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
Excellent and easy. Can’t get better than that.
Good stuff
Very good. Does not take long to make.
Thanks Mary! xo
The ingredient measurements in the recipe were very accurate. The recipe is for 1 pint jar. I made 7 with the Olive Oil because that is supposed to be hotter. Then I also made 6 more jars without Olive Oil, so those would not be quite as hot.
So if you make this recipe for more than 1 pint, then just multiply your ingredients accordingly.
I had never sliced jalapeños, but decided to slice them for this recipe.
WARNING: Jalapeño peppers cause Jalapeño Hands! It burns your hands pretty bad.
I washed my hands with soap and water. Still the burn was there. Tried pouring milk over my hands, was still burning. Tried soaking hands in ice water, that helped. Then poured Lemon Juice over my hands, still burning. Will just have to let it wear off!
So you may consider using gloves when handling hot peppers. I have learned my lesson!!!
Ha! Bonnie, I learned this lesson the hard way too! My hands burned for 3 days stright after making a very large batch of jalapeno poppers for a super bowl party. Sweet Lord , ill never try that again .
Omg yes use gloves. I sliced 3 jars of red and green peppers…the next day was horrible because I work over a 400 degree f flat grill..
Good recipe made them several times
Thanks so much William! xo
I used this recipe 2 years ago and put the peppers and sauce in secretive jars with a narrow neck (for pouring). The jars came with corks so I corked them and put them on a shelf. The other day I went to get one of them and they all had built pressure and pushed some liquid out and about 3″of the peppers were exposed to air. My question is, are the jars that did that still safe to consume the juice?
barney bolten
I have opened the peppers and like them very much made one quart one third is gone will make another quart today. Can I ad more vinegar as it gets low or are the peppers one time use the two quarts will not last till next garden Thank You
Yes, you can add more vinegar.
Yes I did make this now the wait maybe a week looks and sounds great will let you know!!!
Great! I hope you enjoy it, Barney! Thanks!
Pammy P,
Does your recipe also use the sugar and salt? I want to use apple cider vinegar, as well.
kd
kd,
No, I don’t use sugar or salt.
Pammy P.
A recipe from my daddy that was handed down from his grandmother (late 1800s era) was to use cayenne peppers and apple cider vinegar. Good stuff. We made it every year when I was growing up and I still do. We used it on turnip greens, pintos and other beans.
AMEN NOTHING better for greens and also peas and beans