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How do you start a sauce idea, especially with non standard peppers

badmoon692004

badmoon692004

So this is my first year growing peppers, and my primary motivation is to make my own hot sauces... I'm starting to get more and more ripe peppers, but the farther away I get from standard peppers that I can at least find a recipe to start from as a baseline the more I feel lost. 
 
I made a couple sample sauces with peppers from the store, and am fairly confident I could make a halfway decent sauce with my Jalepenos/Tapas/Purple UFO's as they all have a pretty standard Annuum flavor. 
 
So far my two favorite peppers that have ripened have been my Fidalgo Roxa, and Tepin x Lemon drop, but they both have such unique flavors that I don't even know where to start, and the last thing I want to do is use a bunch of them after putting in all this work to get them and then having the sauce be junk that I just throw out. 
 
Any input on how you go about constructing a new sauce idea or maybe even some sauces/other use ideas for these two peppers? 
 
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:welcome: to THP! 
 
I don't think I have the answer to your question, but maybe a stepping stone along the way....
 
 
First off- If you are harvesting peppers as they ripen and don't have a sauce recipe to use Right Now....freeze or make AJ's Puree
 
Freezing fresh pods works great and actually helps when making sauces because the frozen chiles break down a lot easier than fresh pods.  Alabama Jack's Puree recipe is a true pepper product with just a bit of vinegar and agave (could be eliminated).  AJ does a pressure cooker, I've done with a BWB and these are shelf stable until you are ready to make your sauce.
 
 
Which is where I'm not the person to ask about making a sauce that highlights certain chile flavors.  I approach sauce making as...."I want to make XXXX type sauce!  What chiles would go good in that flavor profile sauce?" ...
 
If you want to highlight specific pepper flavors, for sauces that could eventually be for sale....you need to find a super-basic sauce where the flavor of the chile is the highlight.  I'd suggest buying generic jalapenos and serranos from the market and work on getting a basic sauce recipe that most people can eat (which would be in the heat level of 2-5/10) and where they can taste the differences between a jalapeno and a serrano.  Can that be done?  :shrug:  I bet it could be!  There are a lot of pepper-specific sauces on the market, but most of them are still in the basic Jal/Ser/Hab/Cay flavors.  If you want to highlight your special pepper flavors, you need to find a recipe that will let those chile flavors shine and not get masked with a lot of other ingredients.
 
Once you have a super-basic sauce where people can taste the difference between a jalapeno and a serrano, then maybe use some of your frozen Roxa's for a test batch. 
 
FWIW, one of the biggest mistakes new sauce makers make is making it too hot for friends and family to eat.  Here on THP, there are a lot of folks who actually eat the 6-10/10 sauces.  From my years selling sauces, 75% of people buying salsa get the 0-4/10 heat levels.  If you want a lot of people to enjoy it, make it Medium.  If you want it for the 2%....go for the heat~~~
 
Hope This helps, Have Fun and Post Results!!!
 
SL
 
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The main thing I would suggest, is to start really small.  And freezing your peppers(as Salsalady suggested) will make this a lot easier.  Try to make enough for just a bottle or jar at a time.  Measure everything out as best as you can...a scale makes this really, really easy.  Once it cools down the day after you made it, you may want to do a few small tweaks if it's close to where you want it...a little more salt, sugar, acid, whatever it may be.  Then just eat it throughout the next week, your opinion of it may change as it sits, and as you get used to it and try it on different foods.  And you'll be able to figure out what you want to change about it.
 
If you want, you can do that all over again...and again.....or, just make a big batch next.
 
This is something I don't actually do, even though I always tell myself I'm going to.  It would save me from having a few subpar batches hanging around, but as someone who works in professional kitchens, my brain doesn't want me to make small batches of anything...I forget I'm not at work sometimes...
 
As for where to get ideas for flavors...it's pretty random for me, whatever I happen to be thinking about at that moment.
I just made a sauce with some Chocolate Brainstrains and Chocolate Habaneros...so I was thinking about the color, I wanted something dark to match the peppers, and also, some heavier, darker flavors to go with that.  So I roasted some red bells, onions, and garlic...rehydrated some dried Aji Panca, toasted some pumpkin seeds, used some raw cane sugar, a pinch of allspice...and seems pretty good so far.  I'll taste it, and tweak it tomorrow if it needs, before I bottle it up.
 
 
 
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I've already started freezing them as I harvest so it sounds like I'm on the right track with that. I'm toying with the idea of making a fermentation mash when I get enough so that I have it around and then can just throw it in to a sauce idea when one strikes me. I've only really gotten two halfway decent harvests so far so I'm a ways out before I have enough to really start thinking about those things, but once they start pumping out peppers it sure seems like they don't slow down. 
 
Appreciate the input and ideas and I'll be sure to report back with any successes or failures!
 
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Walchit said:
This is what I do too.

You will definitely need a scale, and a ph meter/pen. I got mine from hanna instruments for 40 bucks plus shipping is a little high iirc
Click to expand...
 
$40 bucks?
I checked Hanna's website and the cheapest I saw was $185.  
Did I look in the wrong place?
 
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When making a sauce balance is key. If it is not balanced, it is one note, or too high of a note in one direction (sweet, salty, sour, etc.). Even something as simple as Frank's is balanced. So just use your general cooking sense, think of the flavors you want, and experiment. 
 
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Often new or unique peppers themselves inspire me to make a sauce.  What each specific sauce comes down to for me is a basic ratio; peppers, savory, acid, sweet.  You want enough peppers to be on the front, with some salty/savory backing that up & enough acid to spread (and preserve) the flavor and piquancy along with a touch of sweetness to balance it all out.  What Jubnat spoke of above is very true, I'll taste a pepper and imagine what other stuff would go well with it - some need citrus, sweet onions and honey or others might need dried anchos, raisins and a chunk of dark chocolate. 
 
 
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salsalady said:
https://hannainst.com/hi98100-checker-plus-ph-tester.html?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIuo_Qk4LM4wIVEarsCh3V4wxQEAQYAiABEgJ1tfD_BwE

There's another one for $29
Click to expand...
 
 
Walchit said:
This is the one I have

https://hannainst.com/hi98107-phep-ph-tester.html

Its temperature compensating, so you dont have to cool your sauce all the way before testing
Click to expand...
 
 
 
Yep, must have been looking at the wrong product totally.
I have a real cheap tester so I'll be looking at these when mine dies.
 
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Also when using peppers you have not tasted before, you need to know the cooked flavor. So just fire roast a couple or roast in the oven, whole. When they cool cut into strips and taste. Add a little salt to enhance the flavor. This gives you a good idea of what to do next.
 
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Start small, batches not over a quart. Sometimes i do 2-3 wooozie sized to be safe if its super hot.
 
Dont go heavy with salt, vinegar, sugars or lime/lemon juice during the cook down. Make all adjustments several days later after its cooled in the fridge. Flavor will change a great deal from just cooling off to 4 days later. I dont add lime or lemon juice during the cook down at all.
 
Choose additions that compliment the flavor and color of the pepper including the vinegar. Such as cane vinegar goes well with chinense.
 
Use ascorbic acid powder as a preservative if needed. Its cheap and you need very little to help preserve color. It will also lower pH if you dont want to add more liquids.
 
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Every hot sauce starts with 3 basic components: peppers, a vinegar or some type of acidity, and salt.
What you add next depends on the flavor of the pepper, Citrus, herbs, spices, veggies, fruits, sugars... have fun and explore different things.
 
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