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cooking Fermenting 101 has no links that cook the sauce after fermenting?

B

Bigoledude

I don't really need the probiotics in the fermented hot sauce. My homemade kefir, yogurt and kimchee provide me with more than enough probiotics. Plus, I don't think I could eat enough of this anticipated hot sauce to get a whole lot of probiotics in each serving anyway.

I think (based on absolutely no knowledge or experience) that I would prefer the flavor of a "cooked" sauce. Even though I am crazy about the "pickled" flavor of my Cajun version of kimchee with it's garlic, onions, peppers and shallots in there with the typical napa cabbage, carrots, leeks, raw oysters and daikon radish etc..!

None of the fermented sauce links that RocketMan gives us in the sticky, cook their sauce. It just seems that I could squeeze a little more flavor from the peppers by cooking them?

My questions; Would I get more of that "pickled" flavor, that I like so much, if I did not cook it after fermenting? Can you even detect any pickled flavor in a hot sauce? What are you guys looking for or gaining that "cook" your peppers after fermenting?
 
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Well, actually, my kimchee has a perfect "pickled" flavor without one drop of vinegar in it. I was just wondering what taste differences you guys have experienced if you cook it after the ferment or if you just bottle-it-up after the ferment without cooking it?

I don't dislike vinegar but won't use it if I can get that fermented "Pickle" flavor naturally from the ferment. Will cooking it after the ferment alter the pickled flavor?
 
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Dude, I cook all of my sauces after they ferment. As the Viss likes the say its the difference between sauce and salsa. I don't ferment for the probiotics, I do it because it gives the sauce a better flavor, a fuller and richer flavor than just cooking up a sauce. The cooking instructions were left out because that sticky was about fermenting and allowed each to make their own decision about what to do with it though I did include the basic process to finish it. Give the Making Hot sauce 101 a read. Salsa Lady has been at this professionally for a while and her guidance in that sticky will give you a sauce that is made safely and which will be shelf stable when done.

Oh, and don't forget the pics :)
 
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That "pickled" flavor you like is the result of fermentation, not pickling. Yes, it's symmantic, but if you understand the difference, it will help you decide which process to use.

Fermenting is one flavor profile, typical of kimchee, sauerkraut, fermented sauces, etc. Using the Fermenting 101 notes, the pH of the chiles is lowered to a safe level and that familiar twang taste is developed. When it's done doing it's thing, you have the choice of blending, straining, bottling, canning, refering, whatever you want. The flavor is there and doesn't change much due to cooking. At that point it's more about storage and what you have avalable to work with.

"Pickling" is using vinegar (or other acid) to lower the pH of (whatever) to get it to a safe level for long term storage of the food item. It could be any type of vegetable- cucumber, beet, onion, chiles- but the vinegar brine soaks into the larger pieces of vegetable, rendering them safe for long term storage.

I think that making a sauce with vinegar in it isn't technically "pickling", it's just making a pH safe sauce, same as making a homemade homecanned tomato sauce with citric acid added to plower the pH.

Sauces with vinegar in them have a totally different flavor than fermented sauces. They should both have a safe pH, but will taste totally different. Hopefuly this will help you decide which flavor is the one you like and will help you make a sauce you like.

Good Luck~ post pics~~~
 
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Hey RocketMan

I'm gonna use your method. I'm believing that I will prefer the flavor of the cooked sauce better than that of a raw "salsa" flavor. Although it's hard to imagine a good ferment tasting raw.

Whenever the pepper plants start to produce, I'm gonna try a batch using vinegar and one using just fermenting without cooking. WITH PICS!!

Thanks for the replies everyone. It sure gives me confidence to have yall's advice with so much experience under your belts (or aprons)!
 
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