Is it safe to re-work a bad tasting hot sauce?

[Stazybo]

I made 4 pints of hot sauce using about a pound and a half of various habs and a few bhuts and fataliis. I roasted the chiles and three heads of garlic, added carrots and onion and pureed and cooked in vinegar and lemon juice.
I must have used too much vinegar or lemon because it's way too tart for my taste.
I keep the sauce in the fridge and now I am thinking I might want to take it out and re-work it and add it to another batch.

Should be ok as long as I cook it and keep my jars sterilized, right?

 

[jsschrstrcks]

That would be my understanding... Too much vinegar/lime taste either means you are sensitive to both, as compared to everyone else, or you have a lot in there. Having a lot of those things in there theoretically means the PH is probably low.

low ph = good.
bad taste = bad.

So I would think yes... Just 1. taste the next batch as you go, and 2. check the PH of the finished product.

I am really sensitive to vinegar. Can't stand it.

 

[salsalady]

yes, you're OK to re-work it. Add some sugar, add to another batch, whatever it needs, and then do as you said to bring the sauce up to boiling and use clean/sterilized jars.

 

[Jeff H]

A batch of hot sauce that was fermented would get the pH low without the vinigar then you could mix the two together to minimize the vinegar flavor.

Personally, I like vinegar, but you can go overboard. I like to use 2 parts vinegar to 1 part water to my hot sauces.

 

[Stazybo]

Thanks everyone. The sauce is def worth keeping. It has a very good base flavor and it is plenty hot.

 

[Arenal Botanical Garden]

Use banana vinegar instead.

 

[thegreenman]

yeah, that poses a great question. Which vinegar will give the most acidification with the least flavor?

Use banana vinegar instead.

I've never seen banana vinegar even here in this banana republic we call South Floriduh.

 

[Arenal Botanical Garden]

It might take a bit of effort but if you want the best, quit using floor disinfectant
http://www.acapro-cr.org/products.html

 

[RocketMan]

I use Rice Vinegar when I need to add some. It has the mildest flavor of all that I've tried.

I've never seen Banana Vinegar either. I'll have to keep my eyes open for it.

 

[Justaguy]

Some things just don't taste good with vinegar IMO which is why I like to use lemon juice as an acidifier. I have found, like Salsalady said, some sugar or brown sugar balances the tart out.

 

[Greg H]

+1 for rice vinegar.