• If you have a question about commercial production or the hot sauce business, please post in The Food Biz.

What to use when taste test hot sauce?

On a spoon is #1 unless it is specialty. Example, wing sauce, taste on wings. Taco sauce taste on tacos. Sushi sauce... you get the idea. But you can also try on a spoon and food that is neutral like grilled chicken and pork. :)
 
The tortilla chip is good for product demonstrations but not the best for your own tinkering, you need to know the salt of your sauce not the salt of the chip and sauce, etc. Spoon = best and any food intended for as supplemental. 
 
If others have said it was  :hot:
 
try it first on a spoon as just a drop if you don't know what your about to get into yet  :hell:  (you can always fill the spoon up for another taste)
 
or learn the hard way like i did  :rofl:
I found an old pic of one of my early taste tests of a  :hot: sauce   :fire:
 
9jbDmUg.png

oh man was this hot, i couldn't eat it straight  :metal:  at the time i was not yet used to sauces that were as hot as eating fresh supers  :eek:
The rest of it got used in many meals but mixed in with other food, not straight on a piece of white cheddar on a ritz cracker  :D
I could probably handle a sampling like that now a lot better than i could then. But point being: Know what your about to get yourself into. You can always eat more ;)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
:cheers:
 
 
Hawaiianero said:
When I make my sauces I usually have about 5 turns to taste test before my taste buds get completely burned out.
I would suggest starting with your flavor base first (fruity/tangy/savory/etc.), taking into account the flavor profile of your peppers of course.
Get to a close approximation of what you want before adding your heat.
 
 
this is an interesting approach :think: 
 
 
I was thinking the original poster was talking about sampling finished sauces. Guess i didnt read or pay attention oops   :oops: 
 
For me %90 of hot sauces fall into one of two categories "Latin influence" or "Asian influence" the other %10 make up the remaining cultures.
 
Figure out your influence and you'll know what to taste it with ie: tacos, egg rolls, baba ganoush, etc.
 
 
+++ to tasting straight on the spoon. 
 
 
If you have a flavor or style in mind, you should be able to "taste" that goal...or lack thereof as sometimes happens...in the straight sauce.  It takes practice, but eventually you can taste a sauce and say..'oH YEah!  THAT's the perfect sauce for.....XXX!!!"  Then when you try it on XXX.......Yea, Baby!!! 
 
Hawaiianero said:
When I make my sauces I usually have about 5 turns to taste test before my taste buds get completely burned out.
I would suggest starting with your flavor base first (fruity/tangy/savory/etc.), taking into account the flavor profile of your peppers of course.
Get to a close approximation of what you want before adding your heat.
 
 
I was going to mention tasting fatigue. It's a great point. There is only so much I can taste of anything at once. Bland crackers may help with multiple tastings. 
 
salsalady said:
+++ to tasting straight on the spoon. 
 
 
If you have a flavor or style in mind, you should be able to "taste" that goal...or lack thereof as sometimes happens...in the straight sauce.  It takes practice, but eventually you can taste a sauce and say..'oH YEah!  THAT's the perfect sauce for.....XXX!!!"  Then when you try it on XXX.......Yea, Baby!!! 
 
 
I love me some sauce with XXX...LOL...Sorry I just had too, your all lucky I didn't link a video..I think this might be looking like a Drunken Chef night!
 
Back
Top