The kids are off from school, it’s really impossible to work, yet we still have garden leftovers that need attention else they go bad, and you can’t have that. Which is why this blog has resembled a cookbook lately.
Today I found eight good Jamaican Hot Chocolate habanero peppers waiting patiently in the fridge, along with various odds and ends that appeared promising from a hot sauce point of view.
This was the third (and smallest) batch of habanero sauce I’ve made this season. The last one just went out the door as little Christmas presents, but next year this is the recipe I’ll be using, providing I’m lucky enough to enjoy a habanero harvest in the summer. 
Adapted from a recipe for “Spicy Island Hot Sauce,” this version comes as close as I’ve managed in achieving the major goals I’ve set for such a substance. First and foremost, it allows the JHC habanero’s musky flavor to shine through without searing the tongue, while nonetheless not sacrificing the satisfying heat of the pepper. The heat and chile flavor is pure habanero, as no other peppers are included, unlike many recipes. This also is a complex, sweet and fruity sauce that should work well in marinades, tacos and on pork, chicken and fish.
Granted, I used a pint jar of persimmon jam I made a few weeks ago, and hardly anyone’s going to have that on hand. But you could substitute a like amount of chopped mango, papaya, peaches, apricots or pineapple with good results, I bet. Each would lend its own character to the total.
(But hey – let’s be careful out there – don’t work with habanero peppers without donning kitchen gloves first. Also, turn the oven ventilation on if you have it. Respect the chiles or expect to suffer extremely painful consequences.)
Tropical Bob’s Habanero Sauce
Ingredients:
→ 8 habanero peppers, most seeds and membranes removed, chopped coarsely
→ 1 medium onion, chopped coarsely
→ 2 large garlic cloves, chopped
→ 1 medium tomato, peeled
→ 1 large stalk celery, strings removed as much as practical, chopped coarsely
→ 3 tablespoons fresh ginger, chopped
→ 2 tablespoons fresh thyme
→ 1 pint persimmon jam (or substitute fruit as mentioned above)
→ (only if not using the jam) 2 tablespoons honey
→ 1/3 cup good dark rum
→ 2/3 cup of lime juice (about 4 limes)
→ 1 teaspoon kosher salt
→ 1/4 teaspoon cardamom
Method:
→ Bathe some half-pint canning jars and lids in hot tap water in separate pans
→ Carefully load all sauce ingredients into a blender. Start on a slower speed and work up to medium high, for a total of about a minute until the mixture is smooth but before it starts frothing.
→ Pour the mixture into a large sauce pan and, over medium-high heat, bring to a boil. Stir, lower heat and gently simmer for 10 minutes. Cover pan, remove from heat and allow to cool for about 20 minutes.
→ Remove jars from large pot, add more hot water and boil. Use a funnel to pour sauce into canning jars. Tighten lids. Boil them in the large pot for 30 minutes.
This batch yielded 4 cups (8 half-pint jars), plus a big shot glass full – enough for tasting and concluding that this stuff will be even better once it’s aged in the jars for a few days.
