Southern Pepper Sauce Recipe
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This pepper sauce recipe is a Southern family favorite. Perfect for serving with cornbread, greens, or black eyed peas, this Southern Pepper Sauce is one you’ll turn to again and again.
Pepper Sauce is a favorite condiment for serving with any number of dishes in the south. It’s delicious with foods like black-eyed peas, pinto beans, collard greens, or turnip greens. Many even like a bit of it with their BBQ. A jar of this spicy sauce can just about always be found on the supper table, making it a staple item to make each year.
At the end of each summer, Daddy would gather peppers from his garden to make a good number of jars to use, keep in the pantry, and share with friends.
Here’s our family pepper sauce recipe. This recipe is for a one-pint jar.
Southern Pepper Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup distilled white vinegar
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, or pickling salt
- 1 teaspoon olive oil, optional for extra hot pepper sauce
- about 30 small peppers
Instructions
- Clean jar, lid, and band and rinse well. Keep warm.
- Mix together sugar, salt, vinegar, and optional olive oil in a stainless steel saucepan.
- Cook over medium heat until it begins to boil.
- Fill jar with peppers and pour hot vinegar mixture over the peppers. Leave about 1 inch of headspace from the top of the jar
- Remove air bubbles in the jar by tilting jar slightly to allow bubbles to escape as press peppers against opposite side of the jar.
- Wipe jar rim to clean. Place lid on top of jar and tighten ring.
- Allow jars to seal by setting on countertop to cool with about 1 inch in between each.
- Test seal after about 12 hours by pressing finger to the center of the lid. If sealed, it will not pop back. If not sealed, refrigerate and use.
- Store in dark, cool cabinet or pantry for up to a year.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Enjoy!
Robyn xo
what kind of peppers are used for pepper sauce….recipe sounds easy but I would liketo know what kind of peppers to use …bell peppers , chili peppers ,,ect…tabasco peppers are not available where i live…I lwlas born and raised in Mississippi and I miss things like pepper sauce……thanks…KT Jonas
KT, the peppers used were jalapeño and Serrano in this photo but you can use other peppers such as hot banana peppers. I wash the peppers and leave the seeds in and then follow the recipe. You can them whole because I use the small peppers. However, if you use larger ones or just prefer them sliced, you can slice them.
I like the pepper sauce recipie you posted and am familiar with southern pepper sauces served at restaurants and at family tables here in Alabama since my moving here in early 70’s. My twist is putting carrots, celery , green tomatoes ,onions and cauliflower in jars too ,along with hot peppers, salt and black pepper and garlic cloves. Just gives something crunchy and spicy to round off meal. I do use canner boiler to process and cook veggies a little.
Thanks, David. I’m glad you like these pepper sauces you have found here in the South. Your addition of the vegetables sounds good, too.
what kind of peppers are you using? How are you prepping the peppers? Do you take the seeds out? So excited to try this! Thanks!
Denise, the peppers used were jalapeño and Serrano in this photo but you can use other peppers such as your hot banana peppers. I wash the peppers and leave the seeds in and then follow the recipe. You can them whole because I use the small peppers. However, if you use larger ones or just prefer them sliced, you can slice them.
Do you use the vinger for the sauce or do you blend the peppers to make the sauce?
Ruth, you can pour the vinegar solution over your beans, etc. as a sauce and some eat the peppers, too. But you don’t blend the peppers to make the sauce in this recipe.
Do you water bath your pepper sauce?
I don’t water bath the pepper sauce, Brenda.
How long should I wait to eat this sauce?
Larry, you can eat the pepper sauce after the 12 hours needed for the jars to seal. Hope you enjoy.
made this for my family. They loved it. it taste just like what my grandma use to make. thank you so much for sharing.
I’m so glad this pepper sauce was like your grandma made, Wanda. Hope you enjoy!
everything except the oil or water just vinager, and 🌶️ that’s the Mississippi recipe.
Jen, I don’t use the oil in my peppers; it is just optional for those who want to add it. I also don’t add water to mine. Sounds like ours are about the same then. Thanks!
I’m using Tabasco peppers to make this sauce. Are they edible? Or do you just use the vinegar? Thank you.
You can eat the peppers in the pepper sauce, Gail, if you wish. My daddy did but I just eat the sauce on my vegetables. Hope you enjoy!
Can you provide an approximate weight for the peppers? Thanks!
Jeannine, I don’t weigh the peppers. I just pack enough small peppers into the jar until it is full. I use about 30 small peppers.
Getting ready to make with Datil peppers. Kinda excited!! Question, what does the olive oil do? It sounds like it makes them hotter but not certain. Thanks
The oil would make the peppers hotter, Kym.
Will heating the sealed jars in a water bath keep the pepper sauce longer?
Sherry, this pepper sauce is really a hot pepper vinegar and does not have to be water processed. Once the jar is opened, I would refrigerate it.