So quite a few weeks ago I made my own sauce. Since then I have been looking for xanthan gum and have not found it in any of my local grocery stores yet. Before I get into that that, let me tell you about my sauce. Its just made out of Cayenne I fallowed a very simple basic recipe and just through it in a pot after running the peppers through a food processor.
After the cayenne was ready I used a cheese cloth and poured all the peppers into it and then wrapped it up in a ball and squeezed all of the juice out so that I was left with the juice only. I ended up keeping the juice and the left over solids, but in separate jars.
I noticed the other day in my hot sauce jar that it had separated. There is, what appears to be, an oil on the top layer and real nice orange/red stuff settled on the bottom layer. So here was my thoughts.
1) What are the substances in each layer?
2) Is the top layer just some kind of oil and the bottom layer where all the heat and flavor is?
3) Should I add xanthan gum so that everything holds together and not separate?
4) Can/should I remove the substance at the top layer and just use the good looking stuff that has settled on the bottom as my hot sauce?
5) Does anyone know of a reliable online source to purchase xanthan gum?
6) Is it worth keeping the solids I have sealed in a jar? Can it be used for anything or should I just toss it? How long would it be good for is I have sealed it in a jar?
Hopefully this isn't a lot to ask. This is my first attempt at hot sauce, hence all the questions and VERY simple recipe/methods used. So it would be nice to use this first attempt as a learning experience since I would love to make more sauces.
After the cayenne was ready I used a cheese cloth and poured all the peppers into it and then wrapped it up in a ball and squeezed all of the juice out so that I was left with the juice only. I ended up keeping the juice and the left over solids, but in separate jars.
I noticed the other day in my hot sauce jar that it had separated. There is, what appears to be, an oil on the top layer and real nice orange/red stuff settled on the bottom layer. So here was my thoughts.
1) What are the substances in each layer?
2) Is the top layer just some kind of oil and the bottom layer where all the heat and flavor is?
3) Should I add xanthan gum so that everything holds together and not separate?
4) Can/should I remove the substance at the top layer and just use the good looking stuff that has settled on the bottom as my hot sauce?
5) Does anyone know of a reliable online source to purchase xanthan gum?
6) Is it worth keeping the solids I have sealed in a jar? Can it be used for anything or should I just toss it? How long would it be good for is I have sealed it in a jar?
Hopefully this isn't a lot to ask. This is my first attempt at hot sauce, hence all the questions and VERY simple recipe/methods used. So it would be nice to use this first attempt as a learning experience since I would love to make more sauces.
