginger ( I used the bottled stuff)
1 tablespoon mustard – optional (I didn’t use it this time)

This is a simple 3 step recipe.

Step 1. Cut, dice, squeeze and crush as necessary.

Step 2. Place all the ingredients into a pan, bring to a boil then cover and simmer gently for about 15 minutes.

Step 3. Allow to cool, then add to a food processor or blender and puree. Feel free to leave it a bit chunky if you’d like some texture to it.

So simple, yet amazingly tasty! Don’t be fooled by the title of this post as it’s not one of those pure habanero sauces that’s all about heat. With the mango, ginger and orange juice used in this recipe, you’ll be amazed by the different level of flavours you’ll experience. WARNING! When this first hits your mouth it’s rater mild, but like a “pop rock” candy, there will be a delayed explosion and you will feel a “punch” as it makes it’s introduction to your taste buds.

TIP! Start off with 4 habaneros with the first batch you make, so you can then judge the heat level for future batches.

BTW, this makes about 4 cups of sauce, so you’ll have enough to share with your friends. They’ll be amazed at your creation – trust me! Remember to leave me your comments below.