Quick Roasted Garlic Tabasco Pepper Sauce

Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Peel the garlic. Wearing gloves, rinse the fresh Tabasco peppers and remove their stems; leave the seeds intact.

Place the garlic on a piece of foil, drizzle with the olive oil, and fold into a sealed packet. Set the packet on the baking sheet and roast for 20–25 minutes, until the cloves are soft and lightly golden.

Open the packet carefully to release steam. Let the garlic cool for 5 minutes.

Put the roasted garlic and its oil into the blender. Add the fresh peppers, white vinegar, water, sugar, and kosher salt.

Secure the lid and blend for 1–2 minutes, until as smooth as possible. Stop and scrape down the blender as needed. Let the sauce settle briefly before opening the lid, keeping your face away from the pepper fumes.

Set the fine-mesh strainer over the bowl. Pour in the sauce and press it through with the spatula, leaving coarse seeds and skins behind. The finished sauce should be smooth and pourable.

Transfer to the clean jar, cover, and refrigerate promptly. This sauce is acidified with white vinegar—not fermented—and requires no room-temperature resting step. Shake before serving, and start with a 1-teaspoon portion alongside food.