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strangest ingredient in your hot sauce?

ShowMeDaSauce said:
Candied/dried fruit and ginger instead of fresh. IMO the crystallized ginger works surprisingly well. Im going to try some dried kiwi this year in a jalapeno sauce or maybe a green hab sauce.
 
Interesting. I've not had too much experience with crystalised ginger and chilli in conjunction but the few things I've tried with both have seemed horribly bitter. Any tips?
Is it the ferment that Mike mentioned that makes the difference, with the sugars being used up along the way?
 
Ive used it in several cooked lemon drop sauces but im not sure if ive used it much in pepper ferments. Ive added it to my kimchi pastes before. Good candied ginger should be made from young ginger. Kinda hard to find fresh young ginger because when its delivered, people "who know" pick it all out within an hour or two. I only use about a tbs of it chopped in a quart of hot sauce.
 
Something else im tempted to try is Korean honey ginger tea mix. It is SUPER potent!!!...Like so strong you could add a 1-2 tbs to a quart of club soda with some lime and have a reasonably strong ginger ale.
 
A great addition to a hot sauce is Surinam Cherry (Pitanga). It has a very unusual flavor that is sour, earthy, and slightly sweet all at the same time. I have several bushes in my yard and it produces fruit twice a year. Here is a picture of the berries with the sauce I made from it.
 

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Nah, szechuan peppercorns have a uniquely anaesthetic heat to them, which is why they're commonly paired with chilli in chinese cuisine. Less ability to feel with your tongue means less sensation of heat and, by extension, opens up more room for enjoyment of the chilli's flavour. I'd imagine that overdosing on them would prevent you from tasting much, either, but my body has a naturally high tollerance for anaesthetics. Something which has caused me much suffering on occassion.
 
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