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Made some hot sauce...

spicejack

spicejack

Hey folks! Recently made a new batch of sauce, which was my third custom recipe. This one is all red habs, along with some ground cherries, white wine vinegar, and some honey. Definitely maxing out my personal heat tolerance, but my stepdad loves it.
 
Forgive the stream-of-consciousness here, but I'll just dive right in...
 
A vague version of my recipe:
16oz red habeneros (stemmed but not seeded - I wanted orange SBs but couldn't find any)
5oz ground cherries (aka cape gooseberries)
1/2c white wine vinegar + 1/2c distilled white vinegar
1tbsp honey
some spices
 
I blended everything together pretty thoroughly in my new Ninja before simmering on the stove. Didn't simmer for long, so I doubt much liquid was lost to evaporation. Then passed it through a mesh strainer (trying to squeeze every last ounce of liquid before discarding pulp), put it back on the stove, brought it up to 212F (didn't mean to bring it that high, but no biggie), then hot fill/hold. Consistency is a little thicker than tabasco, but definitely thinner than sriracha. PH meter was dead out of the box, so unsure on pH.
 
My yield was three 5oz woozy bottles. It feels like I'm doing something wrong... I mean, I know there are economies of scale to be had for bulk production, but after ingredients and packaging, it cost me ~$4.00 per bottle, which doesn't seem like it would be a viable product. And this cost doesn't include the heat gun, the pH tester, the blender, etc.. Or my time. So with that in mind:
  • Is this why craft hot sauce can cost $10+ per bottle?
  • Is it feasible to produce hot sauce like this in bulk without growing your own peppers?
  • I know mashes exist... is there a significant difference in flavor when using "someone else's mash" vs fresh peppers?
  • Is this why some people use superhots and then add volume with carrot? You still get to put "ghost pepper" on the label, but only need a small quantity of peppers to make a sauce that's still too hot for most people.
In regards to bottling, I'm using 5oz glass woozy bottles... but that's only because I couldn't find any smallish-sized plastic bottles that can tolerate hot fill. I know Secret Aardvark is bottling in plastic... does anyone know if they're using a special PET or PP plastic? Or are they aseptic filling now? Or doing that trick with nitrogen to prevent paneling? I love the idea of squeezable sauce with that applicator tip.
 
I used a heat gun to apply shrink bands, but I wasn't pleased with how seemingly random the results were. Maybe I'll just get better at it over time, but what are some tricks others have discovered for applying shrink bands that consistently look good?
 
Thanks for reading this, and thanks in advance for any wisdom you're able to impart to a newbie. I'm really enjoying reading through the ocean of information on this forum!
 
hab_sauce.jpg

 
 
 
 
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spicejack said:
 
My yield was three 5oz woozy bottles. It feels like I'm doing something wrong... I mean, I know there are economies of scale to be had for bulk production, but after ingredients and packaging, it cost me ~$4.00 per bottle, which doesn't seem like it would be a viable product. And this cost doesn't include the heat gun, the pH tester, the blender, etc.. Or my time. So with that in mind:
  • Is this why craft hot sauce can cost $10+ per bottle?
  • Is it feasible to produce hot sauce like this in bulk without growing your own peppers?
  • I know mashes exist... is there a significant difference in flavor when using "someone else's mash" vs fresh peppers?
  • Is this why some people use superhots and then add volume with carrot? You still get to put "ghost pepper" on the label, but only need a small quantity of peppers to make a sauce that's still too hot for most people.
In regards to bottling, I'm using 5oz glass woozy bottles... but that's only because I couldn't find any smallish-sized plastic bottles that can tolerate hot fill. I know Secret Aardvark is bottling in plastic... does anyone know if they're using a special PET or PP plastic? Or are they aseptic filling now? Or doing that trick with nitrogen to prevent paneling? I love the idea of squeezable sauce with that applicator tip.
 
I used a heat gun to apply shrink bands, but I wasn't pleased with how seemingly random the results were. Maybe I'll just get better at it over time, but what are some tricks others have discovered for applying shrink bands that consistently look good?
 
Thanks for reading this, and thanks in advance for any wisdom you're able to impart to a newbie. I'm really enjoying reading through the ocean of information on this forum!
 
attachicon.gif
hab_sauce.jpg
 
 
 
Click to expand...
 
:welcome: to THP! 
 
Some answers and thoughts-
Yes, this is partly why craft sauces can cost $10 a bottle.  :lol:
If you used a standard type strainer, I have a feeling you lost a lot of bulk left in the strainer.  Get a hand crank food mill.  They are $20-30 on Amazon and you can probably find one at a thrift store for for <$5.  I can't remember the brand, but one type has different screen sizes.  Very useful!
 
Habs are pretty common, but definitely seasonal.  If you are looking for production, buy fresh peppers in bulk when they are in season and at their lowest price, wash/trim/chop/FREEZE for use later.
 
Don't look at mashes unless you are getting into co-packing and need to streamline the production.  Mashes offer consistency of product, and ease of use.  If you are paying the co-packer to wash/trim/grind 200 pounds of habaneros, that's a lot of production time.  Might be time to look at mashes.  If you know ahead of time you want a couple hundred pounds of a certain pepper, there are several growers who will ship fresh to you in the fall, then you can freeze them as described above.  
 
Most sauce makers use the glass.  AFAIK, the plastic bottles need very specific temps and very expensive filling equipment, usually only available from a copacker.  Lucky Dog (Scott Zalkind) tried using the plastic bottles and eventually went back to glass.  He's actually upped the bottle size to 8.5 ounce bottles, which I think is phenomenal as the sauce is so good we go through bottles very quickly. 
 
Shrink bands- I don't worry about a 'perfect' shrink band.  My stuff is all hand made, sometimes the label isn't perfectly straight as it is applied by hand.  It goes with the territory, so to speak~  if you want a 'perfect' shrink band, there are heat tunnels and more expensive thicker bands that might work.  It comes back to what's important.  I'd rather spend money on a BlendTec blender that will make a sauce completely smooth than spend money on a heat tunnel for good looking shrink bands.
 
People don't care about a shrink band, people like and respond to a great label, and more importantly to a great tasting sauce.
 
One last note, it sounds like you are looking to go commercial some day.  Tons of folks have done it and are successfully selling sauces.  Just don't sell before everything is legit.  Do it right, get it all legal, then sell.  There are several threads about starting a hot sauce business.  In the mean time, keep making and perfecting your sauce.  Give away, trade, whatever, and most importantly...Have FUN! 
 
Hope this helps~
salsalady
 
edit- and Yes- that is a gorgeous looking sauce!
 
 
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Thanks for the responses so far!
 
The Hot Pepper said:
Looks like a fresno sauce I've had, with that brilliant red. Nicely done.
Click to expand...
Yeah, the color came out gorgeous! My previous sauce (affectionately known as "sauce #2") was made with fresnos and some thai chilis.
 
salsalady said:
If you used a standard type strainer, I have a feeling you lost a lot of bulk left in the strainer. Get a hand crank food mill. They are $20-30 on Amazon and you can probably find one at a thrift store for for <$5. I can't remember the brand, but one type has different screen sizes. Very useful!
Click to expand...
I had seen the food mill recommendation elsewhere on the forum (probably from you!  :P ). I guess I don't quite get it... is the food mill just an alternative to straining, which leaves more fibers/pulp in the sauce (and thus volume), or is it actually used to break down the pulp/fibers further (and how could it possibly be better at that than my new shiny Ninja!?)
 
salsalady said:
buy fresh peppers in bulk when they are in season and at their lowest price, wash/trim/chop/FREEZE for use later.
Click to expand...
... y'know, I hadn't even considered freezing peppers. I do have a mostly empty chest freezer down in the basement... Does freezing the peppers have any noticeable impact on their flavor/texture/heat level?
 
salsalady said:
if you want a 'perfect' shrink band, there are heat tunnels and more expensive thicker bands that might work
Click to expand...
I was totally picturing a "heat tunnel", as my shrink band inconsistencies seemed to stem from shrinking only one part of the band at a time. Didn't realize they were a real thing! And point taken about the "importance" of the shrink band... definitely not a high priority compared to quality/texture/literally almost everything else lol. I did hear about a boiling water dip for the shrink band... seems like it would be tricky to keep the band in place while dipping. Anyone have any insight into this?
 
salsalady said:
Just don't sell before everything is legit.  Do it right, get it all legal, then sell.
Click to expand...
We are in complete agreement! Slowly getting all the wheels turning.  :)

A couple more questions...
Many hot sauces have "water" listed as the first ingredient... are they actually adding water, or is it the combined water content from the ingredients?
Any special considerations when using honey as an ingredient and hot-filling?
Any advice related to the recipe I posted above? Vinegar:pepper ratio?
 
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spicejack said:
Thanks for the responses so far!
 

Yeah, the color came out gorgeous! My previous sauce (affectionately known as "sauce #2") was made with fresnos and some thai chilis.
 

I had seen the food mill recommendation elsewhere on the forum (probably from you!  :P ). I guess I don't quite get it... is the food mill just an alternative to straining, which leaves more fibers/pulp in the sauce (and thus volume), or is it actually used to break down the pulp/fibers further (and how could it possibly be better at that than my new shiny Ninja!?)
 
> Yes a food mill will get more of your mash than the strainer.  Faster too.
 

... y'know, I hadn't even considered freezing peppers. I do have a mostly empty chest freezer down in the basement... Does freezing the peppers have any noticeable impact on their flavor/texture/heat level?
 
> Freezing does nothing to the flavor or heat level.  It does however destroy the cell walls meaning that thawed hot peppers are mushy and not for fresh eating.  They can be used in recipes no problem though, so long as you're not looking for the crunch of fresh peppers.  For sauce making freezing is ideal.  I contract with a couple local farmers to grow pods for me, which means that I get floored with volume every August/September.  I wouldn't be able to make enough sauce in that short time so that chest freezer fulla peppers in the garage is a godsend.
 

I was totally picturing a "heat tunnel", as my shrink band inconsistencies seemed to stem from shrinking only one part of the band at a time. Didn't realize they were a real thing! And point taken about the "importance" of the shrink band... definitely not a high priority compared to quality/texture/literally almost everything else lol. I did hear about a boiling water dip for the shrink band... seems like it would be tricky to keep the band in place while dipping. Anyone have any insight into this?
 
> I have read someone here on the forum doing the hot water dip but I don't recall the poster's name or method.  I use the heat gun and the mottled or 'not quite perfect' seals are fine with me.  
 

We are in complete agreement! Slowly getting all the wheels turning.  :)

A couple more questions...
Many hot sauces have "water" listed as the first ingredient... are they actually adding water, or is it the combined water content from the ingredients?
 
>  Hot sauce makers usually add some water to the product.  
 
Any special considerations when using honey as an ingredient and hot-filling?
 
>  No special considerations food safety wise, other than honey is amazing and a great ingredient to balance hot sauces.

Any advice related to the recipe I posted above? Vinegar:pepper ratio?
 
> The recipe as posted above is pretty spot on, though I use about twice that amount of vinegar when I'm going for a Louisiana style pepper sauce.  Stuff like that is personal preference imo, though I do advise you to get the pH meter fixed or replaced asap just to make sure you're at safe acidity levels.  
Click to expand...
 
Hope this helps, and keep on making sauce!!  :)
 
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I do not recommend using the boiling water method for shrink bands.  It introduces water under the band and around the cap which can lead to problems down the road.
SL
 
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Thanks folks!

Guess I need to reach out to some local growers (if I can find them up here in Maine...) to fill the freezer next season.

Will definitely be replacing the pH meter ASAP.
 
SmokenFire said:
I use about twice that amount of vinegar when I'm going for a Louisiana style pepper sauce
Click to expand...
Wow, that seems crazy to me, but you're right that it all comes down to personal preference and the style of sauce. There's an algorithm emerging in my sauce recipe process...
1) Add ingredients for flavor and desired heat level
2) Add vinegar as necessary to achieve safe pH
3) Strain to remove pulp and/or add/remove liquid to achieve desired consistency
4) Repeat 1-3 until flavor/heat/pH/consistency are correct
5) ???
6) Profit!  :P
 
Tested this sauce out on a bunch of people at work. Almost unanimously well received. The one dissenting voice simply couldn't taste anything beyond the heat, but as far as I'm concerned that just means he's not the sauce's target audience. Words used to describe the sauce were "bright", "fresh", "spicy", "sweet","long-lasting". One person said "a little sour, in a good way". Several compliments on its "bouquet". Nobody picked out the husk cherry flavor (neither would I have - most people have never tasted it), but a couple folks did guess honey and one correctly guessed cinnamon.
 
In my opinion, the heat starts strong but quickly fades to a tingle... and that's what I think is really interesting about it. The sauce contains ground sichuan pepper, which has a numbing/tingling effect. Tasted on its own, it has a woodsy, almost herbal taste, and definitely zero SHU. But because it's combined with something spicy, the brain seems to attribute the tingle/numbing to the heat level, which gives the sauce the "appearance" of being spicier than it actually is, and it's that tingle that persists long after the spice is gone.
 
Anyway, enough rambling, thanks again for the feedback and advice!
 
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