Frank's RedHot

Rinse 225 grams of aged red cayenne peppers under cool running water, pat dry with paper towels, trim off and discard all green stems, then rough-chop peppers into 2 cm pieces (no need to remove seeds or inner ribs, as these contribute to Frank's signature mild heat level). Wear disposable gloves if you have sensitive skin to avoid capsaicin irritation.

Add chopped cayenne peppers, 180 ml distilled white vinegar, 120 ml filtered water, 1 tablespoon kosher salt, and 1 teaspoon garlic powder to a 1.5 liter heavy-bottomed saucepan, stirring with a silicone spatula to fully incorporate salt and garlic powder so no dry clumps stick to the pan bottom.

Turn stovetop heat to medium, bring the mixture to a gentle rolling boil (approximately 5-7 minutes), then immediately reduce heat to medium-low to maintain a low, steady simmer with no violent bubbling. Cover the pan partially with a lid to avoid hot splatters, and cook for 15 minutes, stirring once every 3 minutes to prevent peppers from sticking. Peppers will be fully soft and pale, muted red when done.

Turn off stovetop heat, carefully move the saucepan to a cool unused burner, and let the pepper mixture rest uncovered for 20 minutes until it drops to room temperature (21C/70F). Never blend the mixture while hot, as trapped steam can build pressure in blenders and cause dangerous, burning splatters.

Pour the fully cooled pepper mixture into a high-speed blender, secure the lid tightly (remove the center fill cap and cover the opening with a folded kitchen towel to vent steam), and blend on high speed for 90 seconds until the mixture is completely uniform, smooth, and bright red with no visible large pepper chunks remaining.

Set a fine-mesh sieve over a clean 4-cup glass measuring cup, pour the blended puree into the sieve, and use a silicone spatula to press and stir the puree for 3-4 minutes to extract all thin, smooth liquid, leaving only dry, fibrous pepper skins and seeds in the sieve to discard. Funnel the strained sauce into sterilized 150ml glass hot sauce bottles with airtight lids.

Seal the bottled sauce tightly, and refrigerate for at least 24 hours before use to allow flavors to meld and mellow, matching the signature balanced tang and mild heat of original Frank's RedHot. The sauce will stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to 3 months when stored in a sealed airtight container.