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Jamaican Hot Pepper

Jamaican Hot Pepper

Jamaican Hot Pepper

As the name suggests, these peppers are from Jamaica, but popular world wide. It matures to a red or yellow color and red ones are hotter than yellow ones. They are squash-shaped with thinner skin.

They grow to about 2 inches and are very hot and have caribbean flavor.

They can be pickled or eaten raw, if the person can heat that hot.

Used in sauces, marinades and salsas.

Some of the recipes are:

  • Jamaican Hot Pepper Jelly
  • Scotch Bonnet Hot Sauce
  • Grilled Jerk Chicken with Scotch Bonnet Sauce and Mango Chutney
  • Jamaican Curry Chicken and Potatoes with Scotch Bonnet Hot Pepper

Traditional Caribbean Peppersauce (hot sauce) Recipe
Ingredients

  • Hot Peppers (about 4-6 cups chopped)
  • 6 cloves garlic
  • 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 cup white vinegar

Method

  1. Wash the peppers and trim off the stems and give the peppers a rough chop. For a fiery peppersauce leave the seeds, if not do remove them if you wish to tame things down. Give the cilantro (traditionally in the Caribbean you'd use Chadon beni) and garlic a rough chop as well.
  2. Now it's time to set up the mill on a sturdy work bench (I used the desk in our kitchen). Assemble the mill, then adjust the settings at the back (2 screw-like things) to control the texture of the ground pepper. Once you start turning the handle with the peppers in the catchment area you'll be able to better determine the coarseness you want. When clamping down the mill to your work surface I would recommend using a piece of cloth or paper towels to protect the area from getting damaged as you tighten it.
  3. Place a deep bowl under the area where the ground peppers will fall, then start adding a mixture of the garlic, peppers and chopped cilantro into the mill and start cranking. Keep a wooden spoon handy as you may have to press down on everything for it to work through the mill. (watch the video below).
  4. Remember this is when you can adjust the coarseness.. so adjust accordingly.
  5. I would even recommend using safety goggles when cranking and pushing down on the peppers in the event you get hit in the eye with any of the juices. To finish up all you have to do is mix in the vinegar, salt and lime (or lemon) juice and mix well with the ground peppers.
  6. This recipe is as traditional and basic as you can get when it comes to peppersauce in the Caribbean. You can now get creative and add other ingredients like papaya (green), bitter melon, carrots and other herbs. Since we used vinegar this pepper sauce can remain on your kitchen counter as the vinegar will act as a preservative. For a longer shelf life you can certainly keep it in the fridge, but I've noticed that when you leave hot sauces in the fridge it somehow tames the heat factor! Store in a clean glass container.

Jamaican Hot Pepper Jelly

Jamaican Hot Pepper Jelly

Jamaican Red Hot Pepper

Jamaican Red Hot Pepper

Jamaican Hot Pepper

Jamaican Hot Pepper