Pineapple Hot Sauces

What a pineapple hot sauce actually tastes like

Pineapple brings sweetness and acidity in the same mouthful, which is why it needs less help than most fruit to make a balanced sauce. Expect something bright and tangy rather than syrupy, usually with lime or ginger alongside it and, in about one in five bottles, mango as well.

What's in the bottle

Habanero is in a little over half of these sauces and jalapeño in a quarter, with Carolina reaper, ghost pepper and serrano in smaller numbers. Garlic rides along in three quarters, which keeps the fruit savory.

How hot these get

Friendlier than average: close to two thirds are mild or medium, a fifth are hot and a handful are extra hot. This is a good collection to shop from if you're buying for someone whose heat tolerance you don't know.

How to use it

Chicken, wings, pork, pizza, tacos and seafood, in that order on these labels. Pineapple's acidity suits pork especially well (think al pastor), and a pineapple sauce doubles as a marinade or a glaze for shrimp, ribs and grilled chicken. Yes, it works on pizza.

A word about marinades

Fresh pineapple contains bromelain, an enzyme that breaks down protein, which is why pineapple juice tenderizes meat and why a long soak can turn it mushy. Most bottled sauces are cooked, which switches the enzyme off, but if you're using a raw or fresh-pressed sauce as a marinade, an hour is plenty.