Hot Pepper Vinegar

Yesterday was a rainy, gloomy day, perfect for catching up on important things that need doing inside. Not cleaning, don't get crazy. I was almost out of Hot Pepper Vinegar, House Seasoning and Sauerkraut. All of which are essential in my kitchen.

Hot Pepper Vinegar is always passed with cooked greens in the south. It's also used on vegetables and meats. You can make it very simply by replacing about a quarter of the vinegar in a bottle with hot peppers and setting aside for a week. It is very common to see these peppers in old catsup bottles or liquor bottles. Spiciness varies with peppers. The following recipe is a little more trouble, but the resulting vinegar is will worth the effort.

Hot Pepper Vinegar
Yield: 1 quart or 2 pints
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Mixed hot peppers, about 1 pound
1-2 garlic clove, peeled
3 cups white vinegar (I like half cider and half white vinegar)
3/4 cup water
2 tablespoons kosher salt
1 small onion, peeled and chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons mustard seeds

Pack sterilized quart, or 2 pint jars with the mixed hot peppers, then add garlic clove. Mix the remaining ingredients in a nonreactive pot and cook at a low boil for about 30 minutes, covered.

Pour the boiling liquid over the peppers, seal the jar, and process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.