Aging Sauce

[PtMD989]

Does it make a difference in taste or quality if fermented sauce is aged in the refrigerator or at room temperature 67*? What’s your guys and gals opinion?


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[tctenten]

Thanks for the reply. I definitely misread "on" vs "in" the fridge.

I guess I can't say definitively that ferments can't go on for a long time, but ask yourself this: what stops "wild" fermenting activity if not for using up the fermentable sugar. Maybe sauce ferments don't ferment to dryness in a week or two but a year at 70 degrees? And to be honest, even if the tiniest bubble of CO2 is being made does that really affect the flavor of the sauce? I'm going to say probably no. I strongly believe based on simple chemical and microbiological principles that the effects of fermentation on the flavor of a sauce are done way before a year, and probably within a few weeks given a stable room temp.

Now regarding aging, let's agree that aging and fermentation are different, though for all I know there might be some common chemical reactions. Just look at Smokey's non-fermented but aged sauce pic above. So aging has nothing to do with the lactobacillus life cycle. Now I will agree I was wrong to say that aging is simply oxidation. It's clearly complex as you say. But what is obvious is that exposure to oxygen is a critical part of the process. There aren't too many folks concerned with aging hot sauces but there are a ton that are interested in aging wine and it's very obvious that oxygen is key to that process. Take winemakers who intentionally use micro-oxygenation to the outcry when higher end producers began experiementing with screwcaps- there was a lot of concern that they would keep all oxygen out and the wines would be un-ageable. And I have to nitpick a little about "you shouldn't age wine more than 5 years"... I have a 32 year old Rioja sitting 5 feet away and many bottles that have been aging 10 years or more. Granted most wine is not made to age but that's a market decision based on the desires of the average consumer. Wine can be aged for decades if it's meant to and the conditions are right. But it's a double edged sword... too much oxygen exposure can be a bad thing. It's probably true for sauce too but how many 20year aged sauces do we see?

Not sure about 20 year sauce...but I have had sauce from another member here that has been aging since 2009...best sauce I have ever tasted.

 

[ShowMeDaSauce]

My fermented hab/carrot sauce aged in the fridge for around a year after fermenting/processing. The same sauce sorta fresh was not super popular with my mechanic. He loved it though after a long term aging in the fridge. Altogether it was about 15 months old including the ferment time.

 

[Redeemer]

Thanks for the reply. I definitely misread "on" vs "in" the fridge.

I guess I can't say definitively that ferments can't go on for a long time, but ask yourself this: what stops "wild" fermenting activity if not for using up the fermentable sugar. Maybe sauce ferments don't ferment to dryness in a week or two but a year at 70 degrees? And to be honest, even if the tiniest bubble of CO2 is being made does that really affect the flavor of the sauce? I'm going to say probably no. I strongly believe based on simple chemical and microbiological principles that the effects of fermentation on the flavor of a sauce are done way before a year, and probably within a few weeks given a stable room temp.

Now regarding aging, let's agree that aging and fermentation are different, though for all I know there might be some common chemical reactions. Just look at Smokey's non-fermented but aged sauce pic above. So aging has nothing to do with the lactobacillus life cycle. Now I will agree I was wrong to say that aging is simply oxidation. It's clearly complex as you say. But what is obvious is that exposure to oxygen is a critical part of the process. There aren't too many folks concerned with aging hot sauces but there are a ton that are interested in aging wine and it's very obvious that oxygen is key to that process. Take winemakers who intentionally use micro-oxygenation to the outcry when higher end producers began experiementing with screwcaps- there was a lot of concern that they would keep all oxygen out and the wines would be un-ageable. And I have to nitpick a little about "you shouldn't age wine more than 5 years"... I have a 32 year old Rioja sitting 5 feet away and many bottles that have been aging 10 years or more. Granted most wine is not made to age but that's a market decision based on the desires of the average consumer. Wine can be aged for decades if it's meant to and the conditions are right. But it's a double edged sword... too much oxygen exposure can be a bad thing. It's probably true for sauce too but how many 20year aged sauces do we see?

 
I think we are pretty close to the same page. In any case, you're right that the bulk of the fermentation takes place in the very early stages. I'm sure there is a scientific line between where fermentation ends and aging begins. For example, I've got 5 gallons of beer, and 5 gallons of cider sitting next to me in the secondary. They've been there well over a month because I am too lazy to bottle them yet (hot sauce comes first) and they are done fermenting as there likely isn't any fermentable sugar left at this point. I wouldn't say they are aging though. I think brewers refer to it as conditioning? Either way it is a fascinating topic, and even though I made the comparison to alcohol fermentation, it definitely isn't a 1:1 comparison.
 
And no worries on the nitpick. If I was unclear, in what i said, I in no way meant to suggest that you shouldn't age any red wine beyond 5 years. More that you have to be very meticulous about the wine you select to age, and there is no guarantee against spoilage. I don't know of any reds in the consumer price range of $15 - $25 per bottle I would keep longer than that.
 
Now, who wants to try some sauce?????
 

 

[Redeemer]

Not sure about 20 year sauce...but I have had sauce from another member here that has been aging since 2009...best sauce I have ever tasted.

 

My longest aged sauce is just over 2 years and it is amazing, in my humble opinion. I don't know if there is an upper limit, or a point where you reach diminishing returns, but in my experience, 30 to 90 days is a good minimum; and every day thereafter just makes it better.

 

[Student of Spice]

My cooked sauces age in the bottle for a month or more before use.
 
My fermented sauces will ferment anywhere from 3 weeks to 3 months.  When fermentation is over I cook them to stop fermentation, then bottle and they age for a month in the bottle before use.
 
I have batches of ferments that are more than a year old and have found the aged stuff has a depth of flavor not apparent in "younger" sauces or ferments.  Much like Hawaiianero described above, the older stuff just tastes more developed and mature.  
 
Recently I discovered a cache of Rocket sauce that had been hidden behind some rarely used flatware in our basement.  It's gotta be at least 5 years old, still with scotch taped hand written label on it.  The differences between the 5 year old sauce and a bottle of my last batch that's 6 weeks old is significant.
 
The 5 year old is noticeably darker, though it's the same consistency - not thicker or thinner.  Taste wise it's richer and more full bodied.  I'd compare it to the difference between a good Cabernet or Scotch; the younger and older versions taste largely the same, but subtle secondary notes are more prevalent in the older examples.  If that makes any sense lol. 
 
 

 
That must be some unearthly amazing sauce because as it stands, Rocket Sauce is some delicious hot sauce for sure.