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Homemade pickapeppa sauce recipe in a small glass bottle with a glossy spoonful drizzled beside it
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Homemade Pickapeppa Sauce Recipe

A tested homemade pickapeppa sauce recipe with tamarind, mango, and warm spice — sweet, tangy, and ready in about an hour.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time45 minutes
Total Time1 hour 5 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 24 servings
Calories: 35kcal

Ingredients

For the Sauce Base:

  • 2 cup diced tomatoes (about 4 medium)
  • 1 cup diced yellow onion (about 1 medium)
  • 1 cup diced ripe mango (about 1 mango)
  • 1/2 cup golden raisins
  • 1/4 cup tamarind concentrate
  • 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
  • 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 2 tablespoon blackstrap molasses
  • 3 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
  • 1 scotch bonnet pepper, stemmed and seeded
  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt
  • 1 cup water

For the Spice Sachet:

  • 1 teaspoon whole cloves
  • 1 teaspoon whole allspice berries
  • 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
  • 1 small cinnamon stick (about 2 inches)
  • 1 bay leaf

Instructions

  • In a medium nonreactive saucepan, combine the diced tomatoes, onion, mango, raisins, tamarind concentrate, brown sugar, vinegar, molasses, garlic, ginger, scotch bonnet pepper, salt, and water. Stir well.
  • Tie the cloves, allspice berries, peppercorns, cinnamon stick, and bay leaf into a cheesecloth sachet and add it to the pot. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, then reduce to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 30–35 minutes, until the fruit has fully broken down and the mixture has reduced by about a third.
  • Remove and discard the spice sachet. Remove the scotch bonnet pepper now for a milder sauce, or leave it in a few minutes longer for more heat.
  • Puree the mixture with an immersion blender (or transfer to a countertop blender) until completely smooth, about 1–2 minutes.
  • Strain the sauce through a fine mesh strainer into a clean bowl, pressing with a spatula to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard the leftover pulp.
  • Taste the sauce and adjust as needed — more brown sugar if too sharp, more vinegar if too sweet, a pinch of cayenne if you want more heat.
  • Pour the warm sauce into sterilized glass bottles or jars. Let cool uncapped on the counter for 20 minutes, then seal and refrigerate.

Notes

  • The flavor improves significantly after 3 days in the fridge — make this ahead if you can.
  • No tamarind concentrate on hand? Substitute 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice plus 1 extra tablespoon molasses.
  • Wear gloves when handling the scotch bonnet pepper to avoid skin and eye irritation.
  • This recipe doubles cleanly for a larger batch; add 5–10 minutes to the simmer time to account for the increased volume.
  • Shake the bottle before each use, as natural separation is normal and not a sign of spoilage.