Chiltepin Peppers for a “Hot Chili Sauce”

Chiltepin Peppers, July 2, 2014

These tiny peppers (about 1/4 inch in length) pack quite a punch— one of the highest on the scoville heat list, often packing a punch that is 30 to 40 times hotter than jalapenos.

These grow wild in south Texas and I remember my grandparents made and then stored “hot chili sauce” on their tables for themselves and for guests.

WORD OF CAUTION:  purchase and grow chiltepin plants from a garden center (or buy from a farmer’s market)  to avoid picking something poisonous growing wild in a pasture.

How to make Chiltepin “Hot Chili Sauce”

Add chiltepin peppers — about 1/4 cup — into an olive oil cruet (dispenser bottle), then fill the cruet about an inch from the top with table vinegar. Let the mixture set for about a week, then sample for amount of “heat”. Adjust the heat — more peppers for more heat in the chili sauce, or dilute with vinegar for less heat.

The peppers will continue to produce heat until they start to

Hot Chili Sauce

fall apart (that can be more than a year). Continue adding vinegar until the chili sauce is no longer hot. The pepper mixture pictured (right) has been re-filled once over the past year.

Tip:  Spice up Mild Salsa.

I prefer a mild heat salsa but provide the chiltepin hot sauce for anyone who wants a bit more heat!

Happy gardening!