I started growing Tabasco peppers about four years ago and when they were nice and red I picked, washed and air dryed them, then in a 1/2 gallon hard plastic container with seal type latch down lid I put about 1/3 full of peppers, 2 tablespoons of kosher salt, and filled to the top with white vinegar.
After a couple of weeks I used a masher to smash the peppers down into a mash at the bottom. In a couple of months I tried the sauce and it had a nice tabasco type flavor. Since then I've just continued to add peppers to the mix, more vinegar, and salt as needed and have had this batch going for about four years and four crops. I recently bought a 1 gallon oak whiskey barrel and have drained off a large portion of the vinegar and put it in the barrel. Then added fresh vinegar to the mash the was left and added a bunch more of this years crop and salt.
The taste is great if you're like my family and love Tabasco sauce and like I said I've been using this same batch plus the new crops for four years, but I want to know if anyone else has done this and is it safe.
Thanks and love all you guys recipes, growing tips, and suggestions.
After a couple of weeks I used a masher to smash the peppers down into a mash at the bottom. In a couple of months I tried the sauce and it had a nice tabasco type flavor. Since then I've just continued to add peppers to the mix, more vinegar, and salt as needed and have had this batch going for about four years and four crops. I recently bought a 1 gallon oak whiskey barrel and have drained off a large portion of the vinegar and put it in the barrel. Then added fresh vinegar to the mash the was left and added a bunch more of this years crop and salt.
The taste is great if you're like my family and love Tabasco sauce and like I said I've been using this same batch plus the new crops for four years, but I want to know if anyone else has done this and is it safe.
Thanks and love all you guys recipes, growing tips, and suggestions.
to the Forums. Only suggestion I can think of would be to move the mash to the oak barrel and continue your aging process in there. When adding new peppers just run them through the food processor first. You could even back off of the vinegar and use a brine so that you get a good lactobacillus fermentation going. Your peppers will age nicely with no loss of color, flavor or heat. 
