Smoked Jalapeno Hot Sauce Recipe | My Favorite Small Batch Hot Sauce

Ingredients:

10 jalapeños

1 green apple

1 head garlic

1 green bell pepper

3/4 c white distilled vinegar

1/2 to 1 c water to adjust consistency

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp salt

1 tsp black pepper

1 tbsp oil, canola or avocado

Tools needed:

Smoker (I have an offset smoker)

Cutting board

Sharp knife

Fine mesh strainer

Mixing bowl x 2

Smalle ladle

Blender

Measuring cup

Measuring spoon

How to make it:

Wash and dry apples and jalapenos. Air dry on clean towel.

Cut stem end off jalapenos and cut into 1 inch thick medallions. Place into the mixing bowl.

Cut apple into sections around the core. Cut apple pieces into roughly the same size as the jalapeno medallions. Place apple pieces into the mixing bowl.

Lightly smash garlic on the cutting board removing the paper layer. Place in the mixing bowl.

Add oil, salt and pepper to the ingredients in the bowl and toss gently to evenly coat ingredients.

Place ingredients onto the perforated pan and place on the smoker. I’m using an offset smoker and I like to place the sheet pan close to the firebox so the ingredients cook quicker and get a little bit of caramelization. Once the maker gets warmed up for about 10 minutes, smoke the ingredients for 1.5 to 3.5 hours or until the ingredients are soft. I like to smoke around 250-275 degrees f. I’m using an offset smoker and the heat is challenging to get on an exact temperature as the temperature will fluctuate. If you are using a pellet grill, the temperature is a little more controllable.

Place cooked ingredients into the blender with the vinegar, water and paprika. Blend on high until the ingredients are smooth adding more water if needed. More water and vinegar will make a thinner sauce.

One thing to keep in mind with this sauce is the apple has natural pectin in it and will thicken the sauce once it gets cooled in the refrigerator. You may need to make the sauce thinner than normal. By the time it cools, the consistency should be close to what you prefer. Optionally you can strain the sauce for a smoother sauce by lightly pressing the sauce through a fine mesh strainer.

This sauce will stay good for many months. I like to store mine in mason jars and keep in the refrigeration. If you have hot sauce bottles, that will work too. If you check the pH, it should be around 3.5-3.7. This is well below the 4.6 threshold where bad bacteria may develop.

I love this sauce and I put it on almost everything. A nice flavor profile from the apple and jalapenos, with a lot of garlic to back it up. Plus, the smokey flavor is a huge compliment to the natural flavors of the peppers and apple.

Enjoy!

Logan