So after making some other pepper sauces and doing other canning we still had an abundance of hot banana peppers, apples, plums etc. I decided to try my hand at building my own version of a curry pepper sauce. This was the first batch and it came out with a slightly sweet, smokey and peppery (as in the seasoning and not heat) flavor with a mild heat level. Very nice flavor and a little kick, just what I was looking for.
Another time I might try other peppers and fruit, but I wanted to try this with what I had on hand. The other factor is I am trying to reduce my gluten intake and refined white sugars/flours. So for this recipe I used quinoa flour and agave syrup. The nice thing about agave is that its sweet but a slower digesting sugar so it doesn't spike the blood sugar as much as table sugar will. When substituting agave for sugar, take the amount of sugar and multiply it time .8 (point eight) and use that amount.
Here is the recipe for the sweet smokey pepper sauce!
Ingredients:
4 cups plums – pitted and rough chopped
2 cups apples - peeled and cored large dice
6 large hot banana peppers – stemmed, seeds left in, rough chopped
1 large white onion – peeled and quartered
6 – 8 cloves of garlic - peeled
1 ½ cups cider vinegar
2 cups agave nectar (syrup)
1 Tbsp kosher salt
2 Tbsp ground cumin
2 Tbsp curry powder
1 Tbsp Black pepper – ground
1 tsp cilantro – fresh
½ tsp oregano – fresh
¼ cup quinoa flour
In a food processor puree the plums, apples, peppers, onion, garlic, cilantro and oregano. Depending on the size of your food processor you may need to do this in batches.
Pour mixture into a large, non-reactive (stainless steel) saucepan and add in the agave, vinegar and spices. Bring mixture to a boil over med - high heat stirring frequently. Reduce heat to low – medium low and let simmer for a half hour.
Mix the quinoa flour in a small bowl or measuring cup, adding in a little water at a time and stirring until you achieve a medium viscosity smooth paste.
After the sauce has simmered for a half hour raise the heat until it just begins to bubble once more. Gradually pour in the quinoa paste, stirring constantly. Once fully incorporated, reduce heat and let simmer another fifteen to twenty minutes.
If storing in the refrigerator let cool and pour into suitable container.
If canning, ladle the sauce into hot jars, leaving a ½ inch headroom. Remove bubbles and adjust headroom if necessary. Wipe rim. Center lid on jar. Screw band down until resistance is met, then increase to fingertip tightness.
Place the jars in a canner, ensuring they are completely covered with water. Bring to a boil and process for fifteen minutes. Remove canner lid. Wait five minutes, then remove jars, cool, label and store.
