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recipe-help Need advice on using Granny Smith Apples

mmackay1650

mmackay1650

I'm looking to try using Granny Smith apples in my sauce, I'm aiming for a medium heat sauce, and it generally ends up being a little hotter than I want. I prefer a sauce that doesn't require a dropper, I like to pour it on. I saw some posts about adding Granny Smith apples to add body and tartness, as well as likely diffusing some of the heat. Most of my sauces are cayenne pepper, garlic cloves and onion in the boil/simmer, then a touch of honey to curb the heat as needed. I'd like to try using the apples, but I'm just checking on when I add them. I'm assuming it's during the puree process (blender) after the simmer, meaning the apples don't get cooked. Just thought i'd humbly ask before I jumped in.

thanks,
mike
 
ok, further diving into the forums and i'm way off. need to bring the apples to a simmer as well to sterilize. guess that's the process. I assume apples are treated the same as mangos (which is where I saw that they should be in the boil)
 
I haven’t used apples in hot sauce yet, but I have cooked/canned A LOT with apples.

When we bought our place, there was a small orchard that we’ve since rehabbed and added to in the 13 years we’ve been here- so, we got’s apples.

Have made applesauce, butter, pie filling and wine from them, and will likely play with them in hot sauces at some point, as I’m just getting into really hot peppers that play well with the fruity side of flavors.

My takeaway, after cooking and canning with apples, would be this:

Yes- you definitely want to treat them like any other low(er)-acid ingredient that needs to be fully sterilized before packaging, BUT (and this is the fun part), the sugars in apples actually like to be cooked.

Sure, you can scorch an apple and ruin the flavor, but you almost have to try to do it. If you’re cooking an apple in a gentle heat, like you generally do with a boil->simmer, the apples just get better with time on the heat. The sugar flavors, at the long end of cooking, become caramel flavors.

Bottom-line: don’t be afraid to cook apples as ingredients of a sauce. If you’ve gone hot enough, fast enough, to ruin what the apples add, you’ve probably damaged other ingredients as well. They’re a resilient flavor that gets better with time on the fire.
 
Apples also have pectin which will thicken the sauce.

Apples will add bulk, tone down the heat, will thicken (carrots will do the same), and depending on the apple variety, will add some, or a lot, of sweetness.

They should be added and cooked with the rest of the vegetables.

You are on the right track. Keep at it and have fun!
salsalady
 
If it seems too apple sweet(meaning a loss fresh tartness in the grannies) and needs a bit of tartness, hit it with a bit of citric acid. Once upon a time someone(Cappy?) on here was making a green brain strain sauce with grannies and he couldn't make enough, lol.
 
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If juicing the apples and pitching the pulp, might as well just use bottled apple juice. Viscosity from the the apples can be mitigated with a vinegar, water, or other juices. I hate to see a product used and then throw away pulp.
 
The Hot Pepper said:
How did it go?
Click to expand...
just got bottles delivered tonight (sunday night) will get at it on monday. gonna do 1lb apples (chopped peels and all- Granny Smith) along with 1lb peppers and 1gal white vinegar 1 large onion and 1 head of garlic. generally rough chop and bring to a boil then simmer for 30 min. This season is mostly cowhorn peppers for bulk and cayenne for heat. Will add local honey after blending and straining to make taste approchable while still oven hot.
Any suggestions on ratios are welcome. This has been my standard recipie less the apples for many years. I throw pulp (mostly seeds) on parchment paper in oven to dry it out and make pepper flakes for pizza and whatnot.
 
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I've smoked the cayennes before and it was nice, just super smoky, could only really use it on bbq. I've also roasted the peppers (when I had serrano's last year) came out nice, just more salsa flavored than fresh pepper flavor. depends what I'm going for at the moment.
 
Season 1 GIF by SHOWTIME
 
Not sure what the actual recipe is. Based on the ingredients...I would go....

1 CUP vinegar
1lb peppers
1/2 lb onion, garlic and other veg
1 lb apple
As much other liquid as needed
Other ingredients as needed... salt, spice, pepper, sugar...

Smoke things, etc,


I just got freaked out with 1 gallon vinegar with 2 pounds of peppers and veg.

SL
 
mmackay1650 said:
just got bottles delivered tonight (sunday night) will get at it on monday. gonna do 1lb apples (chopped peels and all- Granny Smith) along with 1lb peppers and 1gal white vinegar 1 large onion and 1 head of garlic. generally rough chop and bring to a boil then simmer for 30 min. This season is mostly cowhorn peppers for bulk and cayenne for heat. Will add local honey after blending and straining to make taste approchable while still oven hot.
Any suggestions on ratios are welcome. This has been my standard recipie less the apples for many years. I throw pulp (mostly seeds) on parchment paper in oven to dry it out and make pepper flakes for pizza and whatnot.
Click to expand...
That actually sounds pretty good. Unfortunately, the ratios are kind of a taste thing and something you just have to work out in tasting and notes- but that at least smells like it would be shelf-stable. Did you mean a whole gallon of vinegar?
 
yes. I use a whole gallon of vinegar and no water.
hmm. I've always used white vinegar as the liquid. Last batch was actually 2 gals of white vinegar (just to the top of the 2 lbs of peppers) simmer for 30 min with other veggies. It was definitely my most popular to date. I've been doing it that way for years. must have messed up the recipe long ago with too much vinegar. I guess I can try a batch with just a cup of vinegar and see how it goes. FWIW we are definitely a family that likes North Carolina vinegar based bbq sauce. but it seems like i'm waaaay over on the amount that's recommended. how can it still be palatable?
 
I've always had some of the unopened bottles on the shelf- up to 6-8 months before opening and refrigerating. never had an issue, maybe its the ton of vinegar I use...

I've also never done anything more than fill while hot. never tried water baths, never had any issue with visible mold or otherwise.
 
Mold is a worry but botulism is the dangerous component here. You need to follow certain safety protocols.
salsalady

tutorial Thread 'Making Hot Sauce 101'

Making and Bottling Hot Sauce 101 for Beginners

This post is for people wishing to make and bottle sauces for personal use or to share with friends and family. Persons wishing to sell their sauces should contact their local health authority and follow the guidelines of their Authority Having Jurisdiction for licensing, permits, insurance, etc required for commercial sauce ventures.

Making hot sauces, BBQ sauces and many other types of sauces is a fun and rewarding adventure. The combinations of chiles and flavors are endless so there’s always...
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yes, i've read that, and looks like the only thing i'm missing is inverting the bottles after filling. I will do that moving forward. With the ph of white vinegar being 2.4, and the fact that i'm only diluting that with peppers and veggies and not water probably keeps me under 3 in the end, but i'll get a ph meter to check it out at well. always room for improvement.
 
Yeah, with using 1 gallon white vinegar with2 pounds of produce, that is pretty much low pH.

Likeability is subjective. Some like vinegar, some like fruit....


Go with what you like!
 
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