homemade Spicy Banana Pepper Mild Hot sauce

This is a simple pepper sauce and relish I make once the farmers markets start rolling out the spicier peppers.

This blend is a mild for me and I use it in a variety of applications from mild Chili's, stews, scrambled eggs, as a relish on a burger or sausage, and even in small quantities in dressings.  

As a note for some folks not used to eating a lot of Caribbean dishes, or the spicier middle eastern or Asian dishes:  This sauce could be considered a spicy hot sauce, all depending on how spicy the peppers were. 

Banana peppers like jalapeño can range from a very mild to a damn what did I just eat depending on variety.  I did want to add this warning in here, because people who frequently love ghost, habanero, and other peppers higher up on the scale take these peppers for granted and they can sneak up on you.   Also the flavor is completely different (much sweeter), and it's usage in meals needs to be balanced out.

Ingredients:

• 8 Spicy Banana Peppers
• toasted onion flakes
• Head of Elephant Garlic
• white vinegar

Instructions:

• Clean the peppers of seeds and the ribs and place in blender of choice.   I use my Ninja juice blender for this.
• Clean the head of elephant garlic and add to pepper
• Put in two handfuls roughly of toasted onion flakes  (to flavor)
• Put in white vinegar to liquid fill line if using a blender, or to cover if using a food processor
• Blend/process until it looks like a relish.  Usually less then a minute depending on machine.

Packaging:

• So I save up bottles that have re-closable lids for this for my home use.   Make sure they are clean.  
• I typically like an 8 or 16 oz bottle.   This can be potent stuff for most people and I personally do not try and keep a batch longer then 6 months.   With the vinegar it may be theoretically last longer, but I like making fresh every year, and I save some peppers in freezer for a batch off season.
• What I like to do so that it's not too watery is to use a fine mesh sieve and separate the vinegar and the 'pulp'
• Pulp goes in a small 8 oz or 16 oz container.   This will look like a fine relish.  Pack well and then cover with some of the vinegar.
• The vinegar with all the awesome heat and flavor I save in a jar appropriate to amount 32oz typically.  I can use this vinegar for a wide variety of applications including salad dressings.  Not as spicy as the pulp but great flavor.