Southern Pepper Sauce Recipe

221 Comments

4.87 from 22 votes
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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.

Canning jars of Southern Pepper Sauce with green and red peppers.

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.

Glass jars hold pepper sauce with colorful peppers inside.

Here’s our family pepper sauce recipe. This recipe is for a one-pint jar.

Southern Pepper Sauce Recipe

4.87 from 22 votes
This pepper sauce recipe is a Southern family favorite. Perfect to serve with cornbread, greens or peas, this pepper sauce recipe is one you’ll turn to again and again.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 32 tablespoons

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

Makes 1 pint.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 tablespoon | Calories: 21kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 0.3g | Saturated Fat: 0.02g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Sodium: 77mg | Potassium: 136mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Calcium: 6mg | Iron: 0.4mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Enjoy!
Robyn xo

Welcome to Add A Pinch

About Robyn

Robyn Stone is a cookbook author, wife, mom, and passionate home cook. Her tested and trusted recipes give readers the confidence to cook recipes the whole family will love. Robyn has been featured on Food Network, People, Southern Living, and more.

4.87 from 22 votes (2 ratings without comment)

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Recipe Review




221 Comments

  1. Vivian says:

    Would apple cider vinegar works as well?

    1. Robyn Stone says:

      I haven’t used apple cider vinegar, Vivian. According to Ball, you can use cider vinegar but it may darken the peppers or any other vegetables you can.

  2. Lisa says:

    Curious, Im from the north and I’ve never used this or seen it before. Do you use the vinegar or just the peppers on your cornbread and such? Looks awesome and I have a lot of peppers right now.

    1. Robyn Stone says:

      I use the vinegar, but you can eat the peppers if you like, Lisa.

  3. Jeremiah says:

    Once i transfer the sauce from the jar to a hot sauce bottle, how long will it stay good for? Will it need refrigerated?

    1. Robyn Stone says:

      I don’t ever transfer mine from the original sterilized jar, Jeremiah.

  4. marthajon62@gmail.com says:

    use this vinegar whenever you want to spice up your chicken or pork or anything. I was raised on this stuff!

  5. Katie Parks says:

    30 peppers in one pint jar? Sorry I never did this before

    1. Robyn Stone says:

      You will use small peppers, Katie. You can pack 30 small peppers in a pint jar. Hope you enjoy!

    2. Katie says:

      First time making pepper sauce and it turned out perfect! My husband and I are putting it on everything from cornbread and greens to tater tot casserole lol. I can’t wait to try it on our beans from the garden! Thanks for this recipe! My peppers were kinda of big so I used about 20 per jar and sliced a few up. I am going to be making more soon. This would make an excellent Christmas or birthday gift

    3. Robyn Stone says:

      Katie, I’m so glad you and your husband are loving the pepper sauce. We use it on everything, too. Thank you.

  6. Temeca Keyes says:

    My mother’s favorite.going to make some

    1. Robyn Stone says:

      Hope you enjoy, Temeca.

  7. Virgie says:

    5 stars
    I’m from as far south as you can get in Louisiana. We always had a container of this sauce on the table. Anytime, we had a dish with rice from gumbo to jambalaya we used it. This recipe is the same my family used for as long as our family has gone back to our start in this country. My great grand-parents and grand parents grew their own papers and made their sauce. I have moved from LA but am growing and picking my ownpeppers. Thank you for sharing this awesome recipe.

    1. Robyn Stone says:

      Virgie, thank you for letting me know your family has used this same recipe for generations, too. My family has always had this as far back as my mother can remember. xo

    2. Janine Pruitt says:

      I put all the peppers I have, little hot bells, jalapenos, Cayenne, sweet Cayenne, and banana? Guess I will see😁

  8. Paul Frederick says:

    How long does this have to sit before it can be used? I know pickles take a week or two to be fully ready.

    1. Robyn Stone says:

      Paul, you can use the peppers immediately if you wish. The flavor and heat may be more intense in about a week.

  9. JC Line says:

    How do you prepare the peppers? I’m new to pepper sauce and want to make sure I don’t miss an important step.

    1. Robyn Stone says:

      You will just wash the peppers and place them in the jars whole. Then, follow the directions in the recipe. Hope you enjoy, JC.

    2. Katie Parks says:

      What size jar do you use and how many? Thanks

  10. Lisa says:

    I’m from the south and u are so right it is so good on some beans and cornbread I’m glad I found ur recipe. Thank you so much !

    1. Robyn Stone says:

      I love it with beans and cornbread, too, Lisa. xo

    2. Vickey says:

      When will it be ready to eat?

    3. Robyn Stone says:

      Vickey, you can use the peppers immediately if you wish. The flavor and heat may be more intense in about a week.