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Aji charapita hot sauce
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Aji Charapita Hot Sauce

If you're growing aji charapita peppers in your garden this year, you'll want to try this smoky and savory hot sauce recipe.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 16 oz

Ingredients

  • 3 oz Aji charapita peppers or other hot pepper
  • 5 oz. white onion chopped
  • 5 cloves fresh garlic chopped
  • 1 Tbsp. smoked paprika
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 1 Tbsp. sugar
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1/2 cup white wine vinegar
  • 3 Tbsp. neutral oil avocado, canola or vegetable

Instructions

  • Peel onion and garlic and rough chop.
  • Remove stems from peppers and slice in half to inspect for pests or damage.
  • Blend all ingredients together in a high powered blender till very smooth.
  • Taste the sauce at this time. The raw flavor is very different before cooking. If you like the sauce at this stage, you can leave it uncooked and bottle it after straining (if desired).
  • If you prefer a more savory and mellow flavor, proceed to cooking the sauce. On low heat, cook for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally until a slightly thick consistency is met.
  • Allow the sauce to cool slightly before tasting. If you prefer a thinner hot sauce you can strain the sauce and discard the pulp.
  • Pour into hot sauce bottles or a mason jar after allowing sauce to cool.

Notes

  • White onion is ideal for a less pungent onion-y flavor. If using yellow or red onion, I'd recommend cooking the sauce after blending.
  • Smoked paprika is key to the final flavor of this sauce. The only suitable substitute is chipotle pepper powder (smoked jalapeño), not regular paprika.