Aji Lemon & Mango Sauce Recipe
I can’t remember where I found this recipe…it’s something I stumbled across online a while ago and I noted down in my trusty notebook where it lay forgotten until a couple of weeks ago. My Lemon Drop plant has been podding like crazy in our conservatory, producing well over 125 pods this year so I was wondering what to do with them all when i remembered this recipe.
From memory, I think the recipe originates from South America, Peru I believe. No matter were it comes from this recipe is quite unlike all for the other hot sauce/salsa recipes I’ve tried before. Uniquely sweet thanks to the mango and shallots yet with a wonderful citrus flavour with a nice level of heat.
Ingredients
Method
- Add all the ingredients (except the lime juice) to a saucepan and cook slowly over a medium heat until the peppers are soft (around 30 minutes)
- Add the cooked mixture to a food processor and blend to form a smooth batter texture
- Allow to cool for 15 minutes
- Add the lime juice and stir thoroughly
- Add the mixture to steralised jars
Notes
It’s worth noting that the original recipe states the use of shallot infused vinegar (see recipe below). While you could use just plain white wine vinegar I definitely think it’s worth the extra effort and time to add the shallot flavour to the salsa.
Shallot infused vinegar
This takes a week to make but it is well worth the additional preparation.
1. Take a clean empty wine bottle and fill it 1/3 up with chopped shallots.
2. Add approximately 3 cups of good quality white wine vinegar and mix well by giving the bottle a gentle shake.
3. Seal the bottle and store in a cool dark place for at least a week for the shallot flavour to infuse into the vinegar.
4. Strain through a fine sieve or some muslin before using.
Aji Lemon chillies are definitely in my top 3 chilli varieties of all time. They have a wonderful citrus flavour and pack a nice punch. Best of all Aji Lemon seeds are readily available online. Being a C.baccatum variety they are relatively quick to grow here in the UK making them a firm favourite here at Chilliking HQ.
Serving Suggestions
This hot sauce is versatile enough to earn a permanent spot in the fridge door. A few of my favourite ways to use it:
- Spooned over grilled or pan-fried fish — the citrus and mango pair particularly well with anything oily like mackerel or salmon.
- Stirred through a chicken or prawn stir-fry in the last minute of cooking for a fruity, spicy glaze.
- Alongside cold meats and cheese as you would a chutney — it works surprisingly well with a strong cheddar.
- As a dip base, thinned slightly with a spoonful of natural yoghurt or mayonnaise, for spring rolls or samosas.
- Drizzled over a simple avocado or chicken salad for a bit of heat and sweetness together.
- Inside a cheese toastie to add some flavour and heat
- We love to dip our black bean quesadillas into this sauce.
Storage and Shelf Life
Because this sauce is cooked and contains vinegar, it will keep considerably longer in the fridge than a fresh, uncooked salsa. While it is hard to give a specific shelf life I find this sauce lasts well for up to 4-6 weeks. Most well-sealed cooked hot sauces of this type will keep for several weeks refrigerated, and often longer. That said, always use a clean spoon each time you dip in, keep it properly chilled, and trust your senses — if the colour, smell, or texture seems off at any point, it’s not worth the risk.
If you want to keep a batch for longer-term storage rather than just the fridge, freezing in small portions is a good option. I use these large baby food ice trays to freeze into small portions. Once defrosted I tend to use within 2-3 days and store in the fridge.
About Aji Lemon Chillies
This sauce gets its distinctive citrus tang from Aji Lemon chillies (also sold as Aji Limon or Lemon Drop). These are a Capsicum baccatum variety originally from Peru. Unlike most chillies you’ll have grown before, Aji Lemon has a genuinely lemon-scented aroma and flavour alongside real heat — somewhere around 15,000–30,000 Scoville Heat Units. For me this is a nice heat for an everyday chilli.
That citrus flavour profile is exactly why these chillies work so well against the sweetness of mango in this recipe. If you fancy growing your own for next year’s batch, pick up some seeds and read our full chilli growing guide covering everything from sowing time to overwintering.
Do you de-seed the chillies in this recipe?
thanks
I dont but it comes down to a matter of taste. Removing the seeds will reduce the heat levels in the sauce.
This is a killer hot sauce!!! I use a similar recipe as above (minor modifications and without the mustard). Also, I use yellow wax chiles/gueros instead of yellow bell peppers. Although the sauce is moderately hot, you can use it quite liberally on sandwiches (like subs or po-boys with lots of lettuce, onion, and tomatoes) without worry about it being too spicy. It’s to die for!!! The first time I made this sauce a few years ago, I said to myself “Sriracha, step aside! There’s a new boss in town!”
This tastes amazing! I put the salsa into a sterilised bottle. .. it’s so thick… I didn’t think… how can I thin it down without losing the flavour please? Jars next time!
If the sauce gets too thick I suggest to thin it out by adding more vinegar/lime juice and/or water. The acidity in the lime juice and vinegar is what keeps the sauce fresh and you absolutely want to hit a Ph of 4,5 or lower or it will go bad fast. If the Ph is lower than 4 it’s most likely shelf stable but if you’re going to keep it in the fridge 4.5 will be enough. By diluting the sauce with water your Ph will change and make the shelf life shorter so don’t be too overly generous with water if you decide to use that to make the sauce less viscous. The good thing about water is that it has literally zero taste so it won’t change the flavor of your hot sauce very much when added in moderate amounts, unlike the vinegar and lime juice. So it really is your poison to pick. I would probably just go for mostly acidity and just a little splash of water but that’s just me.
Thanks! We have a ton of lemon peppers and now we know what to do with them!
I saw lime juice but you didn’t mention zest till end?
Hi Betsy,
Apologies, that’s meant to say juice. I’ve amended the recipe above.
Excellent, thanks for the post. I modified it slightly by using fresh ginger as well as dry, a tablespoon of turmeric, as I thought it would go well, and reducing the salt to 2 teaspoons. An excellent use of ample Aji Limon.
Den,
Glad you liked it. Aji Lemon peppers are my favourite by a log way. Combined with the mango this is an ideal recipe!
Thanks for putting this and the other recipes on ! I’m going to try this one (maybe substituting Tabasco chillis as I have some on the plant still) and the chilli flakes.
Rich