This is a little number I like to whip up when I have chillis that need using. It’s not a filthy hot as I prefer a little heat and a good flavour with my hot sauce. I am not a fan of a hot sauce that will remove the roof of my mouth, taking with it all ten thousand of my taste buds, rendering my ability to enjoy my favourite pass time almost impossible.

The beauty of this is it will last for months in the fridge so you can take a decent crop of chilli and turn it into a good supply of hot sauce for you and all of your friends.

Also, it’s still really nice with fresh chilli and garlic, and if you want it to give the Scoville scale a decent nudge you can certainly make it with hotter chillis.

SMOKED CHILLI HOT SAUCE

1 kg long red chilli or pretty much any other chilli that you like
2 – 3 cloves garlic
¾ cup castor sugar
500 ml white vinegar
¼ cup salt
1.5 lt water

Using a kettle BBQ set up with indirect heat, smoke chilli and garlic for 2 hours to give them a little smoky flavour. Alternately, smoke chilli and garlic overnight in an offset smoker as it’s winding down from a cook.
Put all ingredients into a pot and simmer over medium-low heat for 1 hour.
Blitz sauce using a stick wizz or blender.
You can pass the sauce through a sieve if you want it to be silky smooth, but I’m all for the rustic styles with this one.
Check seasoning and add a little more salt if necessary.
Put it into jars for all of your friends and now everyone will love you.