Good Eats at the TEOTWAWKI Cafe--Homemade Sriracha Sauce

Like many of you, I don’t watch network news.  I figure most of it is lies and find that reports from around the country are far more informative as to what is really going on here.  I have a few sites I visit daily.  Sometimes I am motivated to stock up on certain items because of what I read.  Most of the time, however, we’re doing just fine. 

Yesterday, unfortunately, was not one of those days.

I happened across a tweet from Huy Fong Foods, stating that the California-based company was suspending production of their sriracha and sambal oelek sauces.  I had planned to buy a few bottles as part of my regular grocery shopping today when it was pointed out that sriracha sauce (also known as rooster sauce) is very easily made at home.  Well, duh.  Making my own would be much smarter than buying a case of it.  The girls and I are the only ones who use it.  And all I had to do is buy a serrano pepper plant (too late to start seeds for a harvest this year).

Of course, I haven’t yet made sriracha sauce.  I just bought the serrano pepper plant Thursday, and it will be several weeks before there are any peppers to pick.  But here’s the recipe I’m planning to use.  Things are getting increasingly crazy out there—we just don’t know how long our society is going to hold together.  So I wanted to post the recipe now.  Here you go:

Sriracha Sauce

1 pound red jalapeno peppers, stems removed

½ pound red serrano peppers, stems removed

1/3 cup water

4 cloves garlic, peeled

3 tablespoons light brown sugar

1 tablespoon kosher salt

½ cup distilled white vinegar

Put peppers, water, garlic, sugar, and salt into a blender and puree until smooth. 

Pour the puree into a canning jar and cover with plastic wrap.

Let sit in a cool, dark location for 3-5 days.  The mixture will eventually begin to bubble and ferment.  Stir and scrape down the sides once per day.  Replace plastic wrap after each stirring and return to its cool, dark place each day until it is bubbly.

Return the fermented mixture to the blender and add the vinegar.  Blend until smooth. 

Strain the sauce through a fine-mesh strainer, pushing through the remaining bits of seeds, skin, and pulp as much as possible.  Discard remaining pulp and seeds. 

Pour sauce into a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat.  Stir often and cook 5-10 minutes, or until sauce reaches your desired thickness.

Cool to room temperature and then pour sauce into canning jars and store in the refrigerator.  The finished sriracha sauce will slightly thicken as it cools.

Notes.  People commenting on this recipe noted that pineapple juice was an excellent substitute for vinegar. 

Links to related posts:

Homemade Salsa  

References:

https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/235276/how-to-make-homemade-sriracha-sauce/

6.15.24