Matt Bray 
The question of how to thicken hot sauce can be a tricky due to the fact that many recipes contain high levels of acid. Acids can cause some thickeners to lose their thickening properties. Even so, there are quite a few options for giving your …
The ingredients list for a standard salsa recipe includes some of the most versatile ingredients in the world: tomatoes, onions, and cilantro. And, of course, for many salsas: chili peppers. If you have run out of ideas for using salsa and have leftovers, you still …
Sriracha sauce, as many Americans know it, is a mild hot sauce that comes in a distinctive bottle with a green cap (read our review.) The familiar version is an American hot sauce produced by Huy Fong Foods from Los Angeles, California. What some people …
Experts differ in how they define heirloom varieties. In most cases, heirloom vegetables (like heirloom peppers) come from varieties that are at least 50 years old. This means that a variety has to be around for at least 50 years before it can get the …
Storing dried chili peppers — whether ancho, chipotle, guajillo, or any other variety — becomes essential when you have more chilies than you’ll use in a short period. Drying dramatically extends a pepper’s life, but the job isn’t finished once the chilies are leathery and …
Smoked paprika is made with the same chili peppers as sweet paprika, but they are smoked first. To make smoked paprika, the chili peppers are smoked for between 10 and 15 days over an oak fire. The smokiness and moderate spiciness, combined with other flavor …
At one point, chipotle pepper was among the more obscure Latin American spices, at least outside Latin America. These days, it’s common in well-stocked kitchens, and the name is familiar to many (in particular, thanks to the popular restaurant chain.) Chipotle peppers are simply jalapeño …
Hot paprika can be either hot Hungarian paprika or hot smoked paprika from Spain. The Spanish and Hungarian versions are interchangeable, but you may not have an easy time finding either in the average American grocery store. If you are trying to replace either type …
Chili powder seasoning consists of various ground spices and at least one herb. This spice blend was invented as a convenience product for American cooks. It encapsulated the flavors of Mexican cooking in one mixture and saved cooks the trouble of seeking out multiple spices. …
Tabasco hot sauce is easily the best-known American hot sauce; it has been around since 1868 and has been popular for most of that time. Made from tabasco peppers grown on Louisiana’s Avery Island, Tabasco sauce is a versatile condiment that you can use to …