Why do we like hot sauces and how is that not everybody into them? Let’s find out through a couple of hot sauce recipes!

We like to think that we are the captain of the ship of our own life and free to choose whenever we wish to sail. Nothing could be further from the reality that we are forced into by our own body and its history.

Why do we like hot sauce?

The past couple of thousands years, we spent in each other’s company, has left their mark on our social life. In the past -when collecting likes, implied visiting each other or attending mass gatherings personally- coping the behavior of those who we deemed in the social ladder higher meant a chance for acceptance into the desired group.

This behavior is actually hard wired into us and we do the same thing once we are able to open our eyes. This monkey copies, monkey does behavior is what opens our mouth when our parents open theirs with a spoon in their hands. (This works in any situation even without a spoon. :D)

We see our parents opening their mouth, so we open ours and we get food. The hardwired coping behavior is reinforced in the first couple of years of our life as a defacto standard way to behave for the rest of our life.

Is it normal to eat hot sauce?

Whatever people around us do will be influencing our perception of normal and more importantly incite us to follow suite to be part of the whole. This can be really dangerous as if we see obese, smoking, violent people around us, we will think it as normal and more likely be obese, smoke or at best ignorant to violence.

This same behavior is what influences our food choices too. We eat what everybody else around us eats or in case we go on dieting, we eat what those who we trust recommended for us. Trust is a very important part of the equation because who in their right mind would keep trying to eat hot peppers once they tried if there weren’t people around who are still doing it.

Does hot sauce has any benefits?

Sure, there are a couple of happy souls who get an endorphin kick once capsaicin hits their tongue but that doesn’t explain why whole cuisines, like the Indian, are so all over spiciness.

Studying the recipes of various nations, it seems that people in warmer climates are more inclined to torment themselves with spicy food which makes us wonder if there is any correlation between the two.

As much as we don’t like sweating, nowadays for various social reasons this basic body function has a fundamental role in keeping our body from overheating. Before air conditioning was invented, making our body sweat was a primary way of cooling ourselves, apart from splashing precious water all over us, of course.

Tricking the brain to sweat, even if the outside temperature doesn’t imply it, is as easy as drinking a hot drink or even better, pick up a couple of spice bites. There are also theories about various spices antifungal properties and how they could prevent the spoil of meat in warmer climates.

These days when we have refrigerators and air conditioners, we don’t need sweating nor spices to keep the meat fresh, yet we can’t get rid of those who made us who we are or more importantly from those who made us love the burning sensation in our mouth.

What is hot sauce made of?

Chili sauce, also known as hot sauce, is a sauce made of hot pepper. The hotness of the pepper is caused by compounds called capsaicionids which cause burning sensation in mammals. In reality, it does nothing to the tissues, only plays with our nerves.

For those who can’t bear the pain, there is good news. If we heroically survive the first couple of minutes, our senses will be numbed enough to bear the pain without running around and shouting for water. It’s good to keep in mind that water will not help us eliminate the sensation and trying to wash it down with anything fizzy will make it worse.

The archenemy of hot peppers is dairy. The proteins in milk and any of its derivatives bound with capsaicin -which is a main capsaicionid- and wash it away relatively quickly. If we are burning to free ourselves form spiciness on a dairy free diet, then a cup of sugary water solution or a few spoonfuls of rice may be just as good.

But making hot sauces is not about running from pain but embracing it. There are many varieties of hot peppers that can be enjoyed with the never-ending possibilities of hot sauces.

Ingredients

Pro tip: Ferment hot peppers

1 qt / 1L Water
3 tablespoons / 50g Salt
½ – 1 cup / 125 – 250ml Vinegar
2 cloves Garlic (optional)
1 lb / 500g Hot peppers

Basic

6 Hot peppers (100g)
2 cloves Garlic
½ cup / 125ml Vinegar
½ cup / 125ml Water
¼ tablespoon Salt
1 teaspoon Paprika (optional)

Advanced

6 Hot peppers (100g)
2 cloves Garlic
½ cup / 125ml Vinegar
1 cup / 250ml Water
¼ tablespoon Salt
2 Tomatoes
1 teaspoon Paprika (optional)

Overkill

6 Hot peppers (100g)
2 cloves Garlic
½ cup / 125ml Vinegar
½ cup / 125ml Apple juice
¼ tablespoon Salt
2 Tomatoes
1 medium Onion
1 teaspoon Paprika (optional)

How to make hot sauce

Pro-tip: Ferment hot pepper

Dissolve salt in water making brine.
Cut the peppers into half and the size of our fermenting jars.
Fill the peppers into the jars and add the optional garlic. It tastes better with garlic, of course it does…
Fill the jars up with brine.
Find something to keep the peppers under the water. It’s essential that the peppers stay under the water at all the times.
Place the lid on but don’t screw it on then put the jars into a dark cool corner for 1 -2 weeks until the water gets murky.
Remove the peppers from the brine but don’t discard the brine that’s our fermented hot sauce.
Blend the peppers with a bit of the brine and the vinegar in a food processor.
Some like to filter out the bits from their hot sauce. It’s not necessary.
Mix the peppers with the brine and fill it into jars.
Screw the lid on tightly and start the canning process or keep it in the fridge for about 14 days. Check out how canning works in our KnowledgeBase

Basic

Chop up hot peppers and garlic with a knife or a food processor that can be cleaned easily. Use various types of hot pepper for more fun.
Put the chopped peppers and garlic into a saucepan, pour the vinegar and water in then simmer on low heat until the peppers soften for about 5 – 10 minutes. At some point add salt and optional paprika too.
Empty the whole pan into a food processor and give it a good whirl until the whole mixture becomes uniform.
Add more water if more liquid texture is preferred otherwise pour the hot sauce into a jar. Use a sieve to get rid of the bits and seeds if desired.
The hot sauce can be happily stored in the fridge for at least 6 days but we can use standard canning procedures to make them last in the cupboard too. Check out how canning works in our KnowledgeBase.

Advanced

Chop up hot peppers and garlic with a knife or a food processor that can be cleaned easily. Use various type of hot peppers for more fun.
Put the chopped peppers and garlic into a saucepan, pour the vinegar and water in then simmer on low heat until the peppers soften for about 5 minutes.
Pure tomatoes in a food processor then mix into the pan.
Add salt, optional paprika then continue to cook on low heat until it thickens for about 5 – 10 minutes.
Empty the whole pan into a food processor and give it a good whirl until the whole mixture becomes uniform.
Add more water if more liquid texture is preferred otherwise pour the hot sauce into jar. Use a sieve to get rid of the bits and seeds if desired.
The hot sauce can be happily stored in the fridge for at least 6 days but we can use standard canning procedures to make them last in the cupboard too. Check out how canning works in our KnowledgeBase.

Overkill

Chop up hot peppers and garlic with a knife or a food processor that can be cleaned easily. Use various type of hot peppers for more fun.
Put the chopped peppers and garlic into a saucepan, pour the vinegar and apple juice in then simmer on low heat until the peppers soften for about 5 minutes.
Pure tomatoes in a food processor then mix into the pan.
Chop the onion finely then add it to the pan too.
Add salt, optional paprika then continue to cook on low heat until it thickens for about 5 – 10 minutes.
Empty the whole pan into a food processor and give it a good whirl until the whole mixture becomes uniform.
Add more water if more liquid texture is preferred otherwise pour the hot sauce into jar. Use a sieve to get rid of the bits and seeds if desired.
The hot sauce can be happily stored in the fridge for at least 6 days but we can use standard canning procedures to make them last in the cupboard too. Check out how canning works in our KnowledgeBase.