Hot pepper vinegar

1 quart

Ingredients

Quantity Ingredient
20 Hot peppers; fresh, mixed
5 cloves Garlic
1 tablespoon Black peppercorns; whole
2 tablespoons Cilantro; dried
1 quart Vinegar, distilled white

Directions

The above ingredients are approximations. Vary them to control the flavor and heat content to your preference.

Select a variety of hot peppers based on flavor and color. Stem them, and slit them open along the length of the pepper. Peel the garlic cloves and split them at least in half; in thirds if they are large. Put the peppers, garlic, peppercorns, and cilantro in a sterilized bottle with a tight fitting lid. Add the vinegar until the bottle is filled to the top and seal.

Let the mixture sit for one week in a cool, dark place. Make sure to shake it gently at least once a day. Taste constantly, and enjoy the slowly building heat and flavor. At the end of the week, you can strain the mixture if you desire. Or, for a hotter brew, leave in the ingredients for another 1-3 weeks before straining.

Better still is to leave in the ingredients, and to top off the vinegar with fresh as it is being used. When the heat and flavor starts to waver, strain the ingredients and replace with fresh ones.

Submitted By JIM MOREY On 04-10-95

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