Monday, 16 September 2013

Homemade Sriracha � A Hot Sauce Worth Crowing About!

If I had a dollar for every �I can�t find Sriracha, what can I use instead?� email I�ve received, I could eat at every Thai restaurant in town, twice. I usually say to use whatever hot sauce they can get, but alternatives like Tabasco and Frank�s (I don�t put that sh*t on everything), just aren�t the same. No offense.

So, instead of continuing to help people fit spicy, square pegs in hot, round holes, I figured it was time to show just how easy it is to make your own homemade sriracha. I�ve listed exactly what I added below, but when you get to the end of the process, it�s very easy to adjust with extra salt, sugar, and/or vinegar if need be.

I used about 75% red jalapenos, also sold as �Fresno chilies,� and about 25% red Serrano chilies, so this version is probably a bit spicier than the Huy Fong Foods �rooster sauce,� which you�re probably more familiar. 

I don�t want to sound �cocky,� but the flavor, color, and texture are remarkably close. Now, if I just pronounce it right. It sounds fine in my brain, but something happens in my mouth on the way out.

Anyway, this is a fun project, and a really delicious, must-have hot sauce. I hope you give homemade Sriracha a try soon. Enjoy!


Ingredients for about 1 1/2 cups Sriracha:
1 1/2 lbs of red jalapenos and red serranos, stems removed
4 cloves of garlic, peeled
3 tbsp light brown sugar
1 tbsp Kosher salt
1/3 cup water
1/2 cup of distilled white vinegar