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A glass bottle filled with bright orange habanero hot sauce, sealed with a flip-top lid, with jars of hot sauce and fresh ingredients in the background.
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5 from 2 votes

Habanero Hot Sauce for Canning

A bold and fiery hot sauce that’s perfect for adding intense heat and flavor to your favorite dishes. Makes 4 pints.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time2 hours
Cool Time12 hours 10 minutes
Total Time14 hours 25 minutes
Course: Pantry Staple
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Habanero Hot Sauce, Summer
Servings: 4 pints
Calories: 87kcal
Author: Katie

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 3 cups habanero peppers about 1 ½ lbs
  • 3 tbsp minced garlic about 6 cloves
  • 2 cups chopped onion about 1 large onion
  • 2 cans 28 oz diced tomatoes
  • 1 ½ cups apple cider vinegar 5% acidity
  • 1 ¼ cups water

Instructions

  • Prep peppers. Wash, trim, and seed peppers.
  • Pulse veggies. Add the peppers, garlic, and onions to a food processor and pulse until the veggies are broken down.
    Overhead view of a food processor filled with chopped onions and habanero peppers, ready to be pulsed.
  • Boil veggies (including tomatoes), vinegar, and water. In an 8-10 quart pot add the chopped veggies, diced tomatoes, apple cider vinegar, and water. Bring to a boil and allow the mixture to boil for 1 hour.
    Three-step sequence showing a large pot filled with blended vegetables, diced tomatoes being added, and the mixture simmering.
  • Simmer for one additional hour. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover, and allow the mixture to simmer for 1 hour.
  • Prep for canning. Prepare the jars by washing them with hot soapy water. Then add them to a water bath canner. Fill the canner with water until the jars are fully submerged in water. Place over medium heat, and cover. Add the rings and lids to a saucepan with water placed over medium-low heat and allow to simmer.
  • Let sauce cool before blending. After the hot sauce has simmered for an hour, turn off the heat and allow the mixture to cool slightly for about 5 minutes.
  • Puree. Using an immersion blender or high-speed blender, blend the mixture until it’s turned into a puree. (Be careful, it is hot and the peppers will sting!)
    Blending the cooked habanero hot sauce mixture with an immersion blender until smooth.
  • Fill jars. Ladle the hot habanero sauce into the hot jars leaving a ¼ inch headspace.
    Ladling the pureed hot sauce into sterilized jars in preparation for canning.
  • Wipe rims and fasten lids. Wipe the jar rims with a clean moist towel. Place the lids and rings on top and tighten the rings until they are fingertip-tight.
    Overhead view of filled jars of habanero hot sauce, being wiped clean before sealing with lids.
  • Process in canner. Transfer the jars to a water bath canner. Make sure the jars are fully submerged with 1-2 inches of water over the jars. Bring the canner to a boil and process for 10 minutes.
    Jars of hot sauce placed inside a water bath canner, ready for processing.
  • Let rest briefly before removing. After 10 minutes, remove the canner from the heat, remove the lid, and allow the jars to sit for 5 minutes.
  • Cool and check seals. Remove the jars, place them in a heatproof area, and allow them to cool for 12-24 hours to cool completely. After 24 hours check the lids for a proper seal. Once a seal has been confirmed remove the rings and store the jars in a cool dark place for up to 18 months or per the lids manufacturer’s recommendations.
    Processed jars of habanero hot sauce cooling on a kitchen towel, with a close-up of sealed lids.

Notes

Working in a well-ventilated area is recommended. The fumes from making this hot sauce can get pretty intense. 
The pH for this recipe tested at 3.5.

Nutrition

Calories: 87kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 0.1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Sodium: 16mg | Potassium: 405mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 416IU | Vitamin C: 98mg | Calcium: 49mg | Iron: 1mg