Buffalo Sauce Recipe
So I’ve been buying buffalo sauce for years, I put it on everything! It’s milder than normal hot sauce and with better flavour. I then learnt a few years ago how easy it is to make buffalo sauce, and how much tastier it is too. Since then, no looking back, I always have a jar of it in the fridge (it lasts for about 4 weeks if you don’t eat it all first!). If you’re in a rush you can make it in 30 mins, but for a better flavour, you can ferment the chillies for a week beforehand (the fermented version’s better for you as well). You’ll love this buffalo sauce recipe!
Prep Time: 1 week
Cook Time: n.a.
Difficulty: Easy
Serves: Makes 1 bottle
Ingredients
Butter - 100g
White wine vinegar - 2 tbsp
Hot Sauce (200ml)
Red Chillies - 250g
Garlic - 3 large cloves (skinned)
Juniper Berries - 6
Cumin Seeds - 2tsps
Chilli Flakes - 1 tsp
Salt - 2 tsps
Bottled (or Filtered) Water - 500 ml
White Wine Vinegar - 3 tbsps
SPECIAL EQUIPMENT
Sealable Jar
Method
Note: if you’re not fermenting the chillies, skip to step five
Buffalo Sauce Step One - Boil Your Jars
If you’re fermenting the chillies, first step is to sanitise the jars.
There are quite a few ways to do it, but my preference is the way Kilner advise (https://www.kilnerjar.co.uk/sterilising-jam-jars-hygiene). Putting in warm water, bringing up to the boil, and boiling for 10 minutes.
Buffalo Sauce Step Two - Loading Jars
Using gloves (I found this out the hard way() remove the tops from the chillies and cut them in half length-ways.
Pack the jar with the chillies, garlic, juniper berries, cumin seeds, and chilli flakes.
Buffalo Sauce STEP Three - BRINE
Next is to get the brine ready for fermentation. The ratio of salt to water is important; too little and harmful bacteria can be produced, too much and there’ll be no fermentation.
Whisk the 2 tsps of salt into the 500g of water in a pan over a medium heat until the salt is fully dissolved. Allow the water to cool back down until it’s just warm.
Then pour water into the jar with the chillies until they’re submerged.
Buffalo Sauce STEP Four - Bubbles
Loosely seal the jar lid (gas will build up as the chillies ferment so don’t seal the jar too tight as it’ll explode the jar- the photo is what happens if the lid’s too tight and you open it - think chilli soda coming out of a shaken can!).
Place the jar someone where warm out of direct sunlight. and leave for a week, release any built up pressure by opening the lid for a few seconds also (with the lid sealed, give it a little shake every now and then).
You should hopefully see some small bubbles forming on the chillies and the brine going cloudy after a few days.
Buffalo Sauce STEP Five - It’s Straining
After a week, strain the chilli mix - keeping the brine (you’ll need some in a bit).
Add the chilli mix to a blender with the 3 tbsps of white wine vinegar and blend.
Add the brine to the chilli blend little by little until you reach a desired consistency.
(Note: if your’re not fermenting the chillies you can jump straight to this step, just take the tops of the chillies, and add them, the garlic, juniper berries, cumin seeds, and chilli flakes to the blender with the vinegar and a little salt and water, then blend).
Buffalo Sauce STEP SIX - Straining Again…
Sieve the now blended chilli mix to remove the seeds and pulp (if you want it really hot then skip this stage and leave the chilli seeds / pulp in).
You’ll need to push the liquid through the sieve with the back of a spoon to get it all.
That’s the hot sauce done, now time to turn it into a buffalo sauce!
Buffalo Sauce STEP Seven- Butter Melt
In a pan over a low heat, gently melt the butter.
Buffalo Sauce STEP Eight - Whisk
Pour 200g of the hot sauce into a bowl (keep any left over to use as a hot sauce), stir in the 2 tbsps of the white wine vinegar.
Then whisk in the melted butter.
Buffalo Sauce STEP Nine - Buffalo Sauce
Once combined, you have your fermented buffalo sauce. Transfer to a jar of your choice. If you’ve fermented it, it’ll still continue to gentle ferment even after being put in the fridge. Pros - the flavour will continue to develop and become even more amazing. Cons - you’ll still need to release the pressure from the bottle every now and again.
And that’s it, hope you enjoy!