Thai Sweet Chili Dipping Sauce (2024)

You’ll find a thousand ways to use this Thai Sweet Chili Dipping Sauce! It’s a little spicy, a little sweet, and a little acidic, which makes a great dip for spring rolls! Spoon some over fried rice or use it as a marinade for chicken or pork. These jars make great gifts too!

Before you read any further, I have to warn you – this Thai Sweet Chili Dipping Sauce is completely addictive! If you have an additive personality like me, please consider yourself warned. Now, with my public service announcement out of the way, please proceed.

CANNING AND PRESERVING

The first time I made Thai Sweet Chili Dipping Sauce was about twelve years ago. I made it as a practice dish. You see, Dear Reader, it was about twelve to fifteen years ago that I started canning food. I was always so amazed at how my mom and dad would can soups, meats, and veggies. I never did actually get them to teach me how to do it, which is a shame, but I did some research and decided to practice with some small-batch recipes before taking the leap into large quantities.

Thai Sweet Chili Dipping Sauce was a great place to start, because the ingredients were very inexpensive and I knew that if I totally messed it up, it wouldn’t be a total loss. I swear, the whole time the jars were in the canner, I kept thinking that they were going to explode or that the water was going to seep into the dipping sauce.

Once I took the dipping sauce out of the canner, I could barely wait until it was fully cooled! I remember listening eagerly for that glorious popping sound, telling me that the jars had properly sealed.

WATER BATH CANNING METHOD

Since then, I feel that I have mastered the art of water canning. After all of the canning recipes posted here at Lord Byron’s Kitchen, would you believe that I have yet to venture into the pressure canning method? I have only ever made recipes that use the water bath canning method. It’s the one I’m comfortable with, but it does limit me to what I’m about to can.

I don’t know why, really! My parents, and especially my Aunt Donna, would can just about anything and they never once used a pressure canner. They always used a big pot of boiling water. I remember chicken soup, beef stew, seal, and even chicken wings! Not once do I recall anyone getting sick from eating those foods prepared in a water canner.

Personally, I think we have become a society that is too over protective and we tend to worry about everything just a little too much. It’s like hand sanitizer! We never had no such thing when I was growing up. Germs were just a normal part of being a kid. Nowadays, we practically send our kids outside in protective bubbles – if we allow them to go outside at all!

At the same time, I would never want to put myself or anyone else at risk of getting sick from unsafe canning practices. So, even though my parents did it, I will not.

I promise you though, Dear Reader, once we finish with the renovations in our country house, I will buy a pressure canner. Right now, I just do not have the room to store one in our downtown Toronto apartment. And then, I’ll be canning those meat-based stews and soups too. For right now though, you can click here to find all of my Preserves and Pickles recipes.

HOW TO PUT THAT GLORIOUS SAUCE TO GOOD USE

So… let’s talk about this Thai Sweet Chili Dipping Sauce. Once you have it all done, what are you planning to do with it? Well, to be honest, you have so many possibilities. The first thing that comes to mind is using this dip with spring rolls. Delicious! But, you can do just about anything with this sauce.

Equipment

5 250 ml mason jars with screw bands and new, unused sealing discs.
Water Bath Canner with Jar Rack
Jar Wrench/Lifter
Canning Funnel
Ladle
Non-metallic Bubble Remover
Magnetic Lid Lifter

Ingredients

1/4 cup chopped garlic
1/2 tablespoon salt
3 cups cider vinegar
3 cups sugar
1/4 cup dried red chili flakes

Instructions

To Prepare Mason Jars:

Wash mason jars and screw lids in soapy water and rinse soap off well under running hot water. Place clean jars on a baking sheet and place in oven preheated to 200 degrees. Set screw bands aside. Next, boil a kettle of water and pour into a clean glass bowl. Carefully submerge the sealing discs in the bowl of hot water. Set aside.
Add the garlic and salt to a small bowl and combine well by stirring with a spoon. Set aside.
In the meantime, fill your water bath canner to the halfway mark with water and add the jar rack. Bring to a full boil.
Pour the vinegar into a saucepan and bring to a gentle boil over medium heat. Add the sugar and continue to stir until the sugar has dissolved completely.
Remove the vinegar and sugar mixture from the heat and still in the garlic mixture, along with the dried red chili flakes.
Ladle sauce into prepared mason jars using a funnel to prevent the sauce from touching the rim of the jars.
Use the non-metallic bubble remover to remove any air bubbles.
Wipe down the rim of each jar with a damp paper towel to ensure no sauce has come in contact with the rim.
Carefully remove the sealing discs from the hot water with a magnetic lid lifter. Position the sealing disc directly onto the lid of the jars. Do not touch the underside of the lid.
Screw on the screw bands until firm – do not apply pressure! Just use your fingertips to tighten the screw bands.
Using the jar lifter, place the jars into the water bath canner with the boiling water. Do not place the lid on the canner.
Boil for 20 minutes. Carefully remove each jar from the canner using the jar lifter. Try not to tilt the jars. Place jars onto a wire cooling rack that has been covered with a clean kitchen towel.
Leave the jars to cool for a minimum of 12 hours. Once cooled, wipe the jars of any residue that might have been transferred to the outside of the jar during the boiling process. Label the jars and store in a dark, cool cabinet for up to one year.

Notes

Recipe make 5 250 ml jars, or 5 cups. One serving is equal to one tablespoon.

Nutrition