Process analysis

               First of all for a good hot sauce, you need good fresh organic produce. You can tell a big difference in taste if cheaper, not fresh ingredients are used. Most hot sauces are made of three basic ingredients, peppers, vinegar and salt. This particular style of sauce is from the Yucatan peninsula in Mexico, so it has some added ingredients for sweetness and acidity for a more tropical sauce. The ingredients used in this sauce are: 12 chopped habaneros, ½ cup chopped carrots, ½ cup onion, 6 cloves of garlic, ½ cup white vinegar, 1/4 cup fresh lime juice, 1 tablespoon olive oil, and ½ cup water.

                Heat the olive oil in a pot over medium heat, then sauté the onion and garlic 2-3 minutes till they are soft. Add the chopped carrots and toss to mix, then sauté for 2-3 minutes. Pour the water of the mixture and bring this to a boil. Cover the pot with a lid once boiling, and reduce to a simmer for 30-40 minutes till the carrots are very soft. Once the carrots are soft transfer the mixture into a blender and add the habanero peppers. Blend for 3 minutes, till it is smooth with no pieces of vegetables in it. Pour this mixture back into the pot and add the lime juice, vinegar, salt and pepper. Mix well and bring to a simmer for 10 minutes. You can store this in the fridge for up to 6 mouths or can it for prolonged storage.

                This is just one way to make hot sauce, a simple base really. You can add whatever flavors you like, such as fruit or liquors. Also you can change the heat level to match your taste by adding more or less peppers, or hotter or milder peppers also. Once you make your own sauce, you will never go back to the store bought ones as they just cannot compare in flavor and variety.