DIY Sriracha A.k.a. Rooster Sauce

Impress your Chili Head friends by busting out a bottle of this DIY Sriracha Chile Sauce! 

Sriracha as we know it today has been popularized by Huy Fong Foods and their big red "rooster" bottle (complete with a giant rooster logo and bright green cap, making it easy to identify in your fridge). But the sauce has a rich history and  is named after a coastal city in central Thailand's Chonburi Province  "Si Racha".  Here is a version you can make in your own kitchen. It's not as spicy as the Huy Fong version, but it gives you major street cred -- especially if you bust out these swing-top stopper bottles with hand-carved chili-pepper stamp.

This sauce has a great, addicting flavor -- hot, sweet and garlicky -- and just like the real "Rooster Sauce", it tastes awesome on just about anything. Next time, I might try red serranos and a few extra Thai chilies to up the Scoville factor!

(recipe adapted from The Sriracha Cookbook by Randy Clemens)


Ingredients:


**Gloves**

1 3/4 pounds Fresno Chili Peppers, Red Jalapenos or Red Serrano  ( I used Fresno)

3 Thai Chili Peppers

2 tbsp Garlic Powder + additional as needed

2  tbsp Granulated Sugar +  more as needed

1 tbsp light brown sugar

1 tbsp kosher salt

3 cloves garlic

1/2 cup distilled white vinegar + more as needed

Water as needed

Kitchen Equipment:

2lb Glass jar

1 bottle

Funnel

Metal Strainer

Sauce pan

Food Processor

Wooden Spoon

*** Please wear gloves while handling chile peppers***

Remove stems from chili peppers and half lengthwise

Remove outer skin from cloves of garlic. I use the back of a knife. Place garlic clove on hard surface, and then press down gently with the back of a knife. This will help the skin come off easier.

Measure out sugars and garlic powder

In your food processor, add peppers, salt, granulated sugar, garlic powder, garlic and brown sugar. Pulse until a coarse puree forms.

Transfer mixture to a glass jar and seal. Store jar at room temperature. *** Your job for the next seven days is to stir the mixture****

I used a 2lb jar and there was adequate room to stir.



  Day One - Stir
  Day Two- Stir
  Day Three- Stir
  Day Four- Stir
  Day Five- Stir
  Day Six- Stir
  Day Seven- Stir

After seven days of hard work ,stiring and waiting, we are ready to turn our mixture into Sriracha!

Pour pepper mixture into small saucepan over medium heat. Next, add the vinegar and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer gently for five minutes.

Remove from heat after five minutes and let cool completely.

Line a bowl with a metal strainer and pour mixture into it. Stir and press onto solids until no liquid remains.  This is time consuming so you must be patient.

Taste your sriracha and adjust seasonings and consistency to suit your taste. You can add additional salt, garlic powder, vinegar, sugar or even a little fish sauce. I added a little bit of veg. oil to mine to improve mouth feel.

Line a bottle with a funnel. Pour sauce into bottle and seal. Keep refrigerated for up to 6 months.