• This is the place to discuss all spicy commerical products, not just sauce!

hot-sauce My first Attempt at Hot Sauce

Well, it was inevitable. I had to try my hand at a hot sauce. I got a recipe from pepperfools.com (Dave Dewitt).

The one I tried was a Melinda's-style Caribbean sauce. It was basically just habaneros, carrots, onions, and a little vinegar and water. I made about 2/2 of a mason jar full. Of course, I doubled the peppers. I put in a blend of what I had fresh at the time, which was 2 chocalate habs, 2 scotch bonnets, about 15 orange-red habs, 3 jalapenos, and 3 red thais. I think the final ratio was around 4 parts chilis, 1 part carrots, 1 part onions, and about 1/2 part water and vinegar.

Man, did this stuff turn out great! Heat and flavor abound!

Don't worry, producers....I don't grow enough peppers to make enough hot sauce to be self-supportive, and I do like variety. But it was fun, and the product is really good. I made it Saturday, and Ive already consumed about a fourth of it.

I can only imagine what it must be like to make a huge vat of hot sauce for commercial use. Oh, well, my career path is already set anyway...I like trying the labor of others. But it was fun to try. I'll probably use up the rest of my peppers this year in similar fashion.
 
i consider myself a bit of a pepperhead (i grow some varieties as a hobby and love hot sauce and spicey food) and one can't be a pepperhead, imho, without trying to make some homemade sauce!

i doubt any bottled-sauce purveyor feels threatened by our homemade attempts, after all - one would hope that's how they started! i love to make small batches of vinegars and sauces for myself and family/friends. the recipe research is half the fun ;)

in all honesty, homemade, when done right, can't be beat (freshness, not to mention pride in your own creativity)

i'm from the south, FL in particular, and i was raised on homemade datil vinegars and sauces. when i was young tabasco was about the only commercially bottled sauce we had access to, and (sorry Louisiana folks) it didn't hold a candle to homemade datil condiments! we'd never heard of chipotle or habanero - but just think of the latin american cultures' use of home grown peppers and sauces before commercial bottling was popular. at that, most cultures hot peppers have been stars long before commercialism took hold.

the main thing i worry about is botulism, but somehow i rely on the vinegar and the hot peppers themselves (and refrigeration) and i haven't killed anyone yet ;)

bottled sauces are now all the rage, but that doesn't mean we hobbyists need to stop making our own or feel inferior for some reason.

i mean, is a home brewed or craft-brewed beer inferior to budweiser??? HARDLY!

:D
 
datil paddle said:
homemade, when done right, can't be beat (freshness, not to mention pride in your own creativity)
:D

Which is why da Peppermaster is in business.

Not to worry, this particulat producer figures that if there are now over 10,000 different sauces available and we chiliheads still can't get enough sauce, then there's plenty of market for everyone to go around. Besides, the population of chiliheads keeps increasing... 10 years ago, it was less than 5%, now it's 15% of the population. Tons of room for commpetition. Besides that too, (pardon the pun), variety in hot sauce is the spice of life! :shock:

As far as botulism goes... I was under the impression that that's usually a concern of people packing their peppers in oil.

T
 
Storing pepper in oil is one problem for the little botulism bugs, but considering it's a nasty little bug that grows in an airless environment, and most, if not all bottlers, either use a vacuum machine or natural vacuum formed from the hot bottling procedure. Hence the reason for bringing the Ph level down, the clostridium spore can only survive in mildly acidic environments, hence the reason pickles last so long, and don't puff up like a bad can of beans.

Sorry for the bio lesson. Now, back to the ranch.
 
DEFCON Creator said:
Storing pepper in oil is one problem for the little botulism bugs, but considering it's a nasty little bug that grows in an airless environment, and most, if not all bottlers, either use a vacuum machine or natural vacuum formed from the hot bottling procedure. Hence the reason for bringing the Ph level down, the clostridium spore can only survive in mildly acidic environments, hence the reason pickles last so long, and don't puff up like a bad can of beans.

Sorry for the bio lesson. Now, back to the ranch.

Ranch? I thought you were in New Jersey?

T
 
DEFCON Creator said:
I may be in Jersey, but you stated I had a hayseed sticking out of my mouth, after I stated I had a 'still'. LOL!!!

Now wait a minute... NONE of the hayseeds I've ever seen have a "Ranch"... mountain cabin, yes, but Ranch... none. :D
 
Tina Brooks said:
datil paddle said:
homemade, when done right, can't be beat (freshness, not to mention pride in your own creativity)
:oops:

Which is why da Peppermaster is in business.

Not to worry, this particulat producer figures that if there are now over 10,000 different sauces available and we chiliheads still can't get enough sauce, then there's plenty of market for everyone to go around. Besides, the population of chiliheads keeps increasing... 10 years ago, it was less than 5%, now it's 15% of the population. Tons of room for commpetition. Besides that too, (pardon the pun), variety in hot sauce is the spice of life! :shock:

As far as botulism goes... I was under the impression that that's usually a concern of people packing their peppers in oil.

T

I have no intention of competing with anyone. My sauce is mine. All mine. You can't have any :D . Just Kidding. Actually, I made another batch over the weekend. My sauce comes out rather thick. I used more vinegar this time, but it is still a little thick for pouring purposes. As such, I have come up with a new use for it; I use it as a sandwich spread. I spread it liberally over wheat bread, add smoked turkey and cheese, and voila....lunch has never been so good (or hot!)

I think I will keep making this stuff as my peppers mature. I added a little ginger root, mango, and powdered mustard to this new batch, with great effect.

As for you producers, this doesn't replace my need for your products. I just came up with a new use. When used on sandwiches, I go through it pretty fast. About a tablespoon per sandwich, maybe more. Yum.

You keep doing what you do, and I'll keep eating it. My sauce is for personal consumption only.

Josh
 
Tina Brooks][quote name= said:
Now wait a minute... NONE of the hayseeds I've ever seen have a "Ranch"... mountain cabin, yes, but Ranch... none. :oops:

Hey, now, stills are a way of life around here....

And we are not embarrassed by that fact. Y'all are missing out.

Since I live at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mtns, any home around here could qualify as a mtn. cabin. :D
 
Staff, you may be interested to know I acquire about 2-3 mason jars of 'lightning' per year, usually originating near the Blue Ridge Mountains, but closer to Winchester, VA. I actually experimented using it for one of my extracts, it created a really cool 'different' flavor. Hmmmm, perhaps Tina could use a little of THAT in one of her alcohol creations. It's definitely got some 'zing'.
 
DEFCON Creator said:
Staff, you may be interested to know I acquire about 2-3 mason jars of 'lightning' per year, usually originating near the Blue Ridge Mountains, but closer to Winchester, VA. I actually experimented using it for one of my extracts, it created a really cool 'different' flavor. Hmmmm, perhaps Tina could use a little of THAT in one of her alcohol creations. It's definitely got some 'zing'.

I'll drink anything... once.

T
 
staffing said:
Tina Brooks said:
datil paddle said:
homemade, when done right, can't be beat (freshness, not to mention pride in your own creativity)
:oops:

Which is why da Peppermaster is in business.

Not to worry, this particulat producer figures that if there are now over 10,000 different sauces available and we chiliheads still can't get enough sauce, then there's plenty of market for everyone to go around. Besides, the population of chiliheads keeps increasing... 10 years ago, it was less than 5%, now it's 15% of the population. Tons of room for commpetition. Besides that too, (pardon the pun), variety in hot sauce is the spice of life! :shock:

As far as botulism goes... I was under the impression that that's usually a concern of people packing their peppers in oil.

T

I have no intention of competing with anyone. My sauce is mine. All mine. You can't have any :D . Just Kidding. Actually, I made another batch over the weekend. My sauce comes out rather thick. I used more vinegar this time, but it is still a little thick for pouring purposes. As such, I have come up with a new use for it; I use it as a sandwich spread. I spread it liberally over wheat bread, add smoked turkey and cheese, and voila....lunch has never been so good (or hot!)

I think I will keep making this stuff as my peppers mature. I added a little ginger root, mango, and powdered mustard to this new batch, with great effect.

As for you producers, this doesn't replace my need for your products. I just came up with a new use. When used on sandwiches, I go through it pretty fast. About a tablespoon per sandwich, maybe more. Yum.

You keep doing what you do, and I'll keep eating it. My sauce is for personal consumption only.

Josh

The increased vinegar will help lower the botulism threat... I don't personally understand the chemistry behind it all, but the higher the acid the better... Next batch try a citrus instead of the vinegar, see if you like the flavour; it's quite different. I prefer it personally.
 
Tina,
You want some of this homemade lightning extract stuff? I do believe I have a bit of it left. Nasty stuff, but you can definitely experiment. Drop me a line if you do.
 
Tina Brooks said:
staffing said:
Tina Brooks said:
datil paddle said:
homemade, when done right, can't be beat (freshness, not to mention pride in your own creativity)
:oops:

Which is why da Peppermaster is in business.

Not to worry, this particulat producer figures that if there are now over 10,000 different sauces available and we chiliheads still can't get enough sauce, then there's plenty of market for everyone to go around. Besides, the population of chiliheads keeps increasing... 10 years ago, it was less than 5%, now it's 15% of the population. Tons of room for commpetition. Besides that too, (pardon the pun), variety in hot sauce is the spice of life! :shock:

As far as botulism goes... I was under the impression that that's usually a concern of people packing their peppers in oil.

T

I have no intention of competing with anyone. My sauce is mine. All mine. You can't have any :D . Just Kidding. Actually, I made another batch over the weekend. My sauce comes out rather thick. I used more vinegar this time, but it is still a little thick for pouring purposes. As such, I have come up with a new use for it; I use it as a sandwich spread. I spread it liberally over wheat bread, add smoked turkey and cheese, and voila....lunch has never been so good (or hot!)

I think I will keep making this stuff as my peppers mature. I added a little ginger root, mango, and powdered mustard to this new batch, with great effect.

As for you producers, this doesn't replace my need for your products. I just came up with a new use. When used on sandwiches, I go through it pretty fast. About a tablespoon per sandwich, maybe more. Yum.

You keep doing what you do, and I'll keep eating it. My sauce is for personal consumption only.

Josh

The increased vinegar will help lower the botulism threat... I don't personally understand the chemistry behind it all, but the higher the acid the better... Next batch try a citrus instead of the vinegar, see if you like the flavour; it's quite different. I prefer it personally.

Atually, Tina, I used Apple cider vinegar and 6 lime (to about 2 qts of final product). I believe the acidity should be fine, between the acetic acid and citric acid. I never thought of botulism, but I think the vinegar should help ease my worries....that and the fact that it'll be gone before it can go bad.

By the way, I think I'm starting to run a little low on Hurricane Mash. Thanks for your advice, though. Regarding beer, whenever I want to spoil myself, by LaBatte's Blue. It's a great pilsner. I have only had one better, and it is only sold in Aruba called Balashi. Wonderful stuff, but it takes a plane ticket and mucho dinero to drink it. I'll stick with LaBatte's
 
Staff, the easiest (and most inexpensive) way to test for acidity is to get some Ph strips. You can get them at any pharmaceutical outlet, or just get them on-line. They are only a couple bucks for about 100 of them. Just dip the end of one of the Ph sticks into your concoction, and then line up the 3 rows of colors with the legend on the box. We did it that wat for a while, and it worked very well. The next step would be an electronic Ph tester you can get for $30-40.
 
DEFCON Creator said:
Staff, the easiest (and most inexpensive) way to test for acidity is to get some Ph strips. You can get them at any pharmaceutical outlet, or just get them on-line. They are only a couple bucks for about 100 of them. Just dip the end of one of the Ph sticks into your concoction, and then line up the 3 rows of colors with the legend on the box. We did it that wat for a while, and it worked very well. The next step would be an electronic Ph tester you can get for $30-40.

The Ph strips are a great idea. Since I am only making sauce for myself, in small batches, it would be hard for me to justify spending too much money, especially if the strips work fine. I bet they're similar to the strips you test hot tubs with. If you do'nt mind my asking, what is the ideal Ph range?

By the way, you and your sauces are next on my buy/review list. Probably next week.

As I said, I don't have an abundance of time. I'm in a fast track pre med program, so mass producing hot sauce is not on my agenda. It's too much fun trying all of y'all's.
 
You are exactly correct. They are the same strips. Ph is Ph no matter how you cut it. Our sauces range anywhere from about 4.1 for the mild #3 to about 3.8 for the hot #1. The upcoming extract(s) will be even lower. I've read a few different articles as to what is the best, and different articles have widely varied suggestions. I tend to think anything hovering around the 4Ph level to be pretty good.

I look forward to your review, just tell me when.
 
DEFCON Creator said:
You are exactly correct. They are the same strips. Ph is Ph no matter how you cut it. Our sauces range anywhere from about 4.1 for the mild #3 to about 3.8 for the hot #1. The upcoming extract(s) will be even lower. I've read a few different articles as to what is the best, and different articles have widely varied suggestions. I tend to think anything hovering around the 4Ph level to be pretty good.

I look forward to your review, just tell me when.

I sent an email to your website. I couldn't tell which of your hot sauces are extract sauces, and which aren't. I don't mind milder extract sauces (I know...and oxymoron). For comparison's sake, I like a sauce somewhere around the heat level of Tina's Hurricane Mash. Let me know which I should try. I'm guessing it's between 2 and 1.

Josh
 
Josh,
I got your e-mail, and the sauces will go out this weekend. You're in luck, it'll be a nice fresh batch. I didn't get the location where you want them sent.

As for the extract sauces, we currently only have one, the DEFCON #1. The DEFCON-ZERO sauce will be coming out shortly. Perhaps I'll feel generous, and throw a little of that in there as well. Wait a minute, a revenuer feeling generous, perhaps my endorphin rush from last night hasn't worn off yet.
 
DEFCON Creator said:
Josh,
I got your e-mail, and the sauces will go out this weekend. You're in luck, it'll be a nice fresh batch. I didn't get the location where you want them sent.

As for the extract sauces, we currently only have one, the DEFCON #1. The DEFCON-ZERO sauce will be coming out shortly. Perhaps I'll feel generous, and throw a little of that in there as well. Wait a minute, a revenuer feeling generous, perhaps my endorphin rush from last night hasn't worn off yet.

We should feed some of that stuff to George Bush.

hehe

okie... my bad... politics back in my pocket.

T
 
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