1 lb. of seeded and chopped Cayenne Peppers
1 1/2 cups of white vinegar
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. minced garlic (optional)

You will need:

Rubber gloves
Sharp knife
Scale
Pot
Face shield
Blender
2 Qt. canning jar with ring and seal
Stainless steel spoon
Fine stainless steel strainer
Small bottles or containers to store the hot sauce in

This is a Louisiana Style Sauce

Wearing rubber gloves, and using the knife, remove the stem and cap from all the peppers. Then, cutting the peppers lengthwise, remove all the seeds. Coarsely chop the peppers (1/2" pieces) and place them into a pot with the remaining ingredients.

Heat to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and pour into the blender. (At this point, put on the face shield!)

Put the cover on the blender and hold it down. Turn on the blender at its lowest setting for awhile, before moving up to the next setting. Progress through to the highest setting. When your peppers are completely broken down to a creamy consistency, lower the blender to the lowest speed before turning it off.

This prevents the contents from raising up in the blender (should you turn it back on again) at high speed and forcing the top off.

Now we're ready for the fermenting stage. Don't worry - this is the easy part. You just pour the creamy concoction into the 2 quart jar and put the lid on loosely. Put it somewhere in the back of your refrigerator for 2 weeks.

After 2 weeks, you can strain it through the fine stainless steel mesh strainer (use the back of the stainless steel spoon to assist) and then thin it down using more vinegar to the consistency of your liking and bottle it up.

Submitted by: C. Smyth