Tabasco Peppers in Vinegar
Remember those charming pepper vinegar jars popping up as kitchen décor? They’re not just pretty; they’re flavorsome. Unleash your inner chef and prepare this amazing Southern pepper sauce. Tabasco peppers + white vinegar + salt, and you’re good to go. Quick, easy, and a must for most Southern meals with this hot pepper vinegar recipe.
Bring the heat of the South to your kitchen with our DIY tabasco peppers in vinegar recipe. This easy recipe delivers a condiment that packs a punch and takes your Southern meals to a whole new level. From black-eyed peas to fried catfish, drizzle our hot pepper vinegar and experience the irresistible sizzle of Southern flavors.
When I was a kid growing up, my mother always had a jar of these tabasco peppers in vinegar in the fridge. Dad would add a liberal amount of the juice to so many dishes such as black eye peas, pinto beans and especially cooked greens. I’m not really sure if Mother made new batches or if she just continued to add vinegar to the same little peppers.
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I really didn’t realize it was a Southern thing until I was well up in my 20’s. Since both my parents were from Arkansas, what was normal in our home usually had southern roots. Southern pepper sauce was always a staple in our home and dad loved it.
And now these pepper vinegar jars are showing up as kitchen decorations. How funny, what started out as a southern condiment is now high end decor. But they are easy to make and whether you use them as a condiment or decor, these little babies will be enjoyed. And I have to admit, they are simply gorgeous.
Every year we grow plenty of peppers in the garden and one of our favorites are these Tabasco Peppers which we grow from seeds. These plants produce a colorful array of peppers and you could either use yellow or orange peppers. But we usually wait till they turn red to pick them for our hot pepper vinegar.
Tabasco Peppers in Vinegar Recipe:
Ingredients:
- Fresh tabasco peppers but cayenne, serrano or Thai peppers are idea.
- 1 ½ cups distilled white vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Equipment needed:
🥣 Recipe Tips
- Enhance Flavor with Slits: For a bolder, spicier infusion, slit the stem end of each Tabasco pepper before packing them into the jar—this allows the vinegar to penetrate more deeply, releasing extra heat and flavor during the 3-week steeping period. Use this intensified hot pepper vinegar to add a tangy kick to Southern classics like collard greens or black-eyed peas, elevating simple sides into flavorful staples.
- Proper Packing for Even Infusion: Pack the peppers tightly into the jar using a wooden chopstick to push them down, ensuring they’re fully submerged in the hot vinegar-salt mixture to prevent spoilage and promote uniform flavor. This condiment is perfect for drizzling over fried catfish or pinto beans, providing a zesty, authentic Southern accent to hearty meals.
- Long-Term Storage and Reuse: After the initial 3-week infusion, store the jar at room temperature for up to 6 months or refrigerate for longer shelf life, and refresh by adding more vinegar as the level drops to keep the peppers potent. It’s versatile beyond the kitchen—use as a decorative element on your table while enjoying it as a spicy topping for red beans and rice or hoppin’ John for a traditional touch.
How to make hot pepper vinegar:
This simple recipe for Peppers in Vinegar, a tangy and versatile condiment perfect for adding a zesty kick to meals. Ideal for topping sandwiches, salads, or charcuterie boards, this easy recipe is a must-try for pickle lovers and home cooks looking to elevate their dishes.
Instructions:
- Wash the tabasco peppers and spread them out on a tea towel to dry. Wash and dry your cruet jar or any glass jar with a stopper.
- Drop the red peppers in the clean jar and use the wooden chopstick to pack them to the bottom. Continue to pack and fill to the top.
- Measure the vinegar into a small saucepan and heat just to boiling, add salt, stir and remove from heat.
- Pour the vinegar salt mixture into the jar over the peppers.
- Close the jar with the stopper and let stand at room temperature for at least 3 weeks then it can be refrigerated. Or leave at room temperature for up to 6 months.
How to use this Southern Pepper Sauce:
Uses for Hot Pepper vinegar:
Use as a condiment for
- cooked spinach, mustard green or collards.
- Black Eyed Peas
- Hopping John
- Fried Catfish
- Red Beans and Rice
- Texas pinto beans and Ham Hocks
Other Southern Dishes:
Bring the authentic taste of the South into your kitchen with this simple tabasco peppers in vinegar recipe. This age-old southern pepper sauce, loved by many as a condiment and now making waves as a kitchen decor, is a perfect blend of taste and convenience. For a culinary experience that’s as rewarding as it is delicious, PIN this pepper sauce recipe and let it spice up your Southern meals.
🥣 Recipe
Equipment
- Cruet jar or decorative jar with a stopper- always use a jar with a cork or glass stopper never metal
- Wooden chopstick optional to poke the peppers down into the jar
Ingredients
- Fresh tabasco peppers or cayenne serrano or Thai peppers
- 1 ½ cups distilled white vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Wash the tabasco peppers and spread them out on a tea towel to dry. Wash and dry your cruet jar or any glass jar with a stopper.
- Drop the red peppers in the clean jar and use the wooden chopstick to pack them to the bottom. Continue to pack and fill to the top.
- Measure the vinegar into a small saucepan and heat just to boiling, add salt, stir and remove from heat.
- Pour the vinegar salt mixture into the jar over the peppers.
- Close the jar with the stopper and let stand at room temperature for at least 3 weeks then it can be refrigerated. Or leave at room temperature for up to 6 months.
Notes
Nutrition
I grew up with these. It’s been too long, gotta make them.
Thank you so much for this recipe! I’m a displaced southern girl living in Idaho with nowhere to buy pepper sauce (as my Georgia family calls it). It has become ridiculously priced online. The next three weeks is going to crawl before I can use. Thank you again!
Yay!! You are so welcome! Use Southern girls have to stick together! Enjoy!
Can I use dehydrated peppers to do yjis?
I’m not sure, I have never tried it but I don’t believe it would be as good.
I fixed these peppers. I did not check to see if my top leaked. I was admiring a jar and turned it upside down. The vinegar leaked out.
Does this mean that these jar of peppers are bad and should be thrown out?
As long as you caught it quickly it should be ok, but be sure and look for signs of spoilage.
The recipe is easy and delicious!
Long time pepper sauce maker here. TIP: slit or cut stem end off before putting in the bottle…makes a much stronger taste.
Excellent tip!! Thanks I will try it!
Very delicious