Scotch Bonnet Curry Hot Sauce

It's hot sauce making time in the Chili Pepper Madness kitchen today, my friends! I have hot sauce galore in my house, but that doesn't mean we can't use a bit more, right?

Hey, there is never enough hot sauce!

My garden is EXPLODING with all sorts of peppers this year, but one of my most prolific plants is my Scotch Bonnet plant. Talk about production! I've received many pounds of Scotch Bonnet peppers this year and I'm hugely thankful for them. Scotch Bonnets are great peppers and they offer up a nice level of heat.

About Scotch Bonnet Peppers

The Scotch Bonnet pepper is a cultivar of the habanero pepper and has a similar heat and flavor. If you enjoy habaneros, you'll love these peppers. The Scotch Bonnet is just as hot as a habanero, measuring in at 100,000-350,000 Scoville Heat Units (SHU) on the Scoville Scale. The hottest Scotch Bonnet is about 70 times hotter than an average jalapeno pepper, to give you an idea. Nice heat!

Scotch Bonnets are very often used in Caribbean cooking, where they originated and are widely grown. Dishes like jerk chicken or Jamaican Hot Pepper Sauce require the flavor and heat of the Scotch Bonnet.

Learn more about Scotch Bonnet peppers here.

I've been preserving these peppers like crazy already this year, but one of my favorite ways to use them is to make hot sauce. You already know I'm a hot sauce fanatic. I make all types of them, from fermented to non-fermented to extra crazy hot to sweet and mild, all depending on what I'm in the mood for.

Today I'm going to make a quick and easy Scotch Bonnet hot sauce that is infused with curry powder, garlic and lemongrass. The flavor is very much like a spicy curry sauce. You can easily make a big batch of this recipe and use it as a curry sauce for chicken, beef, pork or seafood, or use it as a nice finishing hot sauce for your curries or other dishes.

The heat level is quite hot, so if you're plan is to use it as a curry sauce, you may want to cut it with other ingredients or milder peppers.

Let's talk about how we make the hot sauce, shall we?

Scotch Bonnet Curry Hot Sauce Ingredients

• Scotch Bonnet Peppers. Chopped.
• Mixed Sweet Peppers. Chopped. Or use all Scotch bonnet peppers for a truly hot & spicy version.
• Lemongrass Paste.
• Garlic Cloves. Chopped.
• Curry Powder.
• Black Pepper.
• Salt.
• Apple Cider Vinegar.
• Water.

How to Make Scotch Bonnet Curry Hot Sauce - the Recipe Method

1. First, add all of the ingredients to a medium sized pot. Bring to a quick boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until everything softens up.
2. Transfer the mixture to a food processor or blender and process until smooth. If you’d like a thinner curry sauce, add water a couple tablespoons at a time and process to thin it out.
3. Strain the curry sauce if desired.

BOOM! All set! Easy enough, right? Use it up as a curry sauce or as a hot sauce you can drizzle over all of your favorite foods. Give your meals a little fiery zing! Curry style!

This recipe makes 10 ounces curry sauce, strained. Enough to fill 2 5-ounce woozy bottles.

Safety Tips for Working with Hot Chili Peppers

• Avoid the Fumes. Hot chili peppers like Scotch Bonnets give off fumes when you cook them that can make it difficult to breath, a bit like pepper spray wafting into the air. Open up as many windows as you can when cooking indoors, and use a fan to combat the fumes. 
• Wear Gloves. Hot peppers contain oils that can cause burning sensations on your skin if you touch them directly, particularly when you chop them or cut them open. It is best to wear gloves when working with them. Try not to touch other parts of your skin, like your face or anywhere sensitive. If you do, see my page on How to Stop the Chili Pepper Burn.

Frequently Asked Hot Sauce Questions

Here are answers to some of the most common questions I get about other hot sauces:

How long will this Hot sauce keep?

This hot sauce should keep a few months easily in the fridge, or even longer. It's all about the acidity. To be technical, target level pH for shelf stable foods is below 4.6 pH, but should probably be lower for home cooks, around 3.5 or so, to account for errors. This particular sauce measured 3.7 pH for me, so if you'd like it to last even longer, add more vinegar or a citrus (such as lemon juice or lime juice) to lower the pH. Sauces made with fermented chili peppers will last even longer.

The best ph meters that I recommend are from Thermoworks. Get yourself a ph meter from Thermoworks today. I am a happy affiliate.

Where'd You Get those Hot Sauce Bottles?

I find them locally sometimes, but I also order through Amazon. Here is a link to some bottles I like (affiliate link, my friends!): Swing Top Glass Bottles, 8.5 Ounce - Set of 4. If you like the smaller bottles (woozy bottles) that most hot sauce makers use, here's another link: Hot Sauce Bottles (Woozy Bottles), 5 Oz - 24 Pack.

Can I process this hot sauce for longer storage?

Absolutely. Just be sure to use proper canning/jarring safety procedures. Also, I would lower the pH to 3.5 if you're running them through a water bath.

The National Center for Home Food Preservation provides home canning instructions and many recipes that have been tested for food safety. NCHFP.uga.edu.

Try Some of My Other Popular Scotch Bonnet Recipes

• Peach-Scotch Bonnet Hot Sauce
• Jamaican Hot Pepper Sauce
• Scotch Bonnet-Peach Pepper Jam
• Jamaican Jerk Chicken

Try Some of My Other Popular Hot Sauce Recipes

• Homemade Sriracha (both fermented and non-fermented varieties)
• Cayenne Pepper Sauce
• Ti-Malice – Hatian Creole Hot Sauce
• Ghost Pepper Hot Sauce
• Datil Pepper Sauce
• Devil's Tongue Hot Sauce
• More Hot Sauce Recipes

Also see my page - How to Make Hot Sauce: The Ultimate Guide.