As the regular and attentive reader will by now have figured out, I’m quite big on chilies. And with it being harvest season for Danish chili growers, I’ve been quite blessed in terms of donations over the last couple of weeks.
Most notably so, I’ve recently received a donation of a pound of ghost chilies (or ghost peppers as our american friends say) from a fellow foodie, good friend and fan of this site. With chilies being perishable little things, this has of course prompted me to think fast in order to figure out just how to either make use of or preserve a pound of these fiery little buggers before they go south.
The Ghost Chili: In all its pretty glory!
Just what on earth is a Ghost Chili? Ghost Chili, or Ghost Pepper, is supposedly the verbatim and somewhat fitting translation of the name Bhut Jolokia given to a particularly hot strain of chili found in the Indian states of Assam and Nagaland. Measuring in at around 400 times hotter than Tabasco sauce, it was until recently considered the world’s hottest pepper. Having previously been used as non-lethal weapons and a way of warding off stray elephants, amongst other things, it’s now a popular eat and rite of passage among chili heads.
Now, obviously, cooking with ghost chilies can be difficult as they pack quite a serious punch. Nevertheless, they deliver a fruitiness and an aroma so unique that it is not to be missed. The good news when it comes to cooking with ghost chilies is that the aroma and fruitiness is present even when miniscule amounts are used. The bad news when it comes to cooking with ghost chilies is that the same can be said about the heat. Even small amounts will produce a burning sensation and a tingling numbness of the lips that literally will last for minutes. This is great for chiliheads, but may not go down too well with people not accustomed to high heat levels. So be careful with guests.
SERIOUS WORDS OF WARNING:
Ghost chilies are extremely hot and the capsaicin within them WILL hurt you if you’re not careful. Handle with care, seriously!
If you’ve got any history of sensitive skin or inflammation, consider wearing rubber or latex gloves when handling. If using bare hands, wash THOROUGHLY after handling, rub them down with cooking oil, then wash again!
Do not rub your eyes, nose or mouth while handling these. And to the men out there: we’ve all had that “friend” who… well, you know where I’m going, just don’t!
If cooking ghost chilies or other super hots over high heat, keep windows open and have your kitchen fan going at full speed. Try to avoid breathing in the fumes. Chef’s handling these peppers regularly in restaurant kitchens wear breathing masks and goggles and it’s not just for show.
We all respond very, very differently to capsaicin, so these are general guidelines. You may laugh. But then again, you may really hurt yourself. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.
That being said, for those of us who can take the heat, there are a lot of exciting things that can be done with ghost chilies. And hot sauce is one pretty obvious application.
Personally, I’m a huge fan of hot sauces! It’s one of my favorite things. I must have tried hundreds, especially during my travels in the States. Many I’ve loved, some I’ve hated (Tabasco most notably) and others I’ve downright gotten addicted to. (I’ve already spoken about my love for Sriracha a number of times). Strangely, though, it’s only very recently I’ve gotten into making hot sauces myself. A shame, really, because making your own hot sauces is not only easy, it’s also a ton of fun. So, with this newfound fascination in mind, and a pound of ghost chilies at my disposal, nothing seemed more obvious to me than trying to come up with a Ghost Chili hot sauce.
First and foremost, I wanted to create a hot sauce that would really showcase the exotic aromas and fruitiness of the ghost chilies that I so love, and would help make them a little more approachable to the general public. The sauce I ended up creating – my Ghost Chili Mango Hot Sauce – uses red bell peppers, onions and mangos to take some of the top off the heat, but the ghost chilies still power through, make no mistake.
Ingredients for Ghost Chili Mango hot sauce.
The mangos (along with the garlic) help add to the exotic character of the sauce and compliment the fruitiness of the ghost chili all while (I found out) adding a beautiful color to the finished sauce. The apple cider vinegar along with the honey create an initial sweetness which is followed by a serious and lengthy afterburn. While only 12 ghost chilies, a total of about 100 grams, are used to create 2-3 liters of sauce, this stuff is pretty damn hot and should last you a while. The flavor matches the heat, though, so a little sauce adds a lot of flavor.
Too hot for you? As mentioned a few times now, Ghost Chilies are pretty hot little things. If you’re worried about the level of heat, check below the recipe for some tips on turning it down a bit. You are, after all, the boss of your hot sauces and should adjust them according to your liking. The ingredient amounts below are merely my suggestions and I have some pretty serious heat issues.
Ghost Chili and mango hotsauce
Ingredients
- 12 Ghost chilies or other very hot and fragrant chili such as Habanero
- 2 red bell peppers
- 3 ripe mangos
- 1 large onion
- 1 bulb of garlic
- 350 milliliters quality apple cider vinegar
- 250 grams quality flower honey
- 1 lime juice freshly squeezed
- salt to taste
Instructions
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Remove stems from chilies and cut in halves
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Remove stems and seed membranes from bell peppers and chop rougly
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Peel mangos, remove flesh from pit using a sharp knife and chop roughly
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Chop onions and garlic roughly
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Put all ingredients in a pot over medium heat, add water to cover and bring to a boil
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Reduce heat and leave to simmer uncovered for 45 minutes. Consider going out for some fresh air during this step
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Turn off heat and blend everything thoroughly and CAREFULLY using an immersion blender
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Stir in apple cider vinegar, honey, lime juice and salt
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Taste and adjust to your liking; add more vinegar, honey or salt if needed
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Pour into bottles that have been thoroughly cleaned and scolded. Consider adding liquid preservatives if stashing for a long time
Recipe Notes
For a slightly lesser burn, carefully remove seeds and seed membranes from the chilies.
Be careful when cutting the mangoes. The flesh is slippery and the pit is irregularly sized. After peeling, cut off a small piece of flesh on one side to give you a level surface to work on. Lay the mango on this surface and proceed carefully using a very sharp knife.
The pretty end result: Twelve little buggers make two liters of blazingly hot sauce.
Ghost Chili Mango Hot Sauce: Hot enough for ya?
Can’t get fresh ghost chilies in your area? Or fear they’re too hot? Well, fear not, this sauce would fare very well if made with another slightly milder super hot variety such as Habanero or Scotch Bonnet. They offer many of the same tropical aromas and fruitiness but not quite the same kick.
Nervous about the heat? I wouldn’t recommend using anything else than a tropical super hot here. Like I said, it adds some very distinct characteristics. I would recommend, however, using fewer chilies if you don’t want it blazingly hot. You could probably go half of what I used and still have a pretty hot concoction. Or use just a few and still have a nice heat at the back of your throat. You could also use more, but then you’re on your own.
Looking for a good use for this sauce? Why not try our Ghost Pepper Chili based on a loyal reader’s turkey chili?
Just been growing ghost chilli’s 7 pots and scotch bonnets have been storing them in the freezer and thought i would give your recipe a go!!!!! Wear gloves and eye protection!!!! This is super hot and will try it on my mates who think they are avid chilli eaters!!!!
Hi Bazz! Suggestion to wear eye protection is hereby passed on! Thanks for giving it a spin, I hope you don’t hurt your mates too much.. If it’s too much, the heat probably can be cut with sugar or sugar syrup.
Thank you for your recipe. I have just been given a pound of ghost chillies and they certainly are unique. I like your idea of adding mango and honey as they are super hot. I will have to buy tinned mangoes at this time. Would you make this sauce again and do your family also eat it?? I too, love Siracha and regularly eat it in various ways. Great photographs and story by the way 😀
Hi there, thank you so much for your comments and kind words! 🙂 Congratulations on winning such a fine stash of Ghost Chilies.
To answer your questions, I would make this again, it’s unique and *quite* hot, but nowhere near as hot as the peppers on their own. Also, a curious aspect I found is that it seems to mellow slightly with age. But still, a little goes quite a long way, especially at first. I’m a bachelor and as such have no immediate family to try it out on, my friends have tried it, though and found it quite curious and exciting… In moderation!
Thanks for stopping by and taking the time to comment! 🙂
Johan, I am very pleased with your response as I was considering composting them, they are so hot. I will pick up some tins of mangoes and cook some sauce in a well ventilated kitchen, complete with rubber gloves and diving mask. Thank you for responding and for your excellent recipe 😀
You’re so welcome, merryn 🙂 I’d hate seeing food go to waste. The tinned mangos may even be a good idea as they’re probably sweeter than the regular kind and sweetness does help lessen the burn.
Do use the resulting sauce sparingly and, at least in the beginning, consider using it in applications where it will have a chance to get heated through a second time. it will still be plenty hot, but it’s a more bearable and nuanced kind of hot.
Good luck with your project and thanks again for the kind words 🙂
D:
Can this recipe be made with dried chost peppers or do they need to be fresh?
Hello Dan!
Very valid question. You can easily substitute dried ghost peppers for fresh ones in almost any recipe. Thankfully, peppers maintain most of their flavor, heat and characteristics when dried. What you’ll want to do, though, is snip the tops off and shake/squeeze the seeds out best as you can. They’re bitter. Then you’ll want to reconstitute the dried peppers in water for about 30-60 minutes until they’re soft and pliable. Then use as you would fresh.
Best of luck! 🙂
Hey Johan, i’m currently busy growing my own bhut jolokia, but given that I started late I doubt i’ll get any in time for this years harvest. Can you suggest any locations where to get them in the Århus area? I nothiced that you too are in the region.
I am, if nothing else, likely going to get some BOC’s later this year, can they do as a substitute? The chili’s i’m growing otherwise is a chocolate scotch bonnet, Trinidad Moruga Scorpion (youch, this’ll be hot), the BOC, some Tabasco chili and some yellow habanero.
Hey Lars
Terribly sorry about the late reply, your comment got marked as spam somehow! 🙁
Anyway, BOC would make a beautiful substitute for regular Bhut in this recipe. If anything, the outcome will probably be even better. I have plans to try a BOC version myself, actually. I’m not sure about physical locations, but you can get them dried via mail order from chilihouse.dk amongst other. See my reply to Dan about how to go about using dried chilies instead of fresh.
If I were you, though, I’d probably go with the BOC’s, though, to be honest 🙂
Johan, a great base recipe thank you. I am in Canada and suffice to say growing conditions here are not ideal for ghost peppers but I did mange enough this week (Nov. 1, 2017) to make the hot sauce I planned in the spring. Like everyone, i made a couple of modifications like using mango puree instead of fresh and a combination of white clover honey and maple syrup, after all it is Canada. Also added real cinnamon bark, Madagascar vanilla extract, sherry vinegar and a bouquet garni of clove that I fish out after reducing. The end result is an outstanding combination of big heat, sweet and savoury Caribbean spices.
Holy awesomeness, Brad! Thanks for chiming in and offering your thoughts and modifications! I’m so glad this worked out for you and your result sounds fantastic!
This recipe has certainly gotten a lot more hits and buzz than I ever expected and I’m so thrilled that people are taking it to heart and making it their own. Thanks a million! Ah, and sorry for the late reply. For whatever reason, your very legitimate comment got marked as spam 🙁
Can you give me the measurements that you used to add the extra ingredients please
Just made this sauce with ghost chillis coming into season. Fantastic recipe, really warm, but not to the point of being inedible. Thanks for posting.
That’s exactly what I was shooting for with this one, James! I’m glad you enjoyed the results! 🙂
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About how much water would you add. How much is to cover? After the 45 minutes of simmering, should there be water remaining? Thanks. Anxious to try this recipe..
Hi Mike,
If I’m being perfectly honest, I didn’t measure. I used a pot that fit the ingredients about to the brim and then just added enough water to barely cover. The exact amount isn’t that important. Yes, there should be water remaining after simmering, it eases the blending and creates a smoother sauce.
Hi Johan. Just finished making your sauce with ghost peppers I grew. I live in eastern Canada ( Quebec). I’ve been waiting for them to ripen and become red. This is a wonderful hot sauce . The mango flavor comes through and the sweetness of the honey doesn’t let the heat, which is extreme, to stick around too long. Thank you for posting the recipe. I still have about another dozen which are still green but will be red in a week or so. I plan on making a hot jelly with them.
Jeff
Also it is a beautiful color.
Jeff, thank you so much for the kind words and for trying out the recipe. I’m glad you like the sauce, both on taste, balance and appearance. Hot jelly is awesome. Good luck!
Johan,
How long can the sauce stay in the containers on the shelf? How do you know whether it is still good or when it has gone bad?
Thanks!
April,
in all honesty, I can’t really tell you about shelf-life. I’ve kept it refrigerated and never had it spoil on me 🙂 Expect at least a couple of months in the fridge.
You’ll know without doubt from the smell if it’s gone bad. It’ll get an earthy, sour, moldy funk to it.
What’s the PH level on this recipe? Is there enough vinegar to preserve ?
I honestly don’t know. I added some preservatives in there myself so didn’t measure. Maybe do a test and adjust as needed? 🙂
I live in Canada and my ghosts are just turning. I’m excited to make this recipe. I’ve done both habanero and jalapeño sauces and jelly so far. My question is how long will this last in the fridge as is? Also if I need to add preservatives what kind and how much. Thanks in advance
Hi Peter
Oh, awesome! To be honest, I haven’t tried it as is. I scolded the containers used and added a little bit of liquid preservative based on Sodium benzoate. I’m not quite sure about Canadian brands so I’d rather not give exact measurements or directions, the packaging of your product of choice should tell you how much or how little to use. Happy cooking! 🙂
Thanks so much for the recipe and advice.
Hi! Just wanted to say thanks for such a wonderful recipe! I followed it exactly. Big hit for everyone and I was surprised that I could enjoy it as well. This was a great way to use the Ghost Peppers in my garden. It was truly enjoyable and I can’t wait to make chicken wings using this. I already have several requests for Christmas gifts!! I will be making another 2 batches of your recipe this week. Thanks again for sharing!
Kathy
Kathy, thank you! I truly appreciate that! I’m glad the recipe was a hit. Good luck with your second batch! 🙂
Hi, can you use reapers in this recipe?
If you can handle the heat, I can’t see why not 🙂
Attempted this last night. Had some leftover ghost peppers and possibly a carolina reaper from an assortment of peppers box I found at our local market. It really turned out lovely. I misread the recipe so landed up cooking the vinegar , lime , and honey all together but it still worked out great. I was skeptical at first about using honey but had some clover honey that I thought would be neutral enough for this recipe. Very delicious , small batches headed to some friends soon, will be bookmarking for sure .
Thank you! Very glad to hear, Dee! I hope the samples will bring your friends joy. Thanks for stopping by!
Just made this today and it is napalm! Good flavor but turned oit very liquidy. I prefer a slightly thicker sauce. I did boil ot for 15 minutes after blending it to try and thicken it up more but it filled the hoise amd the family asked to make it stop!
The flavor is on point. Thanks for the recipe. I’m going to make a few adaptations and add it to my repertoire!
Hey! Would this work with yellow 7 pots or yellow Carolina reaper chili peppers? If so do you have any idea on how many I should be using?
Thanks Aaron
Hi, Aaron. I’m pretty sure it would work if you can handle the heat, but I’m afraid I have no idea about measurements 🙂
Great recipe bro. Been using it for about 5 years now. Every batch is fire and no two are the same, in a good way. Dont be afraid to experiment with a variety of peppers. I have learned that 1 pablono adds a certain smoky earthy flavor to it all. From one fellow pepperhead to another, CHEERS!
Dude, I completely missed this. That is awesome, glad you enjoy the recipe. Cheers!