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- Thread starter Phil
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15 habs, 5 ghosts, banana, mango, kiwi, pineapple, tomatoes, onion, garlic, white vinegar, red wine vinegar, kosher salt, and about 5 hour of cooking and processing. Should be plenty acidic!
It's nowhere near as hot as I thought it would be.... note to self.... next time, double up on peppers and salt.
so.... lesson learned... 20 peppers is weak... even for only 6 bottles worth.
It's nowhere near as hot as I thought it would be.... note to self.... next time, double up on peppers and salt.
so.... lesson learned... 20 peppers is weak... even for only 6 bottles worth.
Out of curiosity, why cook it for that long? Are you trying to thicken it up?
If any hotter than 190 then you're likely boiling it, which can make it inconsistent from batch to batch. If cooler then you're really just reducing it by cooking out the water, which is ok if that's the goal, but you'd end up with more sauce if you don't reduce it.
I'm just curious - a lot of folks mention really long cooking times like this...
If any hotter than 190 then you're likely boiling it, which can make it inconsistent from batch to batch. If cooler then you're really just reducing it by cooking out the water, which is ok if that's the goal, but you'd end up with more sauce if you don't reduce it.
I'm just curious - a lot of folks mention really long cooking times like this...
I cooked it that long mostly to get all of my veggies super tender. I pureed after about an hour and a half, cooked again for another hour or so, pureed again, and then strained.... 5 hours wasn't just all cooking, but mostly, I guess. And I'm kinda scared of toxins getting in there, since I don't have a way to test the pH yet.... so I figured cooking and sterilizing EVRYTHING would help ensure that I have shelvable sauce that wouldn't get anyone sick. I sterilized everything from my transfer pitcher to the strainer, funnel, and bottles.
That, and me and my lady were sitting out back listening to LSU/Maryland baseball game, so time kind of got away from me. But, I am here to learn, and I appreciate every nudge I get in the right direction.
Also.... I'm used to cajun cooking, where everything seems to take all day. Bad habit, I guess! Would overcooking tone down the heat? Or was it the fact that I used pepper that I froze from last summer? I usually put two peppers in my red beans when I'm cooking, and that's PLENTY.... I figured 20 would be enough, seeing as how 5 of them were ghosts....
That, and me and my lady were sitting out back listening to LSU/Maryland baseball game, so time kind of got away from me. But, I am here to learn, and I appreciate every nudge I get in the right direction.
Also.... I'm used to cajun cooking, where everything seems to take all day. Bad habit, I guess! Would overcooking tone down the heat? Or was it the fact that I used pepper that I froze from last summer? I usually put two peppers in my red beans when I'm cooking, and that's PLENTY.... I figured 20 would be enough, seeing as how 5 of them were ghosts....
One tip is to purée the veggies (I use a cuisinart for my hobby batches) before pasteurizing. Then it heats faster & your veggies will be cooked through in a much shorter time.
And length of time is not as important as temperature - I bring to 190, keep it there for 15-20 mins and bottle as close to that temp
as possible. I pasteurize, then use the blender, then being back to 190 to bottle hot.
The 190 degrees kills the nasties. Hours of time is overkill for that. If pH is right that should be sufficient.
It's not a bad thing, just makes it harder to replicate if you reduce for such a long period.
As for the heat cooking down, I would think that less liquid would concentrate the capsaicin and make it hotter.
Love the color of this sauce btw.
And length of time is not as important as temperature - I bring to 190, keep it there for 15-20 mins and bottle as close to that temp
as possible. I pasteurize, then use the blender, then being back to 190 to bottle hot.
The 190 degrees kills the nasties. Hours of time is overkill for that. If pH is right that should be sufficient.
It's not a bad thing, just makes it harder to replicate if you reduce for such a long period.
As for the heat cooking down, I would think that less liquid would concentrate the capsaicin and make it hotter.
Love the color of this sauce btw.
Best advice I have: listen to Salsa lady.
Yeah - purée before hand & it'll cook the veggies more evenly too.
I would concur with this. I have a sauce I made earlier this year with mostly white habs, some paper lanterns and orange habs and I reduced it so it is almost as thick as peanut butter. It is hotttttt
. Not as hot as some of the Ghost sauces I have but hotter than any commercial hab sauces I have had.
Not when it comes to Sauce making, growing or anything else important.
I leave that up to the smart folks with 'sperience.
Good luck, I am 1 for 20 thus far, about to dump another 10 seeds in the mix. I had 3 plants last year and got so many pods by seasons end I just wanted the bushes to DIE!I really hope I get a white hab crop this year... I'd LOVE to make some white lightning!Got six of them germinating, so we'll see!
I can always count on you, Scovie! lol.. thanks!
Thanks JHP... I've heard a lot of people tell me that with whites, I'd get sick of picking. I hope I got a quality batch of seeds this year. Last year, they turned out to be bell peppers.... 
LMAO! Nothing a little root rot solution couldn't take care of!
Anyone ever dealt with these folks before?
lol.... they came by "royal mail"!
..... by seasons end I just wanted the bushes to DIE!
LMAO! Nothing a little root rot solution couldn't take care of!
Anyone ever dealt with these folks before?
lol.... they came by "royal mail"!