I usually avoid hot sauce because I’m afraid it might contain onions and/or cilantro, both of which are loathsome by any objective standard. Here’s a hot sauce recipe from my friends Kelly and Erik at Homegrown Evolution that sounds perfect.
It contains nothing but peppers, vinegar, and salt, and it is fermented.
We used fresh red peppers labeled Anaheim peppers (kind of like a red New Mexico chile), which are mild, and also some dried California peppers, which are also mild, but a little smokey. These peppers make your tongue tingle–they don’t burn. Our sauce is more like a mild salsa–enjoyable on everything, by everyone. Later this summer if I get my hands on some good hot chiles, I’ll make a hot batch. Regardless of the heat, the technique is the same.
Hot sauce is improvisational and hard to mess up. I’d recommend not over-thinking it, but rather just throwing it together with whatever you have on hand, however it comes together. Trust me, it will be pretty good no matter what you do. It’s smart to take notes, though, so you replicate your successes.