Pepper Extract vs. Hot Sauce

[OzDragon]

There's a lot of talk lately about pepper extract and extraction methods. What are the uses for pepper extract? Why not use hot sauce?
I wonder if pepper extract will allow me to get the heat without the flavors in hotsauces (vinegar, garlic, carrots, etc.).

So, I'm really curious about how you all decide when to use extract and when to use hotsauce.

 

[Crusher]

They really are two completely different things. An extract would be something you used to add heat to a hot sauce. You wouldn't actually pour extract over a burrito, but you might add an extract to your favorite sauce if you loved the taste, but felt it missed the heat benchmark you were looking for.

The only other place I have personally seen an extract used was in a pot of chili. I am sure many others here have used extracts in many other ways, but it's definitely not a hot sauce substitute.

 

[gasificada]

I wonder if pepper extract will allow me to get the heat without the flavors in hotsauces (vinegar, garlic, carrots, etc.).

Sure, if you prefer the taste of chemical over the taste of hot sauce....

In my experience, extracts* taste like utter ass and almost always have very unpleasant--and very painful--side-effects. They can really wreck havoc on your insides!

I recently saw salsalady/Texas Creek Products has developed something interesting though that has caught my attention:
http://www.thehotpepper.com/topic/26434-product-testers-found-for-new-product/page__p__529100__hl__%2Bpure+%2Bevil__fromsearch__1#entry529100

EDIT:

*I hear the extracts used by Defcon Sauces are an exception though as they don't use chemicals in their extraction process.

They really are two completely different things. An extract would be something you used to add heat to a hot sauce. You wouldn't actually pour extract over a burrito, but you might add an extract to your favorite sauce if you loved the taste, but felt it missed the heat benchmark you were looking for.

The only other place I have personally seen an extract used was in a pot of chili. I am sure many others here have used extracts in many other ways, but it's definitely not a hot sauce substitute.

Pretty much that too. I really can't see much use for them other than being added to hot sauce.....

 

[JayT]

I use extracts as Mmorris said, to bump up the heat of something without changing the taste. I'll add some to a wing sauce, a soup, a marinade anything that is fairly bulk in size so the flavor is not really changed, just the heat.

 

[The Hot Pepper]

If you want pure pepper taste and heat w/o other ingredients use powders. I add powders more than sauces because I like what I am eating to retain the natural flavors. I use powders a lot!

 

[Crusher]

If you want pure pepper taste and heat w/o other ingredients use powders. I add powders more than sauces because I like what I am eating to retain the natural flavors. I use powders a lot!

I am with you on this one. Powders are my primary mode of adding heat. I really like it because the powder retains the pepper taste as you mentioned and some of the powders that I have bought are smoked varieties which adds a nice smoky flavor to something like a turkey sandwich.

 

[The Hot Pepper]

Yeah, and if you want intense heat, use superhot powders. No apples, no brown sugar... just peppers! I love powders. Pretty much on anything that is already saucy for some sort of vehicle, and I eat lots of saucy food. Italian, Indian, Thai, etc. And if it's not saucy it works too. Pizza! Yeaaaahhhh da bomb on pizza.

 

[OzDragon]

They really are two completely different things. An extract would be something you used to add heat to a hot sauce. You wouldn't actually pour extract over a burrito, but you might add an extract to your favorite sauce if you loved the taste, but felt it missed the heat benchmark you were looking for.

The only other place I have personally seen an extract used was in a pot of chili. I am sure many others here have used extracts in many other ways, but it's definitely not a hot sauce substitute.

Gotcha! Extract wouldn't go onto a burrito but it might go into the hotsauce that goes onto the burrito. So, extract is used in situations where it's going to be well diluted.
Does extract impart much flavor?

 

[Scovie]

When you buy sauces, or even look on the ones you have, read the label. Dave's Insanity Sauce (for example) has extract as an ingredient. I tend to stay away from sauces that have it, because of the metallic taste, and just pure acid burn feeling.
10 drops of that stuff could take out a city water supply, or at least an apartment building LOL.

Good sauces are hard to find because of the reasons you mentioned. Powders are pure, simple and versatile. Add powder to your favorite sauce or to your eggs in the morning.

 

[OzDragon]

Sounds like powders are something to explore.

When you buy sauces, or even look on the ones you have, read the label. Dave's Insanity Sauce (for example) has extract as an ingredient. I tend to stay away from sauces that have it, because of the metallic taste, and just pure acid burn feeling.
10 drops of that stuff could take out a city water supply, or at least an apartment building LOL.

Good sauces are hard to find because of the reasons you mentioned. Powders are pure, simple and versatile. Add powder to your favorite sauce or to your eggs in the morning.

You are speaking my language! That metallic stinging flavor is really what bugs me the most. After working directly with bhuts and habs, I'm surprised by how good they taste. And I've been able to distinguish that metallic flavor in some hotsauces is coming from something other than the peppers.

 

[biscgolf]

extracts* taste like utter ass

QFT

can't wait to try salsalady's pure evil though...

 

[ajijoe]

i like what Nova said in another thread

EXTRACTS SUCK AND YOUR GUTS WILL HATE YOU!!!
+1 Nova +1 wherever you are
I prefer hot sauce over extracts IMHO, extracts do more to ruin food and sauces than anything, im in love with the taste that the pepper adds to food, that chemical taste is terrible and decided to never use it, if you wanna boost heat use powder, i definatly agree that powders are the way to go

thanks your friend Joe

 

[Hendrix1326]

+1 on the powder recommendation. I have been on a huge kick with powders lately. I made a medley powder (coarse grind, not quite flakes, but not full-blown powder...) that I made using 13 different peppers, mostly superhots. It is amazing, with the Chinense flavor coming through in a big way, with lots of heat for a little sprinkle. It is a superb burn, too, without being disastrous on either my mouth or my guts. Fantastic things, those pepper powders. I also just ground up a bunch of Caribbean Red Habs recently, and can't wait to use that powder on my eggs or pasta!

HUGE recommendation for powders!

Regarding extracts, I have a disaffinity for the sauce with extract, since the extract taste makes it taste bitter/metallic/"dry" pepper-like flavor that essentially ruins any other spices/flavors in the sauce. However, I will say that things like Pure Cap (capsaicin/vegetable oil, that's it!) are great in small amounts in food. Once in a while on my oatmeal/hot cereal, I put a drop or two of that in it to get a kick start to my day with a little chili heat, without any significant flavors.

All in all, you just need to get the experience and trial-and-error your way to your own preferred chili experience. Sometimes it works, sometimes it tastes terrible or is too hot, but it's always fun to try new stuff and learn what works best for you! Good luck on your adventures!

 

[gitguymertin]

I am lucky enough to have a chance to test SalsaLady's extract. I have not received it yet but she says it is flavorless which would be really neat since a lot of people don't like extracts because of the taste. When I receive the extract I will make some dishes with it and post video reviews to describe the heat and tell if I can taste the extract

 

[The Hot Pepper]

She said it is not extract.

 

[OzDragon]

My project is cookies. I make a fantastically spicy cookie that includes ghost peppers, and I'm looking for different ways to tweak the recipe.

Cayenne pepper powder = metallic taste
ghost peppers = DELICIOUS but hard to acquire in Chicago. I have to order them in bulk, get way too many and toss out more than half when they get moldy.
Dave's Ghost Pepper sauce = weird flavor in the cookies, metallic and a 1-dimensional heat. The tiniest bit of that sauce ruined a batch of 15 cookies.

Thought I'd give a homemade extract a try. See if it'll bring up the heat and not ruin the cookie's flavor.


One other thing I'm getting from this discussion is that I might have been wrong about something else. I thought the metallic flavor in hotsauces was related to the vinegar or acetic acid interacting with the capsaicin and tongue receptors. Some of you seem to suggest the pepper extract is the culprit.

 

[The Hot Pepper]

Cayenne pepper powder = metallic taste
...
One other thing I'm getting from this discussion is that I might have been wrong about something else. I thought the metallic flavor in hotsauces was related to the vinegar or acetic acid interacting with the capsaicin and tongue receptors. Some of you seem to suggest the pepper extract is the culprit.

Cayenne is not metallic. Something is wrong here. Is your spice in a tin AND moisture got to it?

And on point 2, yes, it is from extract. Not vinegar.

 

[The Hot Pepper]

Do you use aluminum-free baking powder in your cookies?

 

[Nova]

i like what Nova said in another thread

EXTRACTS SUCK AND YOUR GUTS WILL HATE YOU!!!
+1 Nova +1 wherever you are
I prefer hot sauce over extracts IMHO, extracts do more to ruin food and sauces than anything, im in love with the taste that the pepper adds to food, that chemical taste is terrible and decided to never use it, if you wanna boost heat use powder, i definatly agree that powders are the way to go

thanks your friend Joe

Agreed

 

[OzDragon]

Do you use aluminum-free baking powder in your cookies?

I just checked. The baking powder does have aluminum sulfate. Thanks for having me look at that.
One thing: the cookies with fresh peppers were perfect.

Still, I'm going out tonight to get aluminum-free baking powder.