Small-Batch Recipe Sheets

Ingredients

• 12 oz fresh red habaneros, stems removed
• 8 oz Roma tomatoes, halved
• 1 whole head of garlic, top trimmed
• 1 medium yellow onion, quartered
• 1/2 cup distilled white vinegar (5%)
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup filtered water
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tbsp light brown sugar
• 1 tbsp smoked sea salt
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp mesquite liquid smoke (skip if you cold-smoke the produce)

Method

1. Cold-smoke the habaneros, tomatoes, and onion quarters at ~180°F for 30–45 minutes over mesquite or apple wood until bronzed and pliable. No smoker? Broil on a sheet pan until blistered and add the liquid smoke later.
2. Wrap the garlic head in foil. Roast at 400°F for 35 minutes. Squeeze the cloves out when cool enough to handle.
3. Combine everything in a heavy non-reactive pot. Cover and simmer low for 20 minutes until peppers collapse and tomatoes break down.
4. Cool 10 minutes. Transfer to a blender and run on high for 2 minutes until silky. Pass through a fine-mesh strainer for restaurant-smooth, or skip the strain for rustic body.
5. Return to the pot, simmer 5 more minutes. Taste — adjust salt or a splash of vinegar for brightness.
6. Fill sanitized 5 oz woozies while the sauce is still 180°F+. Cap tight, invert 60 seconds, then refrigerate.

Ingredients

• 1 lb fresh green jalapeños, halved, stems removed (leave seeds for more heat)
• 6 medium tomatillos, husked and rinsed
• 1 medium white onion, quartered
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled
• 1 cup fresh cilantro, leaves and tender stems
• 1/2 cup distilled white vinegar (5%)
• 1/2 cup fresh lime juice (~5 limes)
• Zest of 2 limes
• 1 tbsp neutral oil (for roasting)
• 1 tbsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp Mexican oregano
• 1/4 cup filtered water (adjust for pourability)

Method

1. Toss the jalapeños, tomatillos, onion, and garlic with the neutral oil. Spread on a sheet pan and roast at 425°F for 18–22 minutes until blistered and the tomatillos slump.
2. Cool for 10 minutes. Transfer everything (juices included) to a blender with the cilantro, vinegar, lime juice, zest, salt, cumin, oregano, and water.
3. Blend on high for 90 seconds until vivid green and fully emulsified.
4. Pour into a non-reactive pot and simmer just 8–10 minutes. Don't overcook — long heat dulls the color and kills the herbaceous brightness.
5. Taste — adjust lime if you want it brighter, salt if it tastes flat.
6. Bottle hot into sanitized 5 oz woozies. Cap, invert 60 seconds, refrigerate immediately.

Ingredients

• 4 oz fresh Carolina Reapers, stems removed (or 2 oz dried, rehydrated in hot water)
• 4 oz red bell pepper, seeded and chopped (adds body without diluting heat)
• 1 head black garlic (8–10 cloves), peeled
• 2 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
• 1 cup distilled white vinegar (5%)
• 2 tbsp blackstrap molasses
• 1 tbsp tamari or soy sauce (umami that "glues" the heat to flavor)
• 1 tbsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1/2 cup filtered water

Wear nitrile gloves and a respirator mask. Run the hood fan. Open a window. Reaper steam is not a joke.

Method

1. Gloves and mask on. Combine all ingredients in a heavy non-reactive pot.
2. Bring to a low simmer — don't let it rolling-boil, as steam carries capsaicin and will clear the room. Cover and simmer 20–25 minutes until the peppers are completely soft.
3. Cool with the lid on at least 30 minutes before opening. Face away when you lift the lid.
4. Transfer to a blender (keep your face well away). Blend on high for 2 minutes until ultra-smooth and almost-black.
5. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean pot. Discard solids. Simmer 5 more minutes to thicken slightly.
6. Taste with a toothpick — never a spoon. Adjust salt only at this point.
7. Bottle hot into sanitized 5 oz woozies. The molasses and black garlic produce a deep near-black color — that's the visual signature.