Sal likes it hot.

To continue in the productive theme of the day, Sal came home from the Food Fair and got busy making some homemade hot sauce. He had been meaning to do so for awhile, since we had some extra tomato juice from canning, and a bumper crop of peppers. I am not a hot sauce kinda gal - I'll always pick "mild" when given the choice between levels of spiciness, whereas Sal has been known to calmly request the "Super Hot Atomic Killer Volcano" like version. He'll put hot sauce on anything. ANYthing. So it's only appropriate that he used his crazy hot jalapenos to make his own sauce.

These are the jalapenos that once made a friend cry and subsequently whisper to me through scorched lips: "Jessica, Pull. Those. Plants. Out. Pull them out. And burn them." Sal has since dubbed them "Salapeños" (pronounced with an accent on the PAIN), but continues to pop them in his mouth, fresh off the vine.

As for the sauce, the fumes alone sent me into a coughing fit and made my eyes burn. I rigged up a fan in the kitchen to blow the devil air back in, but still it was killer. He had just enough supplies to make one good pint of sauce, which he plans to unleash on his friends next weekend. Here is his recipe, if you're brave enough to try it. I recommend anyone in the vicinity to vacate the premises, unless you like feeling like you've been maced.

Salapeño Hot Sauce
7 jalapeño peppers, quartered
1/2 onion, chopped
1 clove elephant garlic, chopped
2 tbs olive oil
1 pint tomato juice
1 cup white vinegar

Saute the jalapeños, onion and garlic in the olive oil until softened. Add tomato juice and vinegar. Simmer on low until reduced by about 1/3. Remove from heat and let cool until room temperature. When cool, puree in a food processor or blender until smooth. Place in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator.