Safety classification
Tested
Testing authority: National Center for Home Food Preservation
Safety reviewed: 09/21/2026
Processing details
Safety classification
Tested
Testing authority: National Center for Home Food Preservation
Safety reviewed: 09/21/2026
Processing details
Tested source
This page follows NCHFP: Cayenne Pepper Sauce. Keep every tested proportion, preparation step, jar limit, headspace, time, pressure, and altitude adjustment.
Preparation timeline
- Prepare the correct canner and permitted jars.
- Use cider vinegar labeled 5% acidity and preserve the tested pepper-tomato-onion proportions. Wear gloves and complete both cooking stages before filling.
- Complete the tested hot-pack cooking sequence.
- Fill jars to 1/2 inch headspace.
- Process using one complete schedule below.
- Cool 12–24 hours and check seals.
Equipment
- Correct boiling-water or pressure canner for the selected tested process
- Pint jars only, lids, and bands
- Nonreactive cookware
- Measuring tools,
canning funnel, jar lifter, headspace tool, and timer - Gloves for hot-pepper recipes
Visual method guide
- Prepare equipment and jars.
- Measure ingredients exactly.
- Cook for the full tested sequence.
- Fill to 1/2 inch.
- Process with the correct complete row.
- Cool and verify seals.
Safety essentials
Use cider vinegar labeled 5% acidity and preserve the tested pepper-tomato-onion proportions. Wear gloves and complete both cooking stages before filling.
Do not dilute the vinegar, change tested vegetable proportions, shorten either cooking stage, or use larger jars.
Refrigerate any jar that does not seal or follow current NCHFP corrective guidance within 24 hours.
About this recipe
Cayenne Pepper Sauce is a tested NCHFP hot-pack recipe yielding about 5 pints.
Before you begin
Read the complete source procedure and choose the exact tested process before filling jars. Prepare all equipment so filled jars can be processed promptly.
Tested source
This page follows NCHFP: Cayenne Pepper Sauce. Keep every tested proportion, preparation step, jar limit, headspace, time, pressure, and altitude adjustment.
Cayenne Pepper Sauce — NCHFP
Ingredients
- 3 lb hot peppers
- 1/3 cup garlic minced
- 4 cups onion sliced
- 1/3 cup cilantro chopped
- 3 28-ounce cans diced tomatoes
- 3 cups cider vinegar 5% acidity
- 2 1/2 cups water
Equipment
- 1 Boiling-water canner
- 1 Blender or food processor
Directions
- Wear gloves while handling hot peppers and avoid touching the face or eyes. Slice peppers and onions into rings.
- Combine all ingredients. Bring to a boil and boil for 1 hour, then simmer for 1 additional hour.
- Cool slightly and puree. Return to the pot and carefully bring just to a boil while stirring.
- Fill hot pint jars, leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Remove air bubbles, adjust headspace, wipe rims, and apply lids.
- Process in a boiling-water canner for 10 minutes at 0–1,000 ft, 15 minutes at 1,001–6,000 ft, or 20 minutes above 6,000 ft.
Recipe Notes
Private Notes
Questions or results?
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Tried this recipe?
Share your results how it turned out.Serving suggestions
Use sparingly as a hot condiment for beans, eggs, soups, grilled foods, or marinades.
Frequently asked questions
Can I change the acid or vegetable proportions?
No, except only where the cited source explicitly permits a named substitution.
Can I use larger jars?
No. Use only pint jars only.
What if a jar does not seal?
Refrigerate promptly or follow current NCHFP corrective guidance within 24 hours.
Recipe context
Do not combine this record with another preservation formula.
Troubleshooting
Verify the exact acid, ingredient proportions, jar size, headspace, complete processing row, and seal. If processing is interrupted, do not treat the jar as shelf stable.
Source & provenance
Garden planning for this recipe
Plant, space, variety, zone, and timing estimates live on dedicated ingredient pages:
Typical canning season
Season: Summer, Fall
Months: July, August, September
How much of the main ingredient should I grow?
8–18 lb of Peppers per person per year
The source-cited calculator below can convert your pantry goal into row foot estimates where compatible yield data exists.
Garden yields vary by cultivar, climate, soil, pests, and care. Always measure the exact prepared ingredient amount required by the tested canning recipe.