hot-sauce Fla. Inmates Make, Sell Own Hot Sauce

[rds040800]

'Jailhouse Fire Hot Sauce' Brings In $10,000


TAMPA, Fla. -- A group of Tampa inmates is offering a taste of what it's like jail -- no locks, bars or handcuffs required.

But you'd better have an tough stomach to use more than a dash of their "Jailhouse Fire Hot Sauce."

Minimum-security Hillsborough County Jail inmates offer it in "Original," "Smoke" and "No Escape" varieties, all made from their jail-grown peppers.

They came up with the recipe and started selling it in 2005. Since then, horticulture instructor Allen Boatman estimates they've made $10,000 on the sauce. Each bottle is $7.

The income is used to keep up the greenhouse and buy basic supplies.

 

[POTAWIE]

I've wanted to try these sauces for a while since I know Allen from other forums, and it just seems like such a great idea

 

[cheezydemon]

Heard about this on NPR this morning.

NO ESCAPE is their hotteste sauce evidently, lol.

 

[imaguitargod]

I've had the original a few years back, not that great of a sauce actually.

 

[cheezydemon]

They have limited ingredients.

 

[imaguitargod]

They have limited ingredients.

And probably blenders and other stuff

 

[Sickmont]

I had some from the first run and it was ok, but i've been hearing some serious raving about these new ones. I'm planning on going up to Tampa and getting some probably next weekend or so(Actually i'm super pissed because they just had a plant and hot sauce sale at the jail this weekend and i missed it. DAMN)

 

[chillilover]

I wouldn't eat stuff made by killers. Wonder what they put in it?

 

[Sickmont]

I wouldn't eat stuff made by killers. Wonder what they put in it?

Killers? What killers? Theres no killers at that jail.

 

[fineexampl]

I wouldn't eat stuff made by killers. Wonder what they put in it?

the OP says "minimum security prison". this is usually tax evasion, and non-threatening criminals. People that aren't a threat to society's health in other words. Hell, it could be some guy who was selling pot brownies. Who doesn't want to eat his food? I know i would.

 

[Ballzworth]

even if it were killers, it's still a great idea to raise some money and keep them serving a purpose to the public. Think of how much the hot sauce would sell if it was in fact made by killers? It would give a whole new, and literal, meaning to CaJohn's "Killer Cayenne".

 

[texas blues]

Who knew? SumBits and FD4 making sauce and posting from jail. HAH! Those cheap beer cans were all full of jailhouse raisonjack!

Salute', TB,

 

[scoville]

I've tried the sauces and they are good.I prefer the smoke.Allen has one of the best Chile collections in the world I'm thinking.I think they blend all of the chiles together for the sauce.I have been to the sale and they have a lot of unusual plants,and usually some peppers thrown in.I missed the last one dammit!I'm hoping to get a tour of his facility one day.Pepper heaven!He's teaching the inmates a trade so they can have a productive life when they get out.Not a bad thing.

 

[chillilover]

Oh, I guess I missed the "minimum" oops. Maximum and I wouldn't eat it. I don't like razor blades and arsenic

 

[rds040800]

Oh, I guess I missed the "minimum" oops. Maximum and I wouldn't eat it. I don't like razor blades and arsenic

Arsenic cant be that bad, they used to put it in everything. What do ya think they used to treat wood with, and its also why round up became so popular, then they had to change it due to waste regulations.

 

[The Hot Pepper]

I don't know man. There was a Florida story where inmates on work release at Popeyes "did things" to the chicken. You really trust inmates? Okay, you can have all the sauce

 

[chillilover]

Arsenic cant be that bad, they used to put it in everything. What do ya think they used to treat wood with, and its also why round up became so popular, then they had to change it due to waste regulations.

They did put it in wood and apparently a 12 foot 2X4 has enough in it to kill over 200 people.

 

[chilehunter]

good idea to give the inmates something to do (growing plants & making sauce) also good to get some income frome the sale of those items to keep the program going & hopefully make some kind of profit w/o any kind of tax burden on the citizens.
granted I'd be a little leary of trying their hot sauces, but if I knew they were held up to FDA standards & are closely watched to make sure nothing wrong goes on. then maybe I might try them.
or what if those inmates have certain diseases, would they check them for that before letting them handle food ?

 

[chilehunter]

I think arsenic is also found naturally in some seeds of fruit that people use the fruit flesh for jams or wines.

 

[MrArboc]

granted I'd be a little leary of trying their hot sauces, but if I knew they were held up to FDA standards & are closely watched to make sure nothing wrong goes on. then maybe I might try them.
or what if those inmates have certain diseases, would they check them for that before letting them handle food ?

Honestly, I'm more afraid of what I get when the product is made by minimum wage workers. Are they tested for diseases? Do they know anyting about what they do? If the boss do not bother to hire qualified staff, then do the boss care about the product?

Do minimum wage workers take pride in what they do as I'm sure these inmates do?

(Been there, done that... But not with food!)