I guess it’s probably possible to make a vinegar free hot sauce, but it won’t keep well or taste as good imo. I don’t want the vinegar to be super forward, but it’s going to be in virtually any hot sauce you’re likely to see for sale. 15 of the 15 bottles I have on hand list it as an ingredient.
I make my own when I can. I use El Pato Japaleno Salsa ( I don’t care for vinegar-based hot sauces/salsas) or something similar and add my own chilies to it, either dried or fresh. Seal the container and let it sit for a couple days, shaking it every so often. I like it very hot so I grow my own. I grew ghost peppers in 2018, and some Trinidad Scorpions last year. Each over 1,000,000 SHU’s. The ghost peppers don’t taste great, but the Trinidad Scorpions do and are hotter, but the heat is different. They don’t last long though and go bad in a week or two.
Thanks. Both of those are actually on my list to try when I see them. Saw Valentina Black the other day but they only had the huge 34oz and I wasn’t ready to commit. It does appear to have vinegar listed as an ingrediant though btw.
Tapatio interestingly does not have it, but does list acetic acid, which is the most concentrated compound in… vinegar.
Yeah that’s good to know on those two, will try to pick them up soon.
I’m generally fine with vinegar, but don’t want it to be the first or only thing I taste in my hot sauce. All of the bottles I’ve picked up recently seem to strike the right balance where it’s there as a preservative and provides some tang, but is restrained enough to let the peppers and other ingrediants shine.
My favorite store bought sauce has been Nando’s Peri Peri Garlic
I don’t mind vinegar in my sauces but Tobasco and most buffalo sauces are definitely more vinegar than I like. I do wish I could find more savory like hot sauces locally in store.
I'm a big fan of hot stuff, can't have a lot due to sensitive stomach, and sometimes i do make hot sauce myself, well i mix only 2 ingredients, 1 is store bought Georgian sauce like this, imo the best tasting sauce for meat and fish, but that is just my subjective opinion, then i add powder cayenne pepper, and mix it up. Depending on how much I add it could be either really hot or mild. I know there are tons of hot sauces on sale, but i like the taste of this one, it just needs some more bite to it.